ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – St. Petersburg city leaders approved long-term lease agreements Thursday to help finance the $7 million acquisition of downtown railroad tracks for a new recreational trail.
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Booker Creek Trail Land Lease
What we know:
The city plans to turn an .86-mile stretch of unused railroad corridor into a recreational trail.
The path will connect the Historic Gas Plant District and Tropicana Field to Fifth Avenue North and the Pinellas Trail.
A path forward
Dig deeper:
Thursday, City Council approved two 99-year ground lease agreements with Mark Ferguson, the owner of Ferg’s Sports Bar and Grill, for unused parts of the former rail corridor.
Ferguson is paying $6 million for the leases to help the city cover the $7 million purchase price for the nearly mile-long stretch.The first lease spans between Central Avenue and First Avenue North, while the second lease runs between Central Avenue and First Avenue South. T
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The bar is built over portions of the tracks, and additional tracks run through a gravel lot Ferguson owns across the street.
St. Pete Community Impact
What they’re saying:
“It’s just good for everybody,” Mark Ferguson, the owner of Ferg’s, said at Thursday’s City Council meeting. “We’re very excited to be a partner with the city, and we’re very excited to bring a new chapter into downtown and to bring more into the Edge District and to Tropicana Field.”
Courtesy: City of St. Petersburg
Council Member Corey Givens Jr. shared the enthusiasm for the impending economic boost.
“I see future business and economic growth, and Lord knows those businesses there in the Grand Central District and the Edge District need it,” Givens said. “I see new transit options. This is going to connect Booker Creek with the Pinellas Trail, which will hopefully be an advantage for the Historic Gas plant District redevelopment as well, but I also see future transit options here as well.”
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Booker Creek Trail Timeline
What’s next:
The city is hoping to close on the property at the end of the month.
The project itself could take a few years.
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