St. Petersburg City Council has offered $2.9-million for nearly three acres of land in the Salt Creek area near Bartlett Park.
This area is located on Fourth Street S between 17th and 18th avenues.
A JHop media team of reporters and photographers toured the area slated for redevelopment soon after Hurricanes Milton and Helene to collect images for the Annual Student Photo Exhibit.
Salt Creek is a 1.5-mile stream that feeds the Gulf coast of Florida, flows northwest from the Pinellas Peninsula into Tampa Bay.
According to the publication St. Pete Rising, a Clearwater-based company has spent $43.7-million over the past few months buying more than 10.5 acres along Salt Creek.
The company has not released its plans; however, rumors suggest a mixed-use project with offices, retail stores, restaurants, and a marina component.
Redevelopment plans have not yet been submitted to the city.
City plans call for a flood management system and a preserve for educational use.
“The floodplain of Salt Creek, which encompasses a good part of what is being called ‘the innovation district,’ is underwater during even minor storms. Boosting the drainage is a good idea. Let’s hope that the city also works with far less expensive, and more effective, forms of protection — such as restoring wetlands on public parcels, “said Thomas Hallock, professor of English at the University of South Florida St Petersburg.
Professor Hallock lead the reporting team on the Salt Creek tour.
Officials added that the property would extend the park and feature acorn-style lamps and well-lit walking paths while the remainder would be wetlands.
