Fencing, lighting and a higher retaining wall could come this fall to downtown St. Petersburg’s Williams Park to help enforce Florida’s law that banned public sleeping and camping.
The Williams Park Partnership, a nonprofit formed in 2016 to support repairs and enhancements to the park, asked the state for $800,000 to pay for greater “safety and security” at the park. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis approved the request as part of the 2025 budget, which took effect on Tuesday.
The project would add lighting and a retaining wall, as well as fix sidewalks, according to the proposal. Jason Mathis, who filed the request on behalf of the Williams Park Partnership, said it’s possible for part of the park to be fenced off for events or a playground, but it depends on constituent feedback. It’s not a part of the current plan, he added.
Mathis is the CEO of the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership, a private nonprofit that supports urban renewal and development. He is also a Williams Park Partnership board member.
The request cited safety and security concerns in Williams Park, as well as supporting “enforcement efforts” of last year’s House Bill 1365, the law banning public sleeping and camping.
“Improvements will also better honor the existing veterans memorials, serve cultural organizations, and improve access and safety for area citizens and visitors who attend city and community events at Williams Park,” wrote Matthew Blair, the park partnership’s lobbyist, in a letter with the request. “State support will underly the City’s efforts to enforce HB 1365 (2024) in ensuring that Williams Park is lit and safe 24 hours a day.”
St. Petersburg Police officers cannot charge someone under HB 1365, according to a department spokesperson. There are two city ordinances that address public sleeping — one that prohibits sleeping or lying in a right of way, such as a sidewalk, and another that bans sleeping or resting in public.
St. Petersburg Police have made 276 arrests for sleeping in a right of way, and 29 for public sleeping or resting since Oct. 1, when the statewide law banning public sleeping and encampments went into effect.
Mathis said he is set to meet with St. Petersburg’s Parks and Recreation department to ensure the project is ”consistent with community values and other city priorities.”
“We are committed to making Williams Park safe and welcoming to everyone, regardless of their housing status,” Mathis wrote in a statement. “Additional lighting, landscaping, and programming will enhance Williams Park and make sure the Park is used as a true public gathering place that is open and available for people from the entire city.”
The Williams Park Partnership will invest $1.5 million over the next three years to help with landscaping, event planning and park services. The city of St. Petersburg is also set to invest $1.2 million in the park’s bandshell, according to the funding request.
“We have been looking for ways to make Williams Park more welcoming for a few years, now,” Mathis said.
St. Petersburg officials are in “early discussions” with the park partnership and look forward to “continued collaboration to revitalize this key community asset,” city spokesperson Alizza Punzalan-Randle wrote in a statement.
Mathis said the nonprofit plans to talk to performance groups, such as the Florida Orchestra and American Stage, to get ideas on how to improve the bandshell.
It also plans to talk to the park’s neighbors and frequent users, including the Saturday Morning Market, First United Methodist Church, the Downtown Neighborhood Association and St. Pete College.
St. Petersburg City Council member Gina Driscoll represents downtown, including Williams Park, and said she’s supportive of the project but isn’t involved in its development.
“What we want to make sure is that we’re keeping people safe no matter what their housing status is,” Driscoll said. “Any safety measures that we take would be proactive to make sure that we don’t create any issues.”
The park recently has returned as a topic of discussion for the City Council. Residents, business owners and local leaders have described problems with cleanliness and safety in the downtown area. Many referenced Williams Park, where some people who are homeless take refuge in the tree shade or on park benches.
Mathis in June pitched a program to make downtown cleaner and safer to the City Council.
As a part of the proposal, the city would hire safety ambassadors to reach out to people who are homeless and connect them with services. The proposal also supports sidewalk cleaning and graffiti removal.
During a June meeting, the City Council pushed a discussion on the proposal to a later date.
Cheri Holzbacher, the interim CEO of the Homeless Leadership Alliance of Pinellas, wrote in a statement that the nonprofit is dedicated to long-term solutions to ending homelessness. The nonprofit connects people with resources countywide and helps other organizations support people who are homeless with housing resources.
Ensuring Williams Park remains a safe and accessible hub to community members is important for its continued success, Holzbacher wrote.
“Williams Park is a St. Petersburg landmark, a place where people go to have fun, relax, and enjoy this beautiful place that we call home,” Holzbacher wrote. “That is true for every member of our community, regardless of their housing status.”