Smart economic development
The Mayor must be able to plan long-term and look at the big picture in order to leave the city in a better position once their term in office ends. The Mayor must lead the charge on economic development, not throw away projects that would benefit our city.
Under the current administration, St. Petersburg lost its Field of Dreams when the Rays deal blew up unnecessarily.
The biggest betrayal to the Gas Plant District redevelopment is the loss of the proposed Moffitt Cancer Center Campus on the site. The health care sector is the largest employer downtown, and that campus would have brought a much-needed infusion of jobs to help the community afford a better quality of life. It also deprives St. Pete residents battling cancer of the opportunity to obtain treatment close to home. As Mayor, I will not abandon these deals. Instead, I will work with private partners to ensure equitable deals that benefit our city and its people.
Additionally, I will appoint an Economic Advisory Committee composed of business leaders to help promote smart economic development. We cannot afford to lose major employers, such as HSN or the Jabil manufacturing facility we lost to another state, if we hope to continue creating new jobs to ensure St. Petersburg residents are able to work where they live.
Economic development is a key factor in making St. Petersburg more affordable. I will work with major stakeholders and treat them like the valued partners to a successful St. Petersburg that they are.
During my time as Governor, Florida became one of the fastest-growing biotech centers. Companies that joined Florida’s life sciences industry during my tenure included the Max Planck Institute of Bio-Imaging at Florida Atlantic University, VGTI Florida in Port St. Lucie, the Miami Institute of Human Genomics, Draper Laboratory Inc. in Tampa and St. Petersburg, Biopsy Sciences in Pinellas County, and Scripps Florida in Jupiter.
I will work with the Downtown Partnership, the Chamber of Commerce, business and community leaders and other government agencies to proactively seek and land economic development opportunities for St. Petersburg. I will show up and celebrate successes and welcome new businesses the way they deserve. I will focus on making sure our downtown is safe, clean and appealing to potential businesses. I will work to maintain our vibrant arts and cultural identity as research shows those areas help make a city more appealing to potential investors.