The last two weeks of November were packed with amazing discussions about how we can design future places and activate existing spaces in the Innovation District.
We began with a workshop of 50+ private industry, academic, government and nonprofit partners who are working in Tampa Bay's Ocean Economy. They discussed our regional assets and identified several opportunities for innovation. We will be integrating these discussions into our work with startups in 2025, as well as the development of a Tampa Bay Ocean Economy strategy.
We also hosted a series of focus groups for our District Master Plan. These groups explored aspirational ideas for the activation of spaces, multimodal transportation, mixed use development, and the interconnection of the port, airport and arts areas. Participants shared their hopes for future resilient infrastructure, flood management, enhanced safety, and new support services such as a daycare and workforce housing. There will be additional focus groups including dedicated neighborhood sessions after the holidays.
Finally, we hosted our quarterly Morning Spark breakfast to explore Future Air Mobility - vertical electric flight with pilot and autonomous. The participants heard from experts, discussed the applicability for Albert Whitted Airport and other parts of the City, and created a list of questions that were provided as a suggested starting point to the upcoming City task force on the topic. Our next Morning Spark will be December 11th.
I am looking forward to using these ideas as a launchpad for 2025!
Alison Barlow
Executive Director
Not so long ago, talent and innovation blossomed in an area just south of Downtown St. Petersburg. City officials and community partners wanted to leverage the capabilities of key institutions—USF St. Petersburg, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, and the Poynter Institute, to name a few. The point was to foster collaboration and show our initiatives to the world.
We will host another Trolley Tour and Happy Hour on Friday, June 13th. You will board a trolley with other Innovation District partners and learn about the history and future plans for the area. This tour will feature stops at Albert Whitted Airport, Florida Institute of Oceanography, and The Dalí Museum. The tour will conclude back at the Hub with a networking happy hour.
April’s Tech X-change was a hit, thanks to an engaging presentation from Digital Twin Marine. Shoutout to all the Eckerd College students who joined us! The audience was curious and interactive, asking great questions and eager to try out the virtual reality headset.