History of St. Petersburg Tennis Center
The St. Petersburg Tennis Center (SPTC) is proud to be part of 100 years of organized tennis in St. Petersburg. In 1919, the Sunshine Tennis Center was established at 4th Avenue N and 7th Street, with four courts being built near the shuffleboard courts. In 1928, courts were built near the current location of Albert Whitted Airport and the name was changed to St. Petersburg Tennis Club. In 1935, SPTC moved to Bartlett Park, our current site. This new clubhouse served the St. Petersburg area well for over 70 years, before being rebuilt in 2009.
The SPTC is St. Petersburg’s only public facility featuring 20 Har-tru clay courts. SPTC has hosted major tournaments including professional women’s events, the State Closed Junior Championships, and the St. Petersburg Masters professional tournament, featuring legendary players such as Jack Kramer, Don Budge, Doris Hart, Roy Emerson, Rod Laver, Ken Rosewall, Margaret Court, Arthur Ashe, Jim Courier, Billy Jean King, Martina Navratilova, and Chris Evert.
STPC provides year-round play, leagues, events, lessons, and clinics for its members and guests. The center also has youth summer camps and after school lessons, featuring its Courier Kids Program which supports the youth of Midtown and surrounding areas. Courier Kids is named after Hall of Fame and former #1 ranked player in the world, Jim Courier, who helped start the program in 2004. He continues to support the program which has helped hundreds of children enjoy the game of tennis.
The old clubhouse contained the Walk of Champions, which listed over 90 legendary players who previously played at the tennis center. These names can now be found on the clubhouse deck, overlooking the courts. Chris Evert won her first professional title on the stadium courts named in her honor. Over a dozen professional players and well over 100 college players developed their games under such world-renowned tennis coaches as Dan Sullivan and Bill Lufler. The center became known as the Court of Dreams.
ST PETERSBURG
Mayor Rick Kriseman has proclaimed St. Pete a “City of Compassion”
The Fighting Chance Fund helped almost 400 businesses and 1,000 individuals with grants of $5,000 and $500 respectively adding more than $2.5 million to the St. Petersburg Coronavirus relief effort.
The Firestone Grand Prix plans to return to St. Pete this fall
The cars were already running test laps when the decision was made in mid-March to cancel the opening race of the season. The Firestone Grand Prix will take place in the ‘Burg October 23-25 making it the last race of the season rather than the first. “The cty of St. Petersburg stands ready to welcome back the fans of INDYCAR, drivers, teams, and sponsors in October,” said Mayor Rick Kriseman. “I want to thank our partners at Green Savoree Racing Promotions for believing in this race and giving the residents of the Sunshine City something to look forward to.”
A giant bourbon library
Located right in downtown Louisville, the Jim Beam Urban Stillhouse is a restaurant, bar, store and entertainment venue with a small working distillery and bottling line. It’s a great place to learn a little about bourbon, grab a handcrafted cocktail or pick up some swag. All bourbon fans (aged 21+) are welcome to stop by for a taste of the Jim Beam distillery experience. The second such location is now hiring staff for its huge new 16,000 square foot St. Petersburg location. Influenced by the owners’ favorite destinations including Kentucky, Montana, Wyoming, Canada, Scotland, and more, Lush leather sofas, wood-burning grills, copper stills and a giant bourbon “library” will set it apart as one of the key (socially-distanced) hangout spots in the Sunshine City. The Urban Stillhouse in St. Pete is set to be a one-of-a-kind entertainment space built around the complete sensory experience and production of fine spirits. If you love Horse Soldier Bourbon, you’re going to love this place.
Marina renovation and lease arrangement considered
Darby Campbell, president of Safe Harbor Development, pitched council members during a virtual City Council meeting on his vision for an open and accessible marina that complements the new St. Pete Pier and is inviting to the whole community, not just those with boats. Right now, he said, the marina is cordoned off by fence and largely out of reach for the vast majority of people who don’t rent a slip there.
The city is not planning to sell the marina, but is considering leasing it to Safe Harbor, initially for five years, the longest lease of waterfront property allowed by the city’s charter. Safe Harbor would endeavor to replace the docks, walkways, finger piers and utility systems. The company estimates a 30-36 month construction timeline, once it secures all the necessary approvals and permits. “The truth of the matter is our rates have been below market for a very long time,” the mayor said. “There is no way that we would be able to hold our rates at where they’re at. We would have to raise rates ourselves.”
Jabil, with $25.3 billion in 2019 revenue, rose 19 spots to No. 121 on the 2020 list of largest companies in the U.S.Raymond James Financial, with $8 billion in 2019 revenue, jumped 11 spots to 396. Publix Super Markets, headquartered in Lakeland and with 2,000 St. Petersburg employees, leads the group in the No. 87 position. Tech Data, an IT distributor in Clearwater, ranks No. 90 on this year’s Fortune 500, down two places from last year. Mosaic, a chemical company that relocated headquarters to Tampa last year, is No. 356, down 31 places. Bloomin’ Brands, the Tampa restaurant company whose brands include Outback Steakhouse, is No. 628, down 13 places on the broader Fortune 1,000.
St. Pete companies’ growth
Jabil is a manufacturing solutions provider and has added revenue by diversifying its product lines over the past few years, adding health care and packaging, among others. Jabil employs about 2,000 people locally. The average wage for its St. Petersburg workers was around $100,000 for Jabil, Raymond James and Tech Data.
Portions of Bayshore Drive downtown to be closed to traffic
St. Pete Mayor Rick Kriseman just announced that Bayshore Drive, between Vinoy and 2nd Ave NE has been shut down to cars. This is included in the Restart St. Pete initiative. “As an avid runner, and someone who takes that route every single morning, I can say I’m grateful for the closure, and will be intrigued to learn the city’s findings from the experiment.”
SKYWAY MARINA DISTRICT
Eckerd professors write book on human rights, economics
The world was a much different place when Professor of Political Science Bill Felice, Ph.D., and Professor of Economics and Chair of the Behavioral Sciences Collegium Diana Fuguitt ’76, Ph.D., started working on the manuscript for Human Rights and Public Goods: The Global New Deal (3rd Edition). In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, this instructive text takes on new importance. “In the book we discuss the ways in which primary health care, and in particular protection from infectious diseases, is both a fundamental human right and a global public good,” Felice explained. “We articulate public policy that has proven effective around the world in making primary health care effective and available to all.” The tome’s release has been delayed by the pandemic, but it is expected to be published by Rowman & Littlefield in the latter half of 2020. Before then, Felice will use the case studies from the text during his guest lecture in Eckerd College’s free eight-week summer seminar, Pandemic and Our Changing World. Felice will present on Tuesday, June 30, along with Assistant Professor of Economics Sophie Tripp, Ph.D.
PINELLAS COUNTY
Local State of Emergency
declaration was extended through May 29; County proposed short-term rentals re-opening plan. The Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday extended its local State of Emergency declaration for COVID-19 through May 29 andreaffirmed its commitment to continue following state guidance.
County orders requiring social distancing at public beaches and pools, and keeping playgrounds closed. In all other categories, the county is aligned with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Safe, Smart, Step-by-Step Plan for Florida’s recovery and related guidance from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. The governor implemented “full Phase 1” in his plan, which allowed many Pinellas County businesses to resume or expand operations.
Pinellas County opens movie theaters with limits, proposes vacation rental plan
Movie theaters in Pinellas County can open with restrictions, short-term vacation rentals can also open. Tourism is a primary economic driver for the county, supporting more than 100,000 jobs and contributing more than $9 billion to the local economy. County Administrator Barry Burton wrote in a letter to state officials detailing the plan.
“One quick way to restore Pinellas County is for you to support the reopening of short-term vacation rentals to Florida residents and out-of-state visitors. The diversity of our lodging product is an important element to bringing back employment as well as visitors,” Burton said.
The Pinellas County plan highlights concerns about vacationers who come from areas DeSantis has designated as high-risk, including the New York area, with one of the highest Covid-19 per capita rates in the nation. The county plan says vacation rental reservations from those areas must be for periods longer than the quarantine period established in the governor’s executive orders.
Effective May 18 retail, restaurants, libraries, museums, gyms and fitness centers were allowed to open at half capacity. Professional sports venues also could open at 25%, the governor said. “That brings us into full Phase One except movie theaters,” DeSantis said.
MADEIRA BEACH
Crystal Island Contractor Dealing with Challenges
The Crystal Island Roadway and Drainage Improvement Project is living up to its promise of being one of the most complicated capital improvement projects ever undertaken by Madeira Beach. The latest challenge has been on John’s Pass Avenue where extreme moisture in the soil has proven to be difficult to control. The process of rebuilding a road starts with a solid base made from a mixture of different materials that allow for drainage. The challenge comes from excess moisture from rainstorms, high tide and the island being at sea level. “Think of it like you are on the beach and you dig a hole in the sand,” said Public Information Officer Curt Preisser. “You won’t have to dig very far before you hit water or wait very long before the tide comes in – the end result is a hole filled with water.”