St. Petersburg is gearing up to ask voters a pointed question: should nine long-vacant, city-owned lots near the Jamestown Apartments be unlocked for workforce and affordable housing, instead of sitting on the books as parkland no one really uses? The parcels have been stuck on the city’s Parks & Waterfront Map since the 1980s and have remained empty ever since, requiring a voter-approved charter change before they can be put to a different use. City staff say that shift could clear the way for roughly 41 new homes along Burlington Avenue, a relatively small but much-needed boost in a market where rent and basic upkeep are pushing many residents to the brink.
What voters would decide
City Council is working through the wording of a charter amendment that would let voters pull the parcels off the Parks & Waterfront Map so the land can be sold, developed in partnership, or otherwise turned into housing. According to reporting from Tampa Bay 28, the early concept includes about four for-sale family homes and roughly 37 multifamily units.
Where the lots sit and why they matter
City planning documents show the nine infill parcels total around 1.7 acres and sit between 12th Lane North and 15th Street North and between 4th Avenue North and Burlington Avenue. Records from the City of St. Petersburg indicate the properties were added to the Parks & Waterfront Map after redevelopment efforts in the 1970s and have not functioned as active public parkland for decades.
Tenants and local reaction
Residents and housing advocates say they are glad to see new units on the table, but they are not shy about what they want from them. “Rent is expensive, food is expensive,” resident Madeline Ramirez told Tampa Bay 28, stressing how tight family budgets have become. William Kilgore of the St. Pete Tenants Union called the potential Jamestown-area buildout “a drop in the bucket,” while also pushing the city to make sure whatever gets built is “world class housing” instead of bare-minimum units.
Council split on ownership and process
Inside City Hall, the big question is less about whether to build and more about who should hold the keys. Not every councilmember is eager to simply turn the land over to private developers. Some, including Vice Chair Richie Floyd, have said they would rather see the city retain ownership and closely oversee what happens on the sites. As noted by St. Pete Catalyst, council members have been pressing for clear guardrails and expectations before they agree to send anything to voters.
Next steps and timeline
City staff told the Housing, Land Use and Transportation committee in March that they planned to finalize the ballot language, notify adjacent property owners, and return to the full council in early summer. If council signs off, the charter amendment could appear on the November 2026 ballot. As St. Pete Rising reports, officials want enough flexibility in the ballot wording so the city can choose to sell the land, partner with a developer, or keep control of the parcels while still moving housing forward.
How this fits into a bigger push
The Jamestown-area idea is just one piece of a broader push to add affordable units across St. Pete. Mayoral redevelopment plans for the Tropicana Field and Gas Plant area include affordable-housing components, and state-level policies are trying to nudge more construction along. Axios has covered recent selections for the Gas Plant redevelopment, while the Florida Senate outlines the broader Live Local initiative that aims to spur affordable and workforce housing across the state.
What to watch
If voters approve the charter change, the city could move four of the smaller parcels into its Affordable Lot Disposition program for for-sale homes and seek proposals from developers for the larger sites, or it could opt to keep the land under municipal control while still building housing. Either way, the referendum will serve as a test of how quickly St. Pete can turn long-idle land into truly affordable, well-maintained homes within striking distance of downtown.
