Jason Mathis, President & CEO, St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership
July 2026 — Over the past year, St. Petersburg has faced major challenges and opportunities, from hurricanes that reshaped priorities around resilience to a surge in population and business growth. Jason Mathis, president and CEO of the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership, spoke with Invest: about how the city is balancing rapid development with sustainability, community character, and long-term vision. “As a peninsula on a peninsula, surrounded by water, we’re very aware of the need to accommodate growth while staying sensitive to environmental changes and preserving our incredible local culture.”
What changes or developments over the past year have most significantly impacted the partnership’s work?
Last year provided an opportunity for our city to recalibrate in important ways. Hurricanes Helene and Milton had a profound impact on real estate development and on the way the city thinks about resilience. We’re focused on building for the future and being thoughtful about how we grow. St. Pete will continue to expand dramatically, but those storms helped us refocus on how to grow responsibly—planning not just for the next year, but for the next 10 to 20 years. As a peninsula on a peninsula, surrounded by water, we’re very aware of the need to accommodate growth while staying sensitive to environmental changes and preserving our incredible local culture.
How is the partnership working to balance economic expansion with long-term environmental and community resilience?
One of our biggest initiatives is with the St. Pete Innovation District. Together with the Downtown Partnership and the city of St. Petersburg, we’re developing a new facility called the Center for Coastal Resiliency. It will be a research hub on city-owned land, supported by federal, county, and state funding, focused on helping coastal communities respond to severe weather, rising oceans, and a changing climate.
We envision a 50,000- to 60,000-square-foot facility bringing together researchers, nonprofits, private companies in marine science, and government agencies under one roof. We’ve made significant progress this past year and expect to finalize the financing in the coming year. The project will ultimately go to a public referendum to repurpose underutilized city-owned land currently being used as a surface parking lot.
With rapid population and business growth, how is the partnership supporting talent attraction and retention in key sectors?
Our focus is largely on the built environment, ensuring that workers have places to live and that businesses have access to quality office space. A major development this year is Halcyon in the Edge District, the first speculative office building in St. Petersburg in about 30 years and the only one currently under construction in the Tampa Bay region.
After COVID, many communities faced empty offices due to remote work, but St. Pete was different. Our downtown buildings are primarily residential, so we didn’t experience that same challenge. Now, we’re seeing a strong demand from companies wanting to relocate here. Halcyon will combine a high-end hotel, modern office space, and workforce housing—all things St. Pete needs in one project.
What major trends are influencing urban development in St. Petersburg?
Lifestyle is one of the biggest drivers. People move here for the sunshine, beaches, culture, restaurants, and outdoor spaces. We’ve attracted a creative, entrepreneurial population — people who could live anywhere but choose St. Pete for its quality of life.
Interestingly, we’ve seen a reversal of traditional corporate recruitment. Instead of people moving for jobs, talented individuals are moving here first, and companies follow them. Employers want to be where their workers already are, and that’s increasingly St. Pete.
How does the city ensure that growth remains inclusive and that all residents and businesses have a voice in shaping its future?
There are both informal and formal approaches. Informally, we remind newcomers why they chose St. Pete — its authenticity, openness, and lack of pretense. It’s a different kind of Florida city, and we want people to embrace that instead of trying to make it like the place they came from.
We also produce online resources that share our history, culture, and evolution. I sometimes describe St. Pete as a bit like a speakeasy: people come because someone they know invited them. Growth here tends to be organic, thoughtful, and intentional, and we like it that way.
Formally, St. Pete is one of the few Florida cities with a community benefits agreement program. Developers who receive major public concessions must negotiate with the city and community leaders on how their projects will deliver tangible benefits. It’s a robust, transparent process that reflects our ambition to ensure that everyone shares in the benefits of growth.
Looking ahead, what are your top priorities for the next two to three years?
As our community grows denser, we’re focusing on expanding urban services and management. That includes enhanced cleaning downtown, ambassadors to assist visitors, and revitalizing historic public spaces like Williams Park, the city’s original downtown park. With state support, we’ll be investing significantly to restore it as a centerpiece of the city.
We’re also deeply engaged in discussions around the redevelopment of the historic Gas Plant District. There’s an exciting proposal from ARC, Invest, and Ellison that has great potential, and our organization plans to play a constructive role in shaping that project. Overall, our goal is to support balanced growth, keeping St. Pete livable, vibrant, and true to itself.
