Public-Private Partnerships
St. Petersburg has spurred more than $1 billion in new private development downtown by
investing over $300 million in public infrastructure in its downtown core.  This public investment has led to an inviting downtown that caters to over 28,000 employees, and hosts more than 1,000 special events annually that attract over 10 million visitors.

St. Petersburg has been a local leader in bringing local business and industry to the table to develop innovative financing techniques to build its economy, and has been utilizing public-private partnerships to develop projects since early 2000.  Such public/private partnerships resulted in Baywalk, a $40 million, two-block shopping and entertainment complex that welcomes over 3 million visitors annually.  Throughout the downtown core, eight upscale residential towers have been completed, several more are under construction or are in the planning stages, and hundreds of high-density, urban-style town homes, lofts and apartments have been or are being built, resulting in an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 new downtown residents during the next couple decades.

Midtown is a historically important area of the city located in south-central St. Petersburg.  St. Petersburg has developed a Midtown Plan to help stimulate jobs for residents, improve infrastructure, and support small businesses and entrepreneurs.Even though schools are the fiscal responsibility of the county and state, St. Petersburg has been behind one of the most innovative approaches to assisting schools through the Mayor's Mentors and More program.  To date, the city has raised more than $10 million of private money to help support public schools through more than 900 college Doorways scholarships, recruiting corporate partners for every public school, raising money to improve poorly performing schools and offering principal bonuses. 

Community-Private Partnerships
Outside of the urban core, other public investments are complementing expansion projects by the Poynter Institute, All Children's Hospital, and the University of South Florida.  The University of South Florida College of Marine Science is an anchor for drawing employment and investment to St. Petersburg, and has helped to attract public agencies such as the U.S. Geological Survey and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission - Marine Research Institute.  Ten public and private organizations now comprise the St. Petersburg region marine science community, making it the largest such community in the southeastern U.S.

A $25-million collaboration partnership between St. Petersburg, business leaders, and St. Petersburg College involving three performing arts institutions: The Florida Orchestra, the Palladium Theater and American Stage will establish a new arts hub in the center of downtown.