St. Petersburg’s oldest park is on the verge of a revamp.
Why it matters: It’s long overdue for Williams Park, which spans a city block in the heart of downtown and serves as a venue for events like Localtopia and, during the summer, the Saturday Morning Market.
Driving the news: A $3 million, years-in-the-making city project to renovate the park’s bandshell is expected to start this spring.
- City Council members last week approved a plan by Belleair-based Biltmore Construction Co. to carry out upgrades including a new roof, electrical system and wheelchair lift.
Meanwhile, the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership will use $800,000 in state funding to add new gateways, lighting, planters and more.
- The nonprofit is also working to raise $500,000 for park programming, the Tampa Bay Times reported. Half of that has already been secured.
The intrigue: To help guide the project, the Downtown Partnership brought in Dan Biederman, a consultant who helped transform New York City’s blighted Bryant Park into a vibrant plaza with more than 12 million annual visitors…