Council approves $103,000 task‑order amendment to refine Center for the Arts master plan after debate

St. Petersburg City Council voted 6–2 on July 15 to authorize an amendment to a consultant task order that will fund additional study and stakeholder outreach for the downtown Center for the Arts site.

The amendment adds about $103,000 to the existing continuing services contract with ASD Sky (consultant) to refine a Phase 1 concept centered on the Mahaffey Theater, the Dali Plaza and the downtown parking garage and to expand stakeholder engagement before staff returns with a more detailed recommendation.

City planner Beth Herendine said the consultant—s earlier conceptual work included a two‑phase vision developed after site visits and stakeholder interviews beginning in 2020; Phase 1 focuses on the garage, an enlarged plaza, and visitor drop‑off while Phase 2 included a longer‑term waterfront amphitheater. The amendment narrows work to Phase 1, expands outreach to additional stakeholders, and removes a previously considered conference center project.

Council members debated whether the city should spend the money now, with Council member Brandy Gabbard saying she opposed the expenditure because she did not see the need for an additional $103,000 at this point and cited concerns about city bandwidth and capital needs that were raised by stakeholders. Gabbard and Council member Mike Harding voted no.

Supporters said the garage is aging (administration estimated replacement at roughly $35,000 per parking space) and that a coordinated plan is preferable to piecemeal work. Council member Gina Driscoll, who has long supported a coordinated plan for the site, said the consultant can help produce a realistic, implementable plan.

Herendine and staff said the list of stakeholders will be expanded to include the Saturday Morning Market, the Downtown Neighborhood Association, the Florida Orchestra, the Salvador Dali Museum and other downtown partners; councilors asked staff to add additional cultural institutions such as Imagine Museum and the Carter G. Woodson African American Museum to outreach.

The motion passed 6–2; the council clerk recorded Council members Gabbard and Harding as voting no. Staff said the refined Phase 1 work will be returned to the Economic and Workforce Development committee (EWD) for further review, likely in September, and that final design and capital costs will require separate approvals.

The vote authorizes only planning/study funds and does not appropriate construction dollars for new facilities or a replacement garage.