Ambitious plans to revitalize an underserved corridor in South St. Petersburg’s MLK Business District are already moving forward with an expanded mission and new partners.
Local developer John Barkett and his wife, Julie, have rebranded a community garden, secured multiple tenants and will now open a Tech & Innovation Hub sponsored by ARK Invest. They also formed a Community Focus Group of South St. Pete residents to help guide the extensive adaptive reuse project, unveiled in late August.
The Looking Glass Initiative encompasses several long-neglected properties along the 900 and 1000 blocks of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street South. The husband-and-wife duo, who are self-funding initial redevelopment work, said discussions with two local hospitals to bring healthcare and education into the neighborhood are “well underway.”…