INNOVATION DISTRICT CEO Alison Barlow: What You Need To Know About St. Pete's Charter Amendment 2

Understanding Charter Amendment 2 - Innovation District CEO Alison Barlow spoke with host Nanette Wiser on what  you need to know and reminds EVERYONE to vote this November.
St. Petersburg has a rule that protects our waterfront. If the city wants to lease public waterfront land for longer than a short term, voters decide.  Today under the City Charter, Port leases are capped at 10 years unless voters approve more in a citywide referendum.  Charter Amendment 2 would raise that cap to 25 years, the same limit Albert Whitted Airport has had since 2004, when voters raised it from five years. 

Here is what it does not change. The ballot language says the amendment "would not change the permitted use of the Port." It does not approve residential development at the site, and it does not approve any redevelopment of the Port.  Every lease would still go through the city administration and City Council.

The 10-year cap is a problem because serious investment doesn't work on a short clock. A company building a facility, or a lender financing one, needs years to recover the cost. The current term can be too short, and the city risks losing good projects before they reach the negotiating table. That matters for projects already on the horizon. The city has discussed expanding the Maritime and Defense Technology Hub on what is now a surface parking lot at the Port, and a longer lease term would make that kind of project possible. 

Matching the airport's 25-year structure would also satisfy federal funding requirements, which helps bring in outside dollars and long-term financing so St. Petersburg taxpayers don't have to carry everything alone. The Hub is the kind of work our waterfront should support. It draws maritime research, technology jobs and resilience expertise to our city. After the storms we've endured, knowledge about coastal resilience pays off for the whole community. Companies that start here can also grow here, rather than leave for a city that can offer longer terms.

For more information, reach out to  Alison Barlow, Chief Executive Officer
St. Petersburg Innovation District450 8th Ave SE | St. Petersburg, FL
abarlow@stpeteinnovationdistrict
Learn more at stpeteinnovationdistrict.com , Maritime and Defense Technology Hub,  and The Continuum

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