Sagi Genger, the owner of Derby Lane, helped save the landmark property from the brink of bankruptcy, retained its staff and turned the former kennel club racing track profitable – but his methods have stirred complaints from neighbors.

That tension was front and center at a community conversation event yesterday, hosted by Genger, local entrepreneur Joe Hamilton and St. Pete City Councilmember Brandi Gabbard, where residents were invited to weigh in on how Derby Lane can be a better neighbor.

The responses were strikingly uniform: noise. There’s too much noise.

But to keep Derby Lane profitable and retain its roughly 300 employees – “we’re happy to not have had to lay off anyone,” Genger noted – the property has leaned into live music and entertainment events. While those events comply with local noise ordinances and wrap by 10 p.m., residents argued that the real issue is impact, not legality.

Yet, even the critics didn’t deny Derby Lane’s economic gravity. Speaker after speaker acknowledged the same thing: the land is valuable, the property is an asset and the site has major potential to boost the local economy.

There lies the rub. Neighbors don’t want Derby Lane to fail – they just don’t want to live inside the sound system while it succeeds.

Genger, for his part, is still entertaining redevelopment bids, and he wants to realize a longer-term vision for the property. While dog racing is now outlawed, he’s pitched the future of Derby Lane as something broader: a casino complemented by mixed-use event space, retail and cushy accommodations.

Genger repeatedly emphasized that any transformation has to be done in cahoots with the community. “Your goodwill and desire for us to be here is important to me,” he said. “That’s why I called for this meeting – to hear what you have to say.”

He acknowledged he’s a businessman, not a developer. But he promised that when developers come, “they will be world class,” and said the plan will minimize disruption – while also conceding there will be some disruption if Derby Lane is going to become a “world class venue.”

As for the current events hosted at Derby, he promised that in “30 days things will be better.”

Gabbard, supplementing Genger’s point, noted that redevelopment is not a free-for-all. Before any development plan is approved, impact studies will have to be completed – showing that changes won’t unduly affect surrounding neighborhoods, including communities like Riveria Bay.

Looking ahead, Hamilton said the focus is on optimizing event selection as the “path to success” — drawing crowds without dialing the neighborhood into chaos.

So far, the property has implemented several fixes: lowering subwoofer and bass levels, applying sound filters and reducing response time when complaints occur.

They’re also looking at redirecting sound equipment so it faces away from residential areas, performing perimeter checks to gauge sound levels and installing decibel dashboards that relay data in real time so adjustments can be made as needed.

When asked by Poliverse if Derby Lane’s importance as an economic asset outweighs interim complaints, Gabbard responded unequivocally: “Absolutely not.” Instead, she expressed confidence that a solution exists that can appease everyone – that events and a successful Derby Lane can reconcile with the surrounding community.

Context matters here, too. In 2025, Rally Acquisition Co., led by Genger, acquired Derby Lane, a marquee property in St. Petersburg with major redevelopment potential. Since then, the question has shifted from whether the site will change to how thoughtfully it will change.

After the session, some residents left cautiously optimistic – one even closed the dialogue by saying, “I personally feel better walking out of this meeting.”

Joe Hamilton is publisher of Poliverse and the St. Pete Catalyst.