ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — There are mixed emotions to the announcement that the Hines & Tampa Bay Rays group was picked by Mayor Ken Welch to redevelop the Tropicana Field site.

Welch's choice was part of his Monday State of the City address.

Groups like the St. Pete Tenant’s Union pointed out the amount of property being dedicated to luxury workforce housing and not affordable housing. They are calling it a virtual giveaway, but there are some who are happy about things to come and the path forward.

Community organizer Nick Carey wants to make clear to Welch and city leaders that the city should keep the land, don’t sell the Trop and that St. Pete isn’t for sale.

“We just want to make sure as the city starts to negotiate with the developer that we continue to make clear that we don’t want this land sold, and that is the best way to achieve the goals of equity through housing, black business ownership, environmental standards,” he said.

Carey said the Tampa Bay Rays are a big deal but so is affordable housing.

“The amount of housing that we need should be at the top of the list of priorities,” he said. “And again, the mayor should be using that as a negotiating point.

“If we don’t get the amount of housing that’s needed to really take a bite out of the housing crisis we’re going through, then we think the mayor could always step back from this process entirely and re-think it.”

The mayor said Monday the small number for affordable housing is something he plans to negotiate but will it be enough to make a dent in the crisis? Critics don’t think so.

Welch said there will be programs to promote Black businesses like the ones lost when the Gas Plant community was removed to make way for the stadium.

Another order of business - funding for an African-American museum.

“The $10 million commitment by the Rays indeed enhances our ability to move quicker in creating Florida’s first purposeful African-American museum,” said Terrii Lipsey Scott, executive director of the Woodson African American Museum. “We’re grateful for the commitment and look forward to promises being kept.”

The Woodson’s plans to build a new museum has a $27 million price tag, but now thanks to fundraising and money promised by the Rays in this project, they’re now closer to their goal.

The move forward will be an interesting one - and one Carey says they will keep a close eye on for the sake of the city.

“This was just a checkpoint in the process, not an endpoint,” he said.

Many of the people who spoke to Spectrum Bay News 9 say they plan to continue to make their voices heard before and after that deal is finalized.

WATCH: Mayor Ken Welch's State of the City speech

WATCH: Representatives from Rays, Hines statement