St. Pete's innovation district wants to expand the maritime and defense technology hub
By Breanne Williams
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Mar 13, 2023

St. Peterburg wants to expand its innovation district with a second phase of the maritime and defense technology hub.

The project, which is being referred to as Hub 2, was announced in late February at a first-anniversary celebration for the maritime and defense technology hub. The new facility will be adjacent to the current at 450 8th Ave. SE — a city-owned, 43,584-square-foot building just south of Albert Whitted Airport on the downtown waterfront.

The innovation district is a public-private partnership that St. Pete launched in 2016. The district is .83 square miles on the southeastern downtown waterfront and includes Albert Whitted Airport. It is focused on the life sciences, marine sciences, education, data analytics, art and technology industries. Anchors include Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, ARK Innovation Center, Duke Energy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fisheries Southeastern regional office, among others.

City councilwoman Gina Driscoll, who is leading the effort for Hub 2, said the first phase had a waitlist of tenants wanting space as soon as it opened, and several of the tenants within the first phase are looking to expand. She said the time is right to build a new Hub to ensure they keep these businesses in St. Pete.

One hurdle the current facility faced was a need for larger bay space from tenants who use large equipment. Driscoll said the city wants to ensure that Hub 2 accounts for challenges realized in the first phase.

“We’re early in the process but gaining momentum as we talk to some of our potential partners about this project,” Driscoll told the Tampa Bay Business Journal. “In 2017 or 2018, the city of St. Petersburg presented a proposal to NOAA for a building in this spot, which is the current surface parking lot to the west of the Hub. We will be looking at doing something similar in size to the building we presented at that time.”

The building the city pitched to NOAA in 2017 was between 45,000 and 50,000 square feet.

Driscoll said they would love to see NOAA have a strong presence in the new building. The government agency currently has office space at 263 13th Ave. S.

District leadership is currently conversing with potential tenants and other stakeholders in the Innovation District, like the University of South Florida's College of Marine Science.

Driscoll said the district is putting together the pitch for federal funding for the building. She said the project is a perfect opportunity to bring together local, federal and private dollars.

“It’s a perfect example of what a public-private partnership should look like,” Driscoll said. “We have private entities that are doing work there now or want to work in that location on the port, and I’m hoping that in order to build what they need, they’ll be willing to be a part of this process along with a combination of federal and city funding. One of the reasons the Hub has been so successful is because it prioritizes collaboration. I want to see that spirit of collaboration in how we make this expansion happen.”

St. Pete's waterfront gives it an edge in recruiting certain types of technology and research facilities.

The innovation district is undergoing a large update to its master plan and upcoming projects — like the opening of the ARK Innovation Center this summer — are shining a spotlight on the unactivated parcels waiting to be developed in the district.

“Everyone’s talking about the Innovation District these days,” Driscoll said. “There’s so much interest in the technology and research coming out of that district. All the stakeholders are growing and expanding their work by leaps and bounds. With the master plan, we’re looking at the future of this district and trying to make we sure plan accordingly. We’re seeing how we can make adjustments to our zoning and building codes so we can create the right environment for this district to continue to be a success.”