Pinellas, state leaders break ground on new Science Center in St. Pete

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - After closing its doors more than a decade ago, the Science Center in St. Petersburg saw physical steps towards its new life Friday. 

Pinellas County and state leaders broke ground on the new Science Center. 

What we know:

It’s a project that has been in the works for nearly five years.

"At every level of government, across the political spectrum, friends have come together," Former City Councilmember Robert Blackmon, who spearheaded the efforts to bring back the Science Center, said. "The community rallied in a big way, and our children will reap the rewards of the efforts of this group assembled here today to put St. Pete back on the map as the center of scientific learning. Thank you all, each and every one of you, for all you've done. And thank you for making this crazy dream a reality."

The backstory:

Saving and renovating the Science Center has faced the chopping block more than once. 

St. Petersburg City Council approved the sale, though, to the St. Pete STEAM group for $1.6 million in December. 

RELATED: Revival of St. Petersburg's iconic Science Center moves forward

"This is a great celebration," Councilmember Copley Gerdes said. "I'm excited for this. I'm excited for the technology, all the new things that tomorrow is bringing. I’m excited for my children to be able to experience one more thing that I experienced as a kid, because that's what St. Pete's about."

Big picture view:

The new science center will have an AI village, a star-gazing center and event spaces, and focus on cutting-edge technology.

"It’s about our future," State Senator Darryl Ervin Rouson (D) said. "It’s about the children, the children who will get that spark, that hunger, that thirst for knowledge here at the Science Center. It's those children who we'll be inspired to make their distinct mark as astronauts, scientists, researchers, educators, doctors, engineers, professors."

Blackmon said Senator Rouson was instrumental in making this a reality.

"Even though I had nothing but a dream, when I explained the goal, he didn't make me feel like a clueless councilmember without hope. He simply told me he was in," Blackmon said.

The group who now owns it has raised more than $16 million for the project, and got about $7 million in state funding.

"I went to Bay Vista Elementary on the southside and I came here, and I saw, you know, the stars inside, and it just blew me away," former Governor Charlie Crist said. "I couldn't believe it. When Robert called about trying to $3 million from Congress, I was like, this is a no-brainer," the former state representative said. "You know, I grew up with this place, and so, I was happy to do that and grateful to my fellow members of Congress for supporting it and bringing it here. And it provides so much education for children and others. It did me as a child, and I'll never forget it."

The group is currently trying to raise $10 million more.

What they're saying:

"What I like about this is that it exists to expand our very experience in the world," Joe Hamilton, who partnered with Blackmon, said. "Every lesson, activity, and conversation has the potential to light a new path, and it's a path that can change your life."

It sits next door to the Northwest Water Reclamation Facility, and city leaders had considered using the property for sewer expansion, but passionate pleas from community members, like Jamie Hoke, convinced them to preserve it.

READ: St. Pete Science Center revival back on track after mayor reverses course

"It brings tears to my eyes, tears of happiness," Hoke said. "I'm super excited to see this really come about. We've been talking about it for four to five years. I've been attending our neighborhood meetings asking what the status is, and when we came about and hearing potentially that it was going to be squashed again, it really devastated me."

"It was my son and many others of the president in our neighborhood standing up and saying, ‘We want this, it's valuable.’ This is amazing and so thankful for the mayor stepping up and our city councilmembers for standing up as well for this," Hoke said.

"That’s what we celebrate today, the renewal of the Science Center, and yes, I came to the Science Center as a kid as well, and a commitment to the enhanced resilience work that must be done next door at the Northwest Water Reclamation Facility," Mayor Ken Welch said. "As we pursue multiple goals of education and economic development here, but also resilience at our highest and most sustainable water reclamation facility next door. We can do both things."

What's next:

Construction will start in the next month and a half. 

They hope to have it open by summer of 2027.

St. PetersburgEducation