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A wealth of ideas for improvement
By SHARON L. BOND Revised July 31, 2001 © St. Petersburg Times, published April 15, 2001 ST. PETERSBURG -- Earnest Williams, elected by an overwhelming margin to the City Council last month, made economic development a campaign issue. Williams' District 6 envelops some of the city's poorest neighborhoods, including a large chunk of the Challenge area, so named after racial disturbances more than four years ago. Then-Mayor David Fischer targeted the 30-square-block area, bounded by Central Avenue and 30th Avenue S and Fourth and 34th streets, for increased resources to improve the quality of life and create jobs there. Even so, Williams is not confining his effort to District 6. "We have to look at the overall picture, the entire economic development impact on the whole city," said Williams, who owns a State Farm Insurance agency. "We have people who work all over." In a recent interview with Neighborhood Times, Williams said his first priorities would be ensuring the development of the Dome Industrial District and establishing a foothold for the city in international trade. Here are some of the highlights of that conversation. Business community"We have to try to begin to pull the business community together. We are moving in the right direction for the neighborhoods. Now is the time for the business community." Former Mayor Fischer sought to revitalize neighborhood associations during his 10 years in office to give residents more of a voice. Williams wants to see the same thing happen among city businesses. He said he had mentioned getting the business community together to "one of the major players, about two weeks ago." He would not name the person but said the reaction was positive. He had no specifics on what kind of gathering it would be. International trade"We have to get involved in international trade. That is an area where we have a shortfall. I don't think anybody has really pushed that agenda." Williams said St. Petersburg is ideally located to be a corporate headquarters for a company from Hispanic America. He also said that if St. Petersburg could get another 10 feet of depth in its port, it would draw more trade. He said Miami has reaped great benefits from international trade. The first step in energizing St. Petersburg in that area is to examine what Miami did and also tap into what Pinellas County already is doing. "We need to begin to look at it from a regional perspective, including Tampa and Clearwater," he said. Again he used the port as an example. If St. Petersburg cannot be dredged for larger ships, there is always the Port of Tampa. Dome Industrial DistrictWilliams' district stands to gain if the Dome Industrial District becomes a reality. The area between Fifth Avenue S and Interstate 275 bumps up against District 6 boundaries but actually is in District 7. The city is buying parcels of land to put together a tract large enough to attract light industry. "It's taking a long time to get going," Williams said. "It's going slower than I would have liked." Some of the industry that moves to the dome district needs to be low-tech, as Williams described it, to give job opportunities to people who may not have the education to compete for high-tech jobs. Such a job might be the manufacture of gel capsules by a pharmaceutical company, he said. He also wants high-tech. "I'd like to see another Jabil Circuit down there," he said, referring to the successful manufacturer of electronic components in north St. Petersburg. Transportation"What most people want is a good job," Williams said. "When you can cut down on travel time, it's even better." When talking about infrastructure needs, the city has to address transportation, Williams said. He favors high-speed rail, but in the absence of such a system, the city and county need some other type of people mover. He isn't prepared to offer a specific system for consideration. "There are jobs in the northern part of the county," Williams said. "We need a people mover that will connect all areas together, one on which people can move quickly, efficiently and timely from where they live to where they work to where they play." District 6Williams bristles at the characterization of his district as a needy area. "Everybody seems to have the idea that District 6 is destitute. If you look and see what is there, it's quite a bit," Williams said, ticking off downtown businesses and venues that include Bayfront Hospital, Times Publishing and the University of South Florida, Coquina Key and the renovation of the Wildwood recreation complex. "I'm a person trying to work hard to improve the quality of life for everybody in the city."
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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