PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — St. Petersburg city officials and developers will be meeting Wednesday to see which company could have the right vision for the 86 acres of land currently taken by Tropicana Field and the surrounding area.

The pre-proposal meeting will be held at 10 a.m. at the student center at USF St. Petersburg and offered virtually over Zoom. During the meeting, city officials and experts will be available to discuss the site’s history, housing needs, infrastructure, and environmental factors.

After proposals are submitted, the city plans to follow up with residents and review the possible plans. All proposals are due by November 18. Mayor Welch will then review the plans and select a developer. According to a spokesperson for the city, Welch may select a proposal without discussion if it is determined to be in the best public interest.

The future of the Tropicana Field site, known as the historic Gas Plant District, has been up in the air for years. When former Mayor Rick Kriseman left the position, he had narrowed it down to two developers.

Mayor Welch decided to nix those plans and start over putting new focus on the history that is the Gas Plant neighborhood.

Residents of the Gas Plant district were displaced nearly 40 years ago when Major League Baseball stepped in. The people who lived there, primarily African American residents, had to relocate and were promised opportunity and equitable development which Mayor Welch says never happened. He wants redevelopment at the site to honor those who once lived there and also meet the needs of the growing community.

"With the new RFP we are calling for a significant emphasis on affordable and workforce housing, arts and culture, research, innovation, and education, recreation, open space, healthy and sustainable development and intentional equality,” he said in a statement.

It’s not clear if the Tampa Bay Rays will decide to stay in St. Pete, but all proposals for the Gas Plant District site must include 17.3 acres for a new ballpark.