After criticism, another meeting is planned for potential Midtown development

Photo by Lorien Mattiacci
Photo by Lorien Mattiacci

Plans for a potential development bringing residential, retail and industrial jobs to Midtown is being criticized for not giving neighbors enough time to review the proposal.

About 20 people attended a community meeting where the plan to redevelop the St. Petersburg Commerce Plot, near the Dome Industrial District, was presented Monday, Nov. 16, according to the Weekly Challenger.

The group that oversees development proposals did not have enough time to review this plan, Maria Scruggs, president of the St. Petersburg branch of the NAACP, said to the Weekly Challenger.

“The city is on its knees begging for a business to come in before we lose a $2.2 million HUD grant to create jobs,” Karl Nurse, District 6 city council member, said to the Weekly Challenger regarding the hurried pace.

The project is expected to bring up to 75 jobs to the area with some salaries up to $60,000.

Another meeting is being planned to allow community members more time to understand the development.