St. Pete mayor chooses Hines & Tampa Bay Rays for Tropicana redevelopment

St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch announced on Monday that he chose Hines & Tampa Bay Rays redevelopment proposal for the historic Gas Plant District, which includes Tropicana Field. Hines, joined with the Tampa Bay Rays franchise, is proposing to make 23% of the project housing affordable, with 859 units on-site and a $15 million dollar investment in off-site programs for homeownership and rental assistance. “Development also creates an opportunity for neighborhoods to become neighbors around the department itself to become more expensive. And what we're trying to do is stem that tide,” said Buwa Binitie, the founder and CEO of Dantes Partners, who is heading the affordable housing element of the Hines & Tampa Bay Rays project proposal.