ST. PETERSBURG — More sidewalks are coming, the Jungle Prada pier remains in limbo and police are promising a crackdown on speeders along Park Street North.
Those were among the updates more than 100 residents heard Sept. 30 at the first Residents of West St. Pete CommUNITY Meeting, held in the auditorium at St. Petersburg Catholic High School.
Thirteen neighborhood associations co-hosted the event: Azalea, Crossroads Area, Eagle Crest, Garden Manor, Holiday Park, Jungle Prada, Jungle Terrace, Lake Pasadena Estates, Live Oaks, Old Pasadena, Pasadena Bear Creek, Westminster Heights and Yacht Club Estates. Fourteen tabling partners, including city departments and the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections, staffed a resource fair before the program.
“West St. Pete showed up, connected and came together,” organizer Aron Bryce wrote in a social media post after the meeting.
City Council member Copley Gerdes, who represents the area, opened the program with a city update.
He told residents the city has balanced its budget and that a utility rate increase has taken effect. He also said the city will invest heavily in sidewalks in the coming years under its Sidewalk Master Plan.
The pier waits
The Jungle Prada pier, damaged in the 2024 hurricanes, remains standing while the city waits for FEMA to approve its demolition.
Gerdes said the city wants its funding and plans in place before starting. Once demolition begins, the city is on a tight timeline with FEMA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to finish the job, so work is unlikely to start until everything is finalized.
Jungle Prada Neighborhood Association President Juliana Fisher said she and other residents are working to bring the pier back better than before and invited neighbors to join the effort.
Old buildings, new uses
Not every historic building will survive. Gerdes said the Garden Club building at 500 Sunset Drive S. will be saved and restored. The Card Club building at 10 Park St. N. cannot be salvaged, and the city plans to turn the site into green space. No demolition date has been set.
Nearby, construction has begun on Azalea Cay, a 341-unit apartment complex on the former Raytheon property at 1501 72nd St. N. The project, which includes 102 income-restricted units, has drawn opposition from some residents but is moving forward.
Streets and safety
Gerdes said a raised crosswalk is a real possibility where the Pinellas Trail crosses 22nd Avenue North, an intersection that has long raised safety concerns.
He said a lot of fiber-optic cable is being installed across the west side, and that the fiber companies are responsible for repairing yards they damage. Residents with problems should contact the city. He also asked residents with concerns about streetlights or signal timing to report them so the city can investigate.
Police Chief Anthony Holloway told the crowd that crime in the city is noticeably down. He voiced support for the department’s use of Flock license-plate cameras and reminded residents to lock their cars and remove keys and weapons every time.
Residents were also told that speeding on Park Street North has been excessive and that they should expect more police there in the coming weeks.
St. Petersburg Fire Rescue said the new Fire Station No. 2 is expected to open in spring 2027. The department held its annual open house Oct. 3 and will host its annual haunted house this month.
Science Center progress
Joe Hamilton of the Science Center gave an update on the redevelopment at 7701 22nd Ave. N. He said work is moving slowly but steadily after a difficult asbestos abatement, and that the finished project will honor the original Science Center.
Joe Waugh, managing director of Neighborhood Services, and his staff encouraged residents to subscribe to the Neighborhood Nexus newsletter. The Mayor’s Neighborhood Awards will be held Dec. 8.
On the ballot
Heidi Davis, voter services co-chair of the League of Women Voters of the St. Petersburg Area, closed the evening with a nonpartisan overview of questions on the November ballot.
Amendment 3, the proposed constitutional amendment on property taxes, drew the most interest in the room.
Organizers said they plan to hold another west-side community meeting but have not announced a date.