Courtesy of the City of St, Petersburg
By Molly Ryan
Over the past years, University of South Florida students who have called the Tampa Bay area “home” have seen a dramatic change in the skyline. More recently, other students have come to know growth as the norm.
With the pandemic ushering in new developments, restaurants, bars and a crowd of both young and old from across the nation, some USF students reflect on the growth spurt occurring in the Tampa Bay area.
According to World Population Review, since the last U.S. Census in 2010, the population has increased by 9.49% in St. Petersburg and 21.27% in Tampa.
The housing market and new developments rage as Zillow ranked Tampa the No. 1 “hottest” housing market of 2022 and posts announcing upcoming St. Petersburg projects on St. Pete Rising appear daily.
While growth has a positive connotation for some USF students, others see reasons to be skeptical about issues like rising rent prices, housing and food insecurity and increased threats to the environment.
Mykala Grecco
Junior digital communications and multimedia journalism major at USF St. Petersburg
Tampa native and resident
“I’ve lived in Tampa my whole life and I would say that the city has definitely grown — south Tampa especially. There are more restaurants than there ever used to be. Downtown is becoming a skyline city, more buildings that are always getting taller. I honestly love it. I love the city atmosphere. I love that it’s growing.”
Anna Gill
Fall 2021 USF St. Petersburg graduate
Tallahassee native and St. Petersburg resident of four years
“I think the biggest change I have seen is the recent development in downtown St. Petersburg. Lots of new apartment buildings and developments further down on Central Avenue. A lot has stayed the same as well, and one of my favorite things about this area is the fact that even though we are developing at an increasing rate, most of the heart and soul lies within our local businesses and supporting local goods and services.
“The growth is a bit of a blessing and a curse, because it is attracting a population of people that will allow for new developments but is pushing out people that have been here for decades.
“Growth is crucial for any up-and-coming city, but it just might make it hard for people that have lived here for decades to keep up. I am super excited about the growth. The more the area grows, the more opportunity there is.”
Jorge Delgado
Sophomore mechanical engineering major at USF Tampa
Tampa native and resident
“The city has developed a ton since I was little, especially in areas like Seminole Heights and south Tampa. The area constantly has new roads. Restaurants and businesses seemingly pop up all the time and grow larger every year. It is honestly a double-edged sword. It is really nice to have new places to go to constantly as a young person but seeing low-income neighborhoods be flipped and gentrified is really saddening.
“[Local leaders can accommodate Tampa Bay’s growth by] increasing public housing and wages.”
Emma Miller
Freshman psychology major at USF Tampa
Orlando native and Tampa resident of nearly a year
“I joined the flock of migrants to Tampa without realizing. I am personally not a fan of Tampa’s quick growth — the city has progressively turned into a major metropolis and is feeling more overpopulated and dense. Prices will likely continue to rise, areas surrounding downtown and the beaches will become gentrified, condos and apartments will continue to fill up the skyline, traffic will worsen and beaches and the Hillsborough River will become more polluted.
“[Local leaders can accommodate Tampa Bay’s growth through rent control and more funding for small businesses, public welfare projects to accommodate inflation and environmental sustainability efforts.”
