Amy, a representative of the St. Petersburg Foundation, addressed the Pinellas Park City Council on Sept. 25 to describe programming and operations at the Lealman Exchange community center, a public‑private partnership with Pinellas County.

Amy said the foundation’s nonprofit arm operates the center and has used a community‑first approach to develop services. She told the council the facility is roughly 87,000 square feet of air‑conditioned space across three buildings (one two‑story former school building, one single‑story building and a gymnasium) and that the project has evolved over nearly six years of planning and community engagement. "We went to the community and asking the community what they wanted," she said during her presentation.

The representative said the foundation now manages the facility, vendor contracts and programming and has assembled more than 200 nonprofit partners that can provide services at or through the Lealman Exchange. Tenants she named include the Family Center on Deafness and Wounded Warriors Abilities Ranch, both of which now operate from the center.

Programs highlighted during the presentation included:

• A farmers market that will run on the second Sunday of the cooler months (October through May) that accepts EBT (food‑stamp) cards to improve local access to produce.

• A swim program focused on water safety and workforce development: organizers provide swim instruction, supply bathing suits and towels where needed, and plan to help qualifying students obtain lifeguard certification and connect them to local lifeguard positions.

• Partnerships with the YMCA for senior movement classes, adaptive yoga and open pickleball, and other nonprofit partners for health, education and social services.

Amy said the center prioritized being open and accessible to the community, noting the importance of front‑desk staffing and unlocked doors to signal availability. She described efforts to build trust and a community newsletter (the "Lealman Voice") used to reach residents who may lack home internet access.

The presentation noted the center accepts Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) funding for some programs and that services are intended to be available to all who apply; the speaker said the project targets residents in the local ZIP code referenced during the presentation.

No formal council action was taken; the presentation was a briefing and recognition of the foundation’s work in the Lealman (also spelled in transcript as Lohman/Lealman) area.

Contact and further information: during the meeting the speaker gave a website for the Lealman Exchange as lealmanexchange.org for the public calendar and program updates.