Mayor Foster: Welcome RNC to St. Pete with Open Arms

On Tuesday, Mayor Bill Foster send out a note in his "Foster's Forcast" welcoming the RNC to St. Petersburg. 

His message is posted in full below. 

"In less than two weeks, our community will have the focus of the world upon us as we welcome the Republican National Convention to our city. No event in our region's history -- including the Final Four and the Super Bowl -- has drawn the amount of national and international media attention we are about to receive with the RNC. More than 15,000 credentialed media and 6,000 delegates, plus sponsors, dignitaries and others, will be discovering the many riches of St. Petersburg and the Tampa Bay area. 

Please join me in extending a warm welcome to our guests. Party affiliation aside, there are many ways to show your hospitality. At your house, this is a great time to fly your American flag. If you own a business, consider posting a welcome greeting to our RNC guests. The Tampa Bay Host Committee has items, available through the St. Petersburg Chamber  - many free, and some for a small charge - for business owners to pick up, including posters, window clings, and banners of various sizes. 

St. Petersburg will be in the spotlight as Tropicana Field hosts the first ever joint media and delegate welcome party in the convention's history on Sunday evening, August 26, with more than 20,000 invited. With any event of this magnitude, security is the city's primary concern. The city has established a secured event zone, which includes a section of downtown surrounding Tropicana Field.

As a result of this event, various roads will be closed from Saturday, August 25 through the early morning hours of Monday, August 27. Most notably, the I-175 Interstate feeder will be closed as will portions of Dr MLK St., 16th St. and First Ave. S. near Tropicana Field. The complete parking and transportation plan for the convention is located here. 

A final word about security - the city's Emergency Operations Center will be open on Saturday and Sunday, August 25 and 26. We would ask our residents to enjoy the week as they would enjoy any other great week in St. Petersburg. But as you go about your business convention week, if you see anything suspicious, please call. For emergencies, call 9-1-1, and non-emergency items can be reported to 893-7780 or to the Mayor's Action Center at 893-7111. 

While the convention itself may be in Tampa, St. Petersburg and Pinellas County will surely get its share of the pie convention week. Many of the delegations are staying in Pinellas hotels, including the state delegations of North Carolina and Minnesota who willl be staying in downtown St. Petersburg. Local vendors and small businesses are participating with the opening night welcome party. Special events are planned at venues throughout our city, including The Pier, downtown hotels, the Coliseum, downtown waterfront, marinas, and more.

It is going to be a great week in St. Petersburg - please get out, enjoy the festivities and extend the warm hospitality for which we are famous to all of our guests with the hope that they will return again and again in the future."