Community Redevelopment Area Residents In South St. Pete To Get Employment Opportunity

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Mayor Ken Welch and members of the St. Petersburg Housing Authority broke ground on a $93 million redevelopment project at Jordan Park Friday, a news release said.

Jordan Park was originally constructed from 1939-1941 as the city’s first Black public housing complex, city of St. Petersburg staff said. It sits on property donated by Elder Jordan, an icon in the city’s Black community.

In 2000, most historical units were demolished and replaced with 237 new units, leaving only 31 original units from the Historic Senior Village, as well as the old administration building, which now serves as the Dr. Carter G. Woodson African American History Museum.

The new construction is possible, in part, through $2 million in tax increment financing from the South St. Petersburg CRA (Community Redevelopment Area), according to city officials. Financing for the project closed in December, 2021.

“After a period of delay, debate and changes in leadership, a new Jordan Park is on the way,” Welch said. “As we grow, we must make sure that everyone shares in that progress. We should never displace those who have worked hard and played by the rules. For too long we have seen African American residents displaced. That will not happen with the residents of Jordan Park.”

The redevelopment includes construction of 60 new senior units within a three-story garden apartment building, including 54 one-bedroom and six two-bedroom units. A total of 206 multifamily units will undergo substantial rehabilitation. Of those, there will be six one-bedroom, 105 two-bedroom, 90 three-bedroom and five four-bedroom units, officials said.

Fifteen percent of the units will be available to those earning at or below 30 percent of Area Median Income (AMI) with 85 percent of the units available to those at or below 60 percent AMI.

Construction will prioritize employment opportunities during construction to CRA residents. The project also has a minimum goal of 30 percent total development costs to be paid toward Small Disadvantaged, Minority or Women-owned Business Enterprises, according to officials.

The developer is also required to prioritize through its general contractor and subcontractors employment opportunities for Jordan Park residents, St. Petersburg Housing Authority residents at other sites, and Section 8 and low-income residents within the city. The targeted goal is 12 new-hires, officials said.

Units will include energy efficient features such as programmable thermostats, Energy Star ceiling fans, exhaust fans in bathrooms, windows, refrigerators, dishwashers and washing machines, and low-flow water fixtures in bathrooms.