Historic Gas Plant District Redevelopment Master Plan

Gensler was the master plan architect for the redevelopment of the Historic Gas Plant District in St. Petersburg — a bold vision to create a vibrant, mixed-use district surrounding a state-of-the-art ballpark for the Tampa Bay Rays The redevelopment plan aimed to provide intentional and restorative opportunities for economic equity and inclusion for Black community members and other marginalized groups.

A comprehensive team led the transformational redevelopment of the district, including development partners Tampa Bay Rays and Hines, along with master plan architect Gensler, and numerous local and national entities. The master plan aimed to commemorate the original Historic Gas Plant community legacy while connecting and elevating St. Petersburg and its surrounding neighborhoods.

In addition to a stadium, the Rays|Hines team proposed building 4,800 market-rate residential units, 600 senior living units, 600 affordable residential units, 1.4 million square feet of office and medical office space, and 750 hotel keys. Additionally, the master plan offered recreation and entertainment for the local community and visitors through 75,000 square feet of retail space, a 70,000-square-foot entertainment venue, and 50,000 square feet dedicated to housing the Woodson African American Museum of Florida, which would be positioned at the development’s entryway on Booker Creek.