The Florida Economic Club hosted former St. Petersburg mayors Bob Ulrich, who served from 1987–91, and Rick Baker (2001–2010) at the Mahaffey Theater Jan. 7. The two convened to reflect on St. Pete’s political and developmental evolution. Both took major risks during their tenures – risks that, in Ulrich’s case, included someone firing a gun through his window – but those decisions ultimately helped lay the foundation for the city’s beauty and economic viability today.
The venue was fitting. The Mahaffey itself, like the city, has evolved considerably. “Much of the façade of [the Mahaffey],” Ulrich noted, “was financed by Bill [Edwards],” who has stewarded the theater since 2011 and was in attendance.
Edwards’ work continues a long tradition of bold moves by city leaders and investors. Ulrich pointed to one of the most consequential: bringing Major League Baseball to St. Petersburg. He called the decision to build Tropicana Field – originally called the Florida Suncoast Dome – without a team both “gutsy” and “foolhardy.” The stadium opened in 1990. The Tampa Bay [Devil] Rays arrived eight years later.
Ulrich also revitalized six downtown blocks, renovated the pier, and prioritized keeping parks open. To fund it, he raised ad valorem taxes twice in four years. “Nobody was happy about that,” Ulrich said. “One night four shots came through my window.” Still, he stood by the choice. “We had to invest in ourselves,” he said, noting that those investments helped pave the way for projects like The Vinoy.
Baker followed Ulrich into office and joked that Ulrich’s work amounted to “a 25-year overnight success.” He credited that groundwork with shaping his own tenure. Billing himself as a “strategic planner,” Baker said his goal was to make St. Pete “the best city in America.”
At one point, Baker recalled declaring St. Pete “the cultural center of Florida.” He laughed at the memory. “It wasn’t true,” he said. “But now it arguably is.”
Beach Drive, Baker explained, was designed as a “very deliberate European piazza.” Even the umbrellas lining the street were intentional. “I had something called the umbrella policy,” he said, meant to draw people the length of Beach Drive. He also highlighted bringing the University of South Florida downtown, building student housing, and launching the Grand Prix – a point of pride for Baker, a native of Indiana.
While Ulrich and Baker commanded the stage, another political storyline unfolded quietly in the audience. Former governor and congressman Charlie Crist, a prospective candidate for St. Petersburg mayor, was seated among the crowd.
Crist has not formally declared, but his political action committee, St. Pete Shines, has raised nearly $750,000 since forming in November. That eclipses the roughly $400,000 raised by incumbent Mayor Kenneth Welch’s campaign over the past year.
According to Crist’s aide, who said simply, “Oh, we’re going for it,” that statement and the numbers point toward a serious race ahead.