SPL LIVING
Protecting Our Parks
The Waterfront Parks Foundation keeps a watchful eye on St. Pete’s coastal park land.
BY MARCIA BIGGS It was almost no surprise this past summer when Forbes named St. Petersburg one of the “Best Places to Travel in 2023.” Heck, those of us who live here know we are living in paradise. With a pedestrian friendly downtown and a dozen waterfront parks, who hasn’t taken a stroll along Bayshore or visited the striking Bending Arc sculpture at night? We walk our dogs and take our kids to the playgrounds, spend a balmy evening at American Stage in the Park at Demens Landing or Florida Orchestra Pops in the Park at Vinoy Park. Annual events like Mainsail Art Festival and Reggae Rise Up help grow tourism and, often as a consequence, bring new year-round residents. With 137 parks and 7 miles of preserved downtown waterfront, St. Petersburg boasts the third largest waterfront park system in North America. That’s a lot of land to love. While the city’s Parks and Recreation Department is ultimately responsible for maintaining them, the waterfront parks have a special guardian angel in the Waterfront Parks Foundation (WPF). Since 2012, the non-profit has worked to preserve, protect and promote St. Petersburg’s waterfront parks system. Spearheaded by a team of devoted board members and supported through the City and the generosity of local supporters such as the Majeed Family
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Foundation, waterfront parks continue to flourish as a welcoming beacon to residents and visitors alike. At the helm is WPF President Logan DeVincente, whose dedication to the city runs through his veins. His great-great-grandfather was William Straub, a prominent civic figure in the city’s history who served as the editor of the St. Petersburg Times, now the Tampa Bay Times, for 38 years. He crusaded to convert St. Pete’s waterfront into a public park, which is now named in his honor, and was known as a positive champion for the region. “I’m proud of my heritage and my mission to protect the waterfront,” says DeVincente, who served on the WPF board for six years before becoming president two years ago. “We try to bring public knowledge to what we do and be a stakeholder when it comes to city park land.” In addition, WPF engages with and supports the work of other organizations that protect outdoor assets, including the City of St. Petersburg’s Parks Department, St. Petersburg City Council, Preserve the Burg, Tampa Bay Watch and various neighborhood associations.
