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1 week ago | 
stpetecatalyst.com | Mark Parker
The City of St. Petersburg invited residents to share their thoughts and priorities for a budget that Mayor Ken Welch pledged would have an “intense focus” on environmental resilience. However, most people who spoke at Monday evening’s Budget Open House advocated for initiatives that mitigate youth violence and foster safer streets.
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1 week ago | 
stpetecatalyst.com | Mark Parker
Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital did not escape an unprecedented hurricane season unscathed and now hopes to mitigate future impacts. The sprawling St. Petersburg campus sustained $1.51 million in damage during Hurricanes Helene and Milton. About 200 children and families remained at the nearly 100-year-old hospital throughout the storms. K. Alicia Schulhof, CEO of Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital (JHACH), provided city council members with an operational update at their April 10 meeting.
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1 week ago | 
tbnweekly.com | Mark Parker |Pete Catalyst
Builders continue turning to west St. Petersburg for developable space in a city known for its scarcity of vacant land. At their April 3 meeting, city council members unanimously approved plans for the Seventh Avenue North Villas. The property owner, Clearwater Capital Partners, requested a variance to create four buildable lots on a 1.17-acre site that currently features a two-story single-family home with an expansive yard. Three of the lots lack frontage on a public street.
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1 week ago | 
stpetecatalyst.com | Mark Parker
The City of St. Petersburg will secure an $85 million line of credit from Bank of America to pay for ongoing storm recovery costs. Administrators believe borrowing the money is prudent given federal uncertainties and outstanding costs related to debris removal and Tropicana Field repairs. City council members discussed the unique measure and fiscal policy amendments at an April 10 committee meeting.
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1 week ago | 
stpetecatalyst.com | Mark Parker
An area of St. Petersburg known for its lack of fresh, healthy food options now has an affordable new resource. Your Neighborhood Produce recently opened at 132 49th St. S. in the South St. Pete Community Redevelopment Area. The market is an extension of Kelli Casto’s mission to ensure disadvantaged residents can access fresh fruits and vegetables. Your Neighborhood Produce operates under the Saving our Seniors umbrella, a nonprofit Casto founded to provide discounted medical equipment.
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1 week ago | 
tbnweekly.com | Mark Parker |Pete Catalyst
St. Petersburg is deploying cutting-edge traffic signal technology that increases safety, mitigates congestion and accommodates connected and automated vehicles. The artificial intelligence (AI)-enhanced systems adapt to real-time traffic conditions and weather changes. City council members unanimously approved purchasing 15 of the systems April 3. A $1.16 million state grant, which the city must spend by Dec. 31, supports the West St. Petersburg Smart Signal Corridors project.
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1 week ago | 
stpetecatalyst.com | Mark Parker
St. Petersburg’s other storm-displaced professional sports team, the Tampa Bay Rowdies, will return home tonight for the first time in seven months. Al Lang Stadium has not hosted soccer fans clad in green and gold since September 2024. Hurricane Helene inundated the waterfront facility with 4.5 feet of water, and Rowdies president Ryan Helfrich called returning home after over 200 days away “really exciting” for a team needing a spark. “It’s our 50th anniversary season,” Helfrich said.
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1 week ago | 
tampabay.com | Mark Parker
St. Petersburg Fire Rescue had one high-water vehicle to complete hundreds of citywide missions during recent storms. It will soon have four. City Council member Lisset Hanewicz highlighted the “good news” item April 3, initially relegated to the typically overlooked consent agenda. She realized the agency’s need after visiting Station No. 4, which serves the city’s lowest-lying neighborhood, Shore Acres, in Hurricane Helene’s aftermath.
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1 week ago | 
stpetecatalyst.com | Mark Parker
Affordable housing market headwinds have reached gale force due to tariffs, legislative uncertainty, labor shortages and general cost increases. The City of St. Petersburg plans to help 33,800 residents secure affordable housing or remain in their homes by 2030. Providing 25,000 people with tenant assistance is a new goal as monthly rents for an 880-square-foot apartment have surpassed $2,000. City council members heard a much-anticipated update Thursday on the Housing Opportunities for All Plan.
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1 week ago | 
stpetecatalyst.com | Mark Parker
An artificial intelligence and robotics-powered manufacturing facility with a local focus is ready to disrupt the furniture industry, from St. Petersburg. Local civic and business leaders celebrated Haddy opening its first microfactory Thursday afternoon in the city. The 32,000-square-foot facility is, despite its moniker, the world’s largest 3D printing hub. Jay Rogers, founder and CEO of Haddy, launched his innovative St. Petersburg-based startup in 2022.
