Mark Parker

Teams of volunteers helped the Water Warrior Alliance collect over a ton of trash from local waterways and shorelines Saturday as part of the St. Pete Ocean Sweep tournament. Participating groups, including other nonprofits, weighed their bounties at the waterfront SkyBeach Resort. The festive annual event - sponsored by the City of St. Petersburg - [...]

A defense technology startup recently valued at $28 billion is testing its next-generation uncrewed, autonomous submarine in St. Petersburg’s Bayboro Harbor. Anduril Industries, founded by the inventor of the Oculus virtual reality headset, has temporarily moved into the Maritime and Defense Technology Hub. The Costa Mesa, California-based company realized the waterfront facility in St. Petersburg’s [...]

St. Petersburg has earned its first Envision Award for drastically improving a wastewater facility’s environmental sustainability and resiliency. The national recognition is welcome news following an unprecedented hurricane season. The Washington D.C.-based Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure utilizes its Envision program to advance sustainable infrastructure through education, training and third-party verification. St. Petersburg is now one [...]

The U.S. Small Business Administration has named Pat Mack, founder and CEO of PVM, its 2025 South Florida Veteran Business Owner of the Year. He credits his hometown's support and a loyal team for the recognition. The St. Petersburg native's data analytics firm operates from the Innovation District's Maritime and Defense Technology Hub. PVM has [...]

Resiliency is the capacity to withstand or recover quickly from challenges, which objectively describes Pinellas County’s tourism industry. Visitors contributed a record $8.29 million to local tax coffers in January, just three months after Hurricanes Helene and Milton decimated the area. That number will likely continue trending higher as tourism officials await over 1,400 rooms [...]

A Jacksonville-based high-speed internet provider plans to establish a local underground network and open an office in St. Petersburg this year. IQ Fiber believes it can help customers throughout Pinellas County avoid internet outages during storms. The company will initially spend about $50 million to launch its 10-gigabyte-capable network in the area and create 35 [...]

Mayor Ken Welch took a hard stance against renegotiating a stadium deal with the Tampa Bays after the team announced Thursday that it could no longer honor previously signed agreements. He also didn’t completely rule out extending the team’s lease at Tropicana Field beyond 2028 while incrementally redeveloping the surrounding area. Welch said his administration [...]

What was once considered a bluff is now a reality. The Tampa Bay Rays have walked away from a long-negotiated, $1.37 billion stadium deal in downtown St. Petersburg. The team's development partner, Hines, will no longer transform Tropicana Field's sprawling parking lots into a vibrant mixed-use district that pays homage to the Black community displaced [...]

The sun will soon set on Elizabeth Abernethy’s career with the City of St. Petersburg, a “dream job,” but not due to an unprecedented hurricane season exponentially increasing her workload. As director of planning and development review services, Abernethy oversees the city's building, zoning and historic preservation operations. The permitting department - currently inundated with [...]

Pete Boland believes St. Petersburg deserves a “proper” St. Patrick’s Day Festival. He and a longtime business partner will ensure it has one Saturday. Boland, owner of The Galley and Mary Margaret’s Olde Irish Tavern, launched Paddy Fest St. Pete in 2023. The annual event continues evolving, and he said the third time is the [...]