Who Is Paying For It? St. Pete Wants $55 Million in Parks Beneath the Interstates

Turning the empty spaces beneath Interstate 275 into a sprawling public park sounds like the kind of idea built for colorful renderings and enthusiastic presentations. Add playgrounds, walking paths, public art, green space, an outdoor market, and gathering areas, and the proposal practically sells itself.

Then comes the number that should stop everyone in their tracks. The estimated cost is $55 million, and the organization promoting the project has not secured the money needed to build it.

Friends of Trails Crossing, a St. Petersburg nonprofit, wants to transform approximately 12 acres beneath Interstate 275 into a mixed use public park called Trails Crossing. The concept is ambitious, but ambition does not excuse a missing financial plan. Nonprofit does not mean nobody gets paid. Across the nonprofit sector, organizations can spend substantial amounts on executive salaries, consultants, fundraising companies, administrative positions, travel, and other overhead before money ever reaches the project promoted to donors and taxpayers.

There is no current evidence that Friends of Trails Crossing is paying exorbitant salaries, but residents should not have to wait until millions have been collected to learn how the money will be divided. Before public grants, sponsorships, or donations begin flowing into the project, the organization should disclose its proposed salaries, administrative budget, consultant agreements, fundraising costs, and the percentage of every dollar expected to reach actual construction. If the public is being asked to support a $55 million vision, it deserves proof that the money will build parks instead of an expensive organization around them.

A $55 Million Vision Without $55 Million

Trails Crossing would stretch beneath Interstate 275 from Fifth Avenue South toward Burlington Avenue North. Plans include playgrounds, art installations, walking and biking paths, exercise areas, green space, and an outdoor plaza that could support markets and community programming. The first phase alone is expected to cost approximately $15 million and take around three years to complete. Building the entire park could take 10 to 15 years.

That is a long time for construction costs, leadership, political priorities, and funding conditions to change. A $55 million estimate presented today could look very different by the time later phases begin. Yet there is currently no complete construction budget, no secured funding package, and no publicly established explanation of how the finished park would be maintained for decades.

The proposed strategy appears to depend on a combination of grants, sponsors, and revenue generated through future programming. That is not a financing plan. It is a list of places where money might eventually come from.

Public Money Is Already Part of the Conversation

Friends of Trails Crossing helped sponsor a planning effort that received $1.38 million in federal grant funding. That money supports a larger study focused on reconnecting communities divided by Interstate 275. It does not provide the full construction budget for Trails Crossing, but it confirms that taxpayer funded grants are already connected to the broader planning process.

There is currently no confirmed allocation of St. Petersburg property tax revenue for the proposed park. However, the absence of a current property tax commitment does not mean taxpayers will never be asked to participate. Government grants are still public money. If future requests are made to the city, county, state, or federal government, residents should receive a complete accounting of the project before another dollar is approved.

St. Petersburg should not commit local money based on attractive renderings and broad promises. Any request for public funding should include a detailed construction budget, competitive bidding requirements, independent financial reviews, limits on administrative spending, and a clear plan for covering future maintenance.

Nonprofit Status Should Not Replace Scrutiny

The word nonprofit can create an automatic sense of trust, but nonprofit status does not guarantee efficiency, transparency, or responsible spending. It simply describes how an organization is structured.

A project involving tens of millions of dollars demands serious oversight regardless of whether it is led by a government agency, private developer, or nonprofit organization. Residents should be able to review the organization’s leadership structure, financial disclosures, fundraising expenses, consultant contracts, executive compensation, and potential conflicts of interest.

The public also needs to know who would own the improvements, who would manage the park, who would collect revenue from events or vendors, and what would happen if the nonprofit failed or could no longer operate the space.

Those questions are not attacks on the idea. They are the minimum level of scrutiny expected when an organization proposes one of the city’s most expensive new public spaces.

A Local Business Could Pay the Price First

Part of the proposed park would eventually replace surface parking currently used by Vertical Ventures, a local rock climbing gym. The business has warned that losing its parking without a suitable replacement could threaten its ability to remain at the location. That should not be treated as a minor inconvenience hidden beneath the excitement of a new park.

St. Petersburg frequently talks about supporting local businesses. Removing the parking that helps an established business survive would be a strange way to demonstrate that commitment. If Trails Crossing advances, a realistic replacement parking plan should be required before later phases receive approval. Creating a public space should not begin by placing an existing local business in jeopardy.

The Land Does Not Belong to the Nonprofit or the City

The property beneath Interstate 275 is controlled by the Florida Department of Transportation. The City of St. Petersburg would need an agreement with the state before construction could begin.

That means the project still faces major approvals before fundraising becomes the only obstacle. Safety requirements, access, construction limitations, maintenance responsibilities, traffic infrastructure, and future transportation needs could all influence what can actually be built beneath the interstate.

The finished design may not match the early renderings once engineering requirements and state restrictions are applied. Residents should be cautious about treating a conceptual plan as a guaranteed future destination.

What Else Could $55 Million Do for St. Petersburg?

The most important question may not be whether Trails Crossing could become a nice park. It is whether a park beneath an interstate is the best possible use of $55 million in resources.

That amount of money could support drainage and flood prevention projects in neighborhoods that repeatedly take on water. It could repair sidewalks, improve dangerous intersections, expand affordable housing efforts, strengthen emergency services, upgrade existing parks, and address infrastructure problems residents encounter every day. It could also help small businesses remain in St. Petersburg as rising rents and operating costs continue pushing local owners out.

Not every grant or private donation raised for Trails Crossing could simply be redirected into the city budget. However, if the project eventually seeks millions from government grants or local public funding, residents have every right to compare it with other urgent needs competing for those same limited resources.

A destination park may benefit the people who visit it. Reliable drainage, safer streets, affordable housing, maintained neighborhoods, and stronger public services benefit residents across the city. Before public money is committed, city leaders should have to explain why this project deserves priority over needs that are already affecting people’s homes, businesses, safety, and monthly budgets.

The debate is not between supporting parks and opposing progress. It is about priorities. When a proposal reaches $55 million, residents should be allowed to ask whether St. Petersburg is funding what looks impressive or fixing what people actually need.

A Park Can Be a Good Idea and Still Be a Bad Deal

Trails Crossing could create useful connections between Historic Kenwood, Campbell Park, the Deuces corridor, the Pinellas Trail, and surrounding neighborhoods. Transforming neglected land into an active public space has genuine potential. But potential does not write a $55 million check.

St. Petersburg residents have watched the costs of housing, insurance, utilities, infrastructure, and basic city services continue to rise. Against that reality, an expensive park beneath an interstate cannot receive a financial blank check simply because the renderings look impressive.

Before Trails Crossing moves forward, the public deserves clear answers:

Who is providing the $55 million?

How much public money will be requested?

What percentage will be spent on construction, consultants, fundraising, salaries, and administration?

Who will cover maintenance, security, insurance, repairs, and programming after the park opens?

What protections will prevent costs from quietly shifting onto taxpayers?

How will affected local businesses be protected?

Who will audit the money and publish the results?

A $55 million vision requires more than enthusiasm. It requires receipts.