Quotes from Community Leaders

Hear from Community Leaders featured the 2020 Downtown Development Guide

Several community leaders participated in the creation of 2020 Downtown Development Guide, sharing their insights andexpertise on the state of economic development in Downtown St. Pete. These quotes were featured throughout the published guide.

“We have seen tremendous absorption within the last 12 months and the amount of available office space has dwindled to all-time lows. St. Pete’s growing ability to attract a range of organizations in the fields of finance, marine science, medical, technology and education creates a diverse business environment that complements our local flair. We have become the envy of many other U.S. downtowns as strong economic drivers, availability of educated workforce, low cost of living, and access to airports and major freeways blend together with our vibrant culture, incredible weather and overall quality of life to make St. Pete not only a great place to do business, but also to live.”

-Wendy Giffin, Director, Cushman & Wakefield

‍

“Synzi relocated its HQ to Downtown St. Petersburg in mid-December 2018. The location at 200 Central reflects our commitment to cutting-edge technology as Downtown St. Petersburg is emerging as a “hub” and “hot spot” for talented professionals in the technology and healthcare fields. Our new office space has been custom-designed to enable Synzi team members to “live/breathe” our core values: Collaboration, Integrity, Commitment, Ingenuity, and Accountability.”

-Lee Horner, CEO, Synzi

‍

“Every great city has a great university, and USF St. Petersburg is an integral part of Downtown St. Pete. We contribute to a stronger economy by stimulating research, innovation and community engagement. We also build strong partnerships with local businesses and respond to workforce needs by educating citizen scholars who are helping to fuel St. Petersburg’s ongoing renaissance.”

-Dr. Martin Tadlock, Regional Chancellor, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg

‍

“We spent a year looking for an ideal location that provided economic leverage, a high quality of life for our team, a robust infrastructure and a strong talent pool. We also wanted a location that was in the heart of a thriving and growing financial services market—and St. Petersburg was a stand-out on all fronts.”

-Shirl Penney, President and CEO, Dynasty Financial Partners

‍

“The Tropicana Field site represents an extraordinary opportunity for the City of St. Petersburg. That is why we have continued to engage the community as well as stakeholders with respect to envisioning future development of this site. The only limit to what may someday be on the site is our own imagination.”

-Rick Kriseman, Mayor, St. Petersburg

‍