OPINION: Taller Buildings Will Give St. Pete Something to Look Up To

As a longtime advocate for development and increased housing density in St. Petersburg, I’ve heard nearly every argument against allowing taller buildings in our city’s neighborhoods.

But as St. Petersburg considers allowing greater building heights along major corridors outside downtown, I believe critics are overlooking an extraordinary opportunity.

For years, we’ve asked ourselves how we can create greater upward mobility in our community. Perhaps it’s time we started taking the “upward” part a little more literally.

Many longtime St. Pete residents have had limited opportunities to experience the kind of economic growth and prosperity that has transformed downtown. Taller, more upscale developments throughout St. Petersburg could provide something government programs have repeatedly failed to deliver: something to aspire to.

Imagine a child standing outside their family’s ramshackle home, looking 50 stories into the sky, where a 28-year-old marketing consultant is enjoying a bottle of biodynamic wine and discussing his recent trip to Copenhagen.

That’s not gentrification. That’s inspiration!

For too long, St. Petersburg’s most successful newcomers have been confined to downtown, physically separated from the neighborhoods that could benefit from their example. Taller development would allow us to spread hope throughout the city, while placing it high enough for everyone to see.

Some critics might suggest that existing residents could never afford to live in these new buildings. But that’s the beauty of it, they don’t have to!

You don’t have to own a penthouse to be inspired by one.

Not every benefit of luxury housing requires living in it. Existing residents can enjoy improved streetscapes, enhanced neighborhood character and, perhaps most importantly, daily exposure to people who have made better life choices.

We talk constantly about upward mobility, yet for too many people it remains an abstract concept. A 50-story luxury apartment building changes that. Suddenly, upward mobility is right there in front of you.

All you have to do is look up.

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[Graham Whitmore is a local development advocate and urban policy analyst.]