🚨 Downtown St. Petersburg lost a $50 million economic development project after city officials ignored direct warnings from the Governor’s office.
⚠️ The long-awaited Second District Court of Appeal courthouse was set to bring jobs, funding, and growth to the Mirror Lake area… that’s until the City Council advanced the controversial Mirror Lake Historic District overlay.
👉🏻 Despite prior assurances that the designation would be withdrawn, officials quietly reinstated it through a non-compliant application process, adding over 100 pages to the file without public notice.
🚨 This decision (seen as a bad-faith maneuver) jeopardized not only the courthouse project but also St. Petersburg’s reputation with state lawmakers and future funding prospects.
The Mirror Lake controversy highlights deeper issues in local governance, legal compliance, and how one city’s disregard for legislative intent cost tens of millions in potential economic benefit.
