ST. PETERSBURG
THE CHANGING FACE OF
PARADISE
By Lynn Waddell
L
ike most transformations, it didn’t occur overnight. Some residents say it began in 1998 when the Tampa Bay Rays first took to Tropicana Field. Others argue it began with the opening of a downtown shopping and entertainment complex. Others still, when the University of South Florida St. Petersburg began offering student housing. In truth, St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman says, the city’s renaissance has been several decades in the making. PHOTO AERIAL INNOVATIONS
SPONSORED SECTION
1