St. Pete Innovation District

MASTER PLAN

What is the Master Plan?

The Master Plan will be a comprehensive look at the places and spaces in and adjacent to the Innovation District. It will include discussions of zoning, infrastructure, public spaces, types of buildings, facility uses, programming and more.

The District was formed in 2016, and early planning efforts included a strategic plan and a placemaking and streetscape design. As the District has evolved, so has the land and its uses. The 2019 Employment Center-2 (EC-2) zoning designation in the northern part of the District created the opportunity for pedestrian oriented amenities, neighborhood scale cafes, and expanded use of office space, for example The Library Restaurant.  The adaptive reuse of a building on the Port of St. Pete inspired a co-working space for technology small businesses called the Maritime and Defense Technology Hub.

Why do the Master Plan?

The District stakeholders often explore how to use public and private places to facilitate the informal and formal collaborations necessary for innovation, as well as spaces for increased research, expanded workforce opportunities, and new educational clusters. Often these discussions can happen in silos. It is our intent to connect as many of these planning efforts together and to provide opportunities for a wide range of stakeholders to be involved.
Color coded map of downtown St. Petersburg

Why Now?

The Innovation District launched in 2016, and early planning efforts included an initial vision and placemaking and streetscape design. As the District evolved, so has the land and its uses. Opportunities have grown for pedestrian oriented amenities, neighborhood scale cafes, expanded use of office space, and community events.  The adaptive reuse of a building on the Port of St. Pete inspired a co-working space for technology small businesses. To continue to develop these opportunities in a thoughtful and connected way, the District is working with the City of St. Petersburg on a Master Plan.

Learn more about the Innovation District Master Plan, see the detailed project plan and submit comments.

Upcoming Events

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June 23, 2025

We are a little more than a month away from an exciting Morning Sparks where we will explore our role as one of the largest innovation districts globally! Expect to learn new information on how we plan to drive greater regional economic growth and competition, act as catalysts for economic opportunities in neighboring communities, and strategically position our district for growth in competitive and sustainable ways. This will be the first SPID event held at ARK Innovation Center, so mark your calendar for Friday, August 1st.

June 23, 2025

What's next for launching rockets into space? Launching rockets from the sea. With limited land availability and significant costs, companies like Seagate Space see a game-changing solution in developing offshore launchpads. There is also a sense of urgency as other countries have included offshore infrastructure as part of their space strategy. Seagate Space and The Spaceport Company are positioned to lead the way for Florida in this new frontier.

June 23, 2025

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) is more than just helicopters or planes; it’s the future of transportation. St. Petersburg is looking ahead into electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft that can perform tasks beyond the capabilities of traditional aviation. Think faster disaster relief response, private air taxis, and much more.

For general comments about programming, geography not in the study area and more, please send a message. Please note while we will review all comments, due to the volume, we may not be able to respond to all.

To make comments on the project plan, please visit Kimley-Horn.

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For general comments about programming, geography not in the study area and more, please send a message. Please note while we will review all comments, due to the volume, we may not be able to respond to all.

To make comments on the project plan, please visit Kimley-Horn.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.