From left: Jeff Baker, government and community relations manager for Duke Energy; former Deputy Mayor Kanika Tomalin; former Mayor Rick Kriseman; Rob Kapusta, St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership board member; and Jeff Hearn, St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership board member, at the St. Petersburg Innovation District’s 10th anniversary celebration. All photos by Brian James unless otherwise noted.
An ambitious vision to establish a place in St. Petersburg that fosters world-class research, cutting-edge technology, and collaboration-driven innovation has exponentially exceeded expectations.
Myriad city stakeholders celebrated the St. Petersburg Innovation District’s 10th anniversary on March 10 at one of its anchor institutions: Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. The event, designed to mirror a movie award ceremony, celebrated the local leaders who helped cement the area’s status as an economic, educational, and entrepreneurial juggernaut.
Just south of downtown, the .88-square-mile district encompasses less than 1% of the city’s square footage. However, the area accounts for over 7% of all jobs and has generated a $3 billion economic impact over the past decade.
“This district has become a cornerstone of our city’s progress – and our identity,” said Mayor Ken Welch. “As the tech ecosystem expands, the district will continue to drive regional growth and unlock opportunities.”
From left: Rob Kapusta, St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership board member, City Councilmember Gina Driscoll, Mayor Ken Welch, and former Mayor Rick Kriseman.
The St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership led the district’s launch, later formalized by former Mayor Rick Kriseman’s administration. Organizational leaders joined him and his deputy mayor at the time, Dr. Kanika Tomalin, on stage to receive the “Founder of the Future” award for their foresight.
“We didn’t do it for the recognition,” Kriseman told Power Broker Magazine. “We just hope we made a difference.”
Alison Barlow, executive director of the district, said Kriseman and Tomalin gave it “legs to continue to grow and to become more structured.” She expressed gratitude for all the early visionaries and those who subsequently “picked up the mantle and said, ‘This is a great idea. Let me add my take on it.’”
“Over the years, it’s changed, and it’s morphed, but it’s done so in such an amazing way,” Barlow said of the district. “I’m so thankful for everybody who has been working on it.”
Kriseman, who also expressed pride in the district’s evolution, credited Barlow’s efforts. “Nothing happens unless you have great leadership,” he said.
The St. Petersburg Innovation District team, from left: Alison Barlow, executive director; Lauren Bell, chief operating officer; Nisuka Williams, innovation manager; JackFeldman, community manager; and Amber Pacetti, innovation manager.
The district now boasts over 50 collaborative public and private organizations. Key partners include the University of South Florida St. Petersburg, USF’s College of Marine Science, Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital, U.S. Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg, the Poynter Institute, the Maritime and Defense Technology Hub, and the Dali Museum.
“We already had some of those anchor institutions in the area,” Kriseman said. “It was just a matter of bringing everybody together and getting them to work together. It just made sense.”
He believes that “magic happens” in the city when public and private organizations work together to achieve a common goal. Since its launch, the district has added the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Education and Research Building, Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital’s Institute Square, spARK Labs by ARK Invest, two Florida Institute of Oceanography research vessels, and dozens of thriving startups.
Kriseman said city staff “worked their butts off” and collaborated with the community to set the district, now a global leader in marine and life sciences, up for success. “I think it’s really paying dividends now.”
There was a time, Tomalin noted, when people only visited the district for appointments or business and immediately left. The area is now a destination, and she hopes to see its new role as a town square “exponentially increase over time.”
“I’m really proud of the way it’s transcended even the lofty aspirations we held for it in its infancy,” Tomalin said. “And really proud of the way the Innovation District serves as a signal of possibility for St. Petersburg and its community.”
While that signal now extends throughout the city, stakeholders once wondered if designating a single district as a hub for innovation was too exclusive. Tomalin saw it differently and believes the past decade has validated that view.
The area is now “a chief influencer in the way economic development is paced and pursued” in St. Petersburg, Tomalin said. She also believes the foundation exists to further connect the area with surrounding neighborhoods, including Campbell Park, Roser Park, and Old Southeast.
“I think it is very strategically located and can have a significant impact on equity as it relates to housing, as it relates to job opportunities, and as it relates to the recruitment businesses and organizations that share our city’s values and goals for growth,” Tomalin said.
To view the district’s recently completed master plan, its first, visit the website here.
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More Photos
From left: Belinthia Berry, dean of workforce development for St. Petersburg College; Dr. Cynthia Johnson, director of Pinellas County Economic Development; and Julie Rocco, senior director of grants management and administration for the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg, at the event’s reception. Photo by Lauren Bell.
Rev. J.C. Pritchett III (left), CEO of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance, and Alison Barlow, executive director of the St. Petersburg Innovation District.
Jason Mathis (right), CEO of the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership, and City Councilmember Gina Driscoll, a staunch supporter of the St. Petersburg Innovation District and its Maritime and Defense Technology Hub.
Dr. Kanika Tomalin, CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg, helped develop an initial strategy for the St. Petersburg Innovation District as an executive with Bayfront Hospital before becoming deputy mayor.
Mayor Ken Welch noted that innovation is one of his “Five Pillars for Progress.”
