Feb 2, 2026
ST. PETERSBURG, FL (February 03, 2026) — Foundation Vision Partners (FVP), a locally rooted development advisory firm led by Will Conroy of Backstreets Capital, Alex Schapira, former Hines Regional Partner for the Tampa-St. Petersburg region and Anddrikk Frazier of Best Source Consulting, today announced the submission of a comprehensive proposal to accelerate the redevelopment of the Historic Gas Plant District. In proud partnership with world-renowned master planning and design firm Gensler and global leader in sustainable engineering and infrastructure firm Stantec will deliver a community-driven master plan and phased public infrastructure while ensuring the City of St. Petersburg retains full ownership and control over the 86-acre site.
Breaking the Cycle of Stalled Redevelopment
For over 40 years, the Historic Gas Plant District, a site of profound cultural and historical significance, has remained undeveloped due to repeated “all-or-nothing” single-developer models. These approaches bundled master planning, infrastructure design and construction, vertical development, and $6 billion in project financing into a massive deal with a single-developer, resulting in protracted yearslong negotiations, unilateral contingencies in favor of the developer, and lost momentum amid economic cycles.
FVP’s differentiated strategy shifts the focus to building the public foundation first: co-creating a master plan with the community, then designing, permitting, and constructing essential infrastructure (including site remediation, utilities, a connected street grid, greenspaces, and resilience features) in phases. This transforms the district into shovel-ready vertical development parcels that the City can sell block-by-block to a diverse array of local, regional, and national developers. The result? Organic, adaptive growth that responds to evolving community needs and market realities without premature handoffs or high-risk single developer execution model dependencies.
“A generational project deserves to be responsive to multiple generations. Our success will be measured by how effectively this district creates opportunity for residents and local businesses and reflects the full fabric of St. Petersburg.”
— Anddrikk Frazier
“St. Petersburg’s downtown has roughly 10,000 residential rental units today. Handing the next 4,000+ (nearly 40% more) to one single developer is far too big a risk for our community. Our multi-developer approach de-risks the process while ensuring the best possible outcome: a truly responsive, inclusive district shaped by many voices, not just one.”
— Will Conroy
FVP’s Plan: Six Key Advantages
“For decades, single-developer models have stalled this generational opportunity in our City. Now is the time for a smarter path,” Will Conroy said. “Our master plan and infrastructure-first approach delivers six clear advantages: putting the City in full control, boosting success through diversification, capturing over $510 million in value for public priorities, broadening local participation, accelerating progress, and leveraging world-class expertise to build an inclusive district that truly serves St. Petersburg.”
FVP’s master plan and infrastructure-first model offers clear benefits over traditional approaches:
| Control & Adaptability | The City retains full ownership and decision-making authority, avoiding “all eggs in one basket” risk and enabling flexibility to adapt to community needs, market conditions, and future opportunities. |
| Probability of Success | An adaptive, multi-developer framework eliminates single-developer vulnerabilities, diversifies capital sources, and ensures specialized execution tailored to each parcel. |
| Optimize Fiscal Returns | By retaining land ownership and investing in public infrastructure, the City captures full retail land value—projected at over $510 million ($210 million in additional appreciation over an immediate wholesale sale). This redirects potential windfall profits from private hands to public coffers, turning the district into a sustainable profit center for community priorities. |
| Diversified Participation | Smaller parcels lower barriers to entry, broadening involvement from local, regional, and national developers and businesses—keeping more profits and ownership in St. Petersburg while fostering generational wealth for our community. |
| Speed to Market | No multi-year negotiations, no developer contingencies. Immediate start on master planning and infrastructure, with concurrent developer selection, puts shovels in the ground years sooner. |
| Relevant Experience | A locally rooted leadership team with intimate knowledge of St. Petersburg and this specific site — in proud partnership with world-renowned master planning firm Gensler and global sustainable engineering leader Stantec — delivering as a true fiduciary to the City and its residents. |
“This is not a traditional consulting practice, and it is not a developer chasing projects across multiple markets. Foundation Vision Partners was formed for one purpose: to help the City steward this once-in-a-generation redevelopment opportunity in a way that is intentional, actionable, disciplined, and community-centered.”
— Alex Schapira, Principal of Foundation Vision Partners
“By retaining land ownership while investing in master planning and public infrastructure, the City can capture the full retail land value – projected at over $510 million, including a $210 million incremental uplift over an immediate sale to a single developer. This redirects windfall profits back into public coffers, turning the redevelopment into a profit center that funds community priorities rather than delivering hundreds of millions in one-time windfall profits to a single developer’s bank account.”
— Alex Schapira
Role and Services
FVP will act as the City’s advisor and manager, providing three core services:
- Master Plan Placemaking Advisory Services: Refining the City’s vision through urban design, infrastructure alignment, and community integration to create a cohesive placemaking district.
- Development Management: Overseeing planning, entitlements, budgeting, scheduling, and developer procurement for infrastructure phases.
- Construction Management: Ensuring on-time, on-budget delivery of public works with quality and safety standards.
Long-Term Stewardship and Community Focus
The Historic Gas Plant District holds deep cultural importance and economic potential for St. Petersburg. FVP’s model ensures continuity across phases, safeguarding design quality and public objectives while streamlining future development. By preparing truly shovel-ready sites, the firm positions the City to maximize benefits for residents, businesses, and future generations.
Foundation Vision Partners draws on extensive experience in urban redevelopment, public-private partnerships, and complex projects. Its leadership has delivered high-impact developments in Tampa Bay and beyond, including The Nolen luxury tower, community benefits for prior Gas Plant efforts, and global-scale master plans.
Contact
For more details on the proposal or to discuss collaboration, visit foundationvisionpartners.com or contact connect@foundationvisionpartners.com.
About
About Foundation Vision Partners
Foundation Vision Partners is a St. Petersburg-based firm dedicated to advancing the Historic Gas Plant District’s redevelopment through master planning, infrastructure development, and community-centered advisory services. Led by local experts with deep ties to the region, FVP partners with Gensler, Stantec, and Best Source Consulting to deliver resilient, inclusive outcomes for the City and its residents.
