St. Petersburg Eyes $289M Arts District, Historic Al Lang Stadium Could Come Down

City officials unveiled plans to reshape downtown's waterfront with a $289.2 million investment. The bold vision includes replacing Al Lang Stadium with an open-air music venue.

"I'm struggling with totally removing Al Lang Stadium, a stadium which is 80 years old, with a massive amount of history," said council chairperson Copley Gerdes to Tampa Bay Times.

The project stretches across prime waterfront space between 1st and 5th Avenue South. Phase one starts this year, running through 2030 at $161.7 million. Workers will add 50,000 square feet to the Dali Museum while upgrading Mahaffey Theater.

Ten years of work in phase two would cost $127.5 million. Plans call for demolishing the stadium, building a 3,000-seat music space, and adding parking for 400 cars.

Studies show construction could pump $445 million into local businesses. Once complete, yearly gains could hit $34 million.

Council member Gina Driscoll voiced strong concerns about the stadium's fate. "That made my eye twitch a little bit because I can't imagine not having Al Lang Stadium. I can't imagine not having the Rowdies," she said.

The changes affect the Tampa Bay Rowdies soccer team's home field. Beth Herendeen, who runs city development, mentioned talks with the team about a two-year lease extension past this year's end date.

New features would include space for the Florida Orchestra and 18,500 square feet of retail spots. Officials must still figure out how to keep the Firestone Grand Prix running: an event that draws 200,000 people and generates $60 million.

This proposal follows the Tampa Bay Rays' decision to back out of talks for a $1.3 billion baseball stadium downtown. The Rays own the Rowdies.

Nothing's set in stone yet. The city wants input from residents and merchants before moving forward with any changes.