Gateway Master Plan

The Gateway Master Plan creates a vision and an action-oriented redevelopment strategy for the Gateway area of Pinellas County. The plan guides the area’s growth toward a more socially, environmentally, and economically sustainable future. The plan also considers how transportation and land use can combine to support residents’ quality of life, retain jobs and attract future investment. In this Dashboard, we’ve put together a baseline of information organized around the seven guiding principles of the plan to determine where we are now, where we want to go in the future, and how we get there together. To view the baseline information for each guiding principle, simply scroll down or click the navigation tab on the right side of the page. Over the next year, we will be adding information to see how we’re doing over time. This information will help us better understand our strengths and weaknesses so we can guide Pinellas forward.

The Gateway/Mid-County Planning area is 30-square miles and is centrally located within Pinellas County and the Tampa Bay region. Far from the white sand beaches and tourism related industries that Pinellas County is known for, the Gateway supports a wide range of job sectors including manufacturers in aviation/aerospace, defense/national security, medical technologies, business and financial services, and information technology. With many employers, including multiple Fortune 500 Companies, the area has more than 114,000 jobs. Yet with all its locational advantages, the Gateway suffers from disconnected, car-centric development patterns that lack identity and make connections difficult.

What is a Master Plan and why is it important?

A Master Plan is a comprehensive, action-oriented plan for an area that addresses land use, mobility, urban design, environment, infrastructure, housing, economy, tourism, community health, and resiliency. When adopted, the Master Plan becomes the community’s framework for development and other improvements in the area (e.g., preservation of open space or changes to existing regulations).

What are the roles of the agencies participating in the master planning process?

The Gateway Master Plan was a collaborative effort led by Forward Pinellas, the countywide land use and transportation planning agency, along with funding partners Pinellas County, the City of St. Petersburg, the City of Largo, the City of Pinellas Park, and FDOT. The agencies participated in the planning process through the Study Management Team and now the Gateway Partnership, meeting regularly to provide direction and coordination for the project activities.

What does intermodal mean?

Intermodal refers to multiple modes of transportation working together (e.g., air, cargo, water, rail, bus, bicycle). FDOT is studying the location of regional intermodal centers in the Tampa Bay area, including in the Gateway area. That study is looking at the Gateway area to identify a hub location where all types of transportation modes and technology can converge.

How does the plan take into account previous plans and other agency projects currently under way or under development?

One of the early steps in the planning process was to review and create a concise summary of all existing plans and policies within the Gateway area. The review included the relevant plans and policies in place from St. Petersburg, Pinellas Park, Largo, Pinellas County, Forward Pinellas, FDOT, and the Regional Planning Council. The recommendations from these plans were used to inform public meetings and stakeholder discussions. Planning for the Gateway Area was coordinated and informed with these parallel efforts.

How was the Master Plan approved, and by whom?

A critical part of the Gateway/Mid-County Area Master Plan was the extent to which the plan was endorsed or adopted as a policy by the Study Partners and key stakeholders. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was drafted for signature by a representative of the Study Partners (local governments and Forward Pinellas) and was signed by the Partners in October 2020 and by the Forward Pinellas Board in November 2020. The MOU commits the local governments and Forward Pinellas to working in partnership to fulfill the goals and guiding principles of the Master Plan rather than any single specific action.

What is a regulatory tool?

Local governments in Florida are required to adopt land development regulations that are consistent with the comprehensive plan. Regulatory tools include a community’s zoning and development ordinances, subdivision regulations, design standards, public facility requirements, community redevelopment areas (CRAs), and other special districts.

How will projects included in the master plan be funded?

Projects will be funded through a variety of means, including local, regional, state, and federal funds. In addition, the implementation plan addresses ways to tap into potential funding sources and opportunities for public-private partnerships that can leverage the use of federal, state or local funds.