ST. PETERSBURG SHINES
NEWSLETTER
January 10, 2017
Mayor's State of the City Address on January 14 state


Downtown St. Petersburg: One of the best walking and biking downtowns in the country! walk

In their report Core Values: Why American Companies are Moving Downtown, Smart Growth America highlights "walkable, live/work/play neighborhoods" as a major attraction for businesses and their employees. As more companies look for areas with higher than average walk and bike scores, downtown St. Petersburg has a major advantage with both of our walk and bike scores at 91.  Our downtown is one of the best walking and biking downtowns in the country, second only to the very largest urban areas and small niche cities like college towns!

For comparison, this puts downtown St. Petersburg above downtown Miami, Atlanta, Indianapolis, Nashville, Denver (walking), San Diego, Seattle, and the downtowns of North Carolina's major cities - Raleigh, Charlotte, and Asheville. Plus, we're not far behind Madison, WI which is considered one of the most walkable and bikeable downtowns in the country with a walk score of 92 and a bike score of 97.
Study finds Eckerd College generates $557 million annually in economic impact eckerd


In March 2016, Eckerd College commissioned a study by Washington Economics Group to determine the institution's economic impact on St. Petersburg and the region. With a student population of 1,800, the study found that Eckerd College generates $557 million in economic impact annually and 4,797 jobs - $371 million and over 3,300 jobs in St. Petersburg alone.

Impressively, 65% of students graduate with degrees in three of the city's five target industry sectors - Marine & Life Sciences, Financial Services, and Creative Arts & Design. Throughout the year Eckerd attracts thousands of visitors to the area including prospective students, their families, and high-profile guest lecturers, elevating St. Petersburg as a global destination. 

The study also found the following:
  • $122 million of the economic impact in St. Petersburg is household income and 72% of the jobs are in knowledge-based services.
  • Prospective students and their families contribute $11 million annually to the region's tourism industry.
  • Since 2012, Eckerd has spent nearly $60 million on capital projects.
  • Students spend 83,000 hours annually performing community service locally and abroad.
    • The city's Greenhouse benefits from Eckerd students annually. Last year the Greenhouse hosted 18 interns/volunteers who contributed 720 hours and served 17 businesses. Since 2005, Eckerd has provided 124 interns/volunteers and contributed 3,500+ hours to local businesses.

"Next to some of the best climates and beaches in the world, St. Petersburg has long been branded as simply a place to visit or retire. Eckerd College has contributed significantly to changing this perception." - Washington Economics Group. You can find a preliminary executive summary of the study here.

Tampa Bay ranks #33 on list of Best Performing Metros msa

The Milken Institute recently released their 2016 Best-Performing Cities report which ranks the 200 largest metros in the U.S. based on job creation, wage gains, and technology developments. Impressively, the Tampa Bay MSA jumped up 25 spots from last year's position to #33. In the ranking breakdown, Tampa Bay especially stood out for job growth (2014-2015) and number of high tech industries with a location quotient greater than or equal to 1 (2015).
*Grant Opportunity* for Small Businesses: Tourism Marketing visitfl


VISIT FLORIDA, the state's official tourism marketing corporation, is offering matching grants of up to $5,000 for small businesses to promote their tourism advantages through advertising, direct mail, brochure production, website development, and other related projects.  The application deadline is February 10, 2017 . Learn more about the program and submission requirements here .
Upcoming Warehouse Arts District and Deuces Live Joint Action Plan: Design Studio Workshop wad

 
Phase 2 of the Warehouse Arts District Deuces Live Joint Action Plan is a Design Studio Workshop that will take place over 4 days - January 30 to February 2 - at the SPC Midtown Campus.  The purpose of the workshop will be to foster a highly collaborative approach to initial concept design exploration. Topics will include brand characteristics, gateways and signage graphics, streets and public realm, and other community themes and guiding ideas identified during Phase 1: Discovery.

The work will include specific focus on the Deuces Live Main Street, the Warehouse Arts District, and the 'Joint Planning Area' at 22 nd/5 th. There will also be exploration of supportive planning & program ideas and suggested opportunities for the Deuces Live based upon its existing strategic, program or action/implementation Main Street plan. 

For more information about the workshop including dates and times, visit the project website.
Grand Central District Improvements grand


The public realm in the 2400 and 2500 blocks of Grand Central are in the midst of a major upgrade with new sidewalks, bulb-outs, landscaping, bike racks, stormwater facilities and potable water infrastructure expected to be completed early 2017. These improvements will make this section of Grand Central, well, even grander!
 
Please note that businesses in these blocks are open during construction. The most recently opened businesses include:
  • Casa Boheme - a vintage furnishings studio and online shop carrying a thoughtfully curated collection of pieces, art and accessories that speak to the Palm Beach Regency style.
  • Castaways - a unique selection of repurposed, vintage, antiques and industrial furnishings and accessories.
  • Joel Schmitz CPA - a locally owned full-service CPA firm serving business and individual clients.
  • The Foundry Furnishings - a funky twist to all your mid-century, industrial and vintage needs.
  • Urban Deli and Drafts - a scratch kitchen deli that bakes bread, cures meats and makes pickles and sauerkraut, with a rotating draft list and over 100 craft beer selections.
  • Pieces Of A Dream - a destination for unique handcrafted art, jewelry, cards and other gifts.
Upcoming Events & Opportunitiesevents
 
January 14, 10 am
The Palladium, 253 5th Ave N

January 14, noon-10 pm
Vinoy Park

January 17, 11:30 am
700 4th Street S

January 21, 3:00 pm
Tropicana Field

January 24, 6-9 pm
Mahaffey Theater, 400 First Street S

January 29, 1:30 pm
Location TBA

February 4, 10 am - 5 pm
Williams Park, 330 2nd Avenue N

February 4, 11 am - 4 pm
Tropicana Field

Special note: 
The Greenhouse hosts  1 Million Cups every  Wednesday, 9:00 am to 10:00 am. If you miss any presentations, check them out online by visiting the  1 Million Cups St. Petersburg YouTube channel.
Have a development update, project announcement, or success
story to share? 

Contact Briana Ozor, 727.893.7784.

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City of St. Petersburg
Economic Development Division
P.O. Box 2842
St. Petersburg, FL 33731

800.874.9026 (toll free)
727.893.7100 (phone)
727.892.5465 (fax)