Logan DeVicenteWe have officially made it to Autumn, although in our area, that is just a technicality. I must mention that we truly feel for those to our south who endured the onslaught of Hurricane Ian, and our thoughts and prayers go out to them. We are so grateful that our beautiful city was spared most of the damage. And now that our weather is nothing short of spectacular, I hope you will take advantage of these beautiful days to see how lucky we are to have such an asset. 

For those of you receiving this newsletter for the first time, we invite you to catch up on the wonderful projects initiated and/or supported by the Downtown Waterfront Parks Foundation to protect and improve our waterfront parklands. The new park swing prototype has received very positive feedback, and we continue to hear from the public with their thoughts. If you haven’t already, we invite you to provide your opinions through the QR code located at the actual swing or through our website waterfrontparksfoundation.org

Speaking of our website, be sure to check out the drone videos we have posted there of our community enjoying the parks. They truly capture the unique character of our waterfront parks and remind us of what the park system provides to residents and visitors alike. 

Until next time, enjoy the parks, and share them with all of those around you. 

Logan DeVicente

 

 

Logan DeVicente
President


Founder’s Focus—Celebrating 10 Years

This year we celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Waterfront Parks Foundation!

Phil Graham, Jr., Founder  Waterfront Parks FoundationIn 2012, the City of St. Petersburg’s budget for facilities and maintenance was suffering from a lack of funds due to the economic downturn of 2008. The downtown waterfront parks were caught up in this budget crunch, with limited resources for the Parks Department to maintain them in the condition these Legacy parks deserve. I met with the Parks and Recreation Director, Mike Jefferis, to discuss the establishment of a Parks Foundation that could assist the City in the preservation and enhancement of these historic parks. Mike was enthusiastic about the idea and offered his support for this endeavor. Thank you, Mike!

I then met with Joel Giles, a friend and highly-regarded attorney and a passionate civic leader, and asked him to assist us with the organization’s Incorporation, 501(c)(3) non-profit status and Bylaws. Joel and his firm, Carlton Fields, generously provided all of the necessary legal services on a pro-bono basis. Carlton Fields has continued to offer legal services to the Waterfront Parks Foundation (WPF) for the last 10 years. Most recently, Joel, Ken Tinkler and Dakota McLean provided further legal services to the WPF, writing a new Park Ordinance template to be reviewed by the City to assist in their preservation. Thank you, Carlton Fields! 

Leaders in the community and stakeholders who have a passion for the preservation and appearance of the waterfront parks were then contacted to form a Board of Directors for the Waterfront Parks Foundation. Many of these initial Board members are still involved with the WPF. All of our Board members have contributed greatly to the success of our organization and we are so grateful for their time, immeasurable talent, and generous support over the years. I want to especially thank Charles Osterholt and Tami Simms for their dedication to building a successful Foundation consistent with our Mission and for sharing their management skills on the Executive Committee for the last ten years. Charlie, as our Secretary, provided his extensive management skills in keeping us informed and Mission Centered, and Tami, in her role as Treasurer, managed our finances with precision and skill. Thank you to all our past and present Board members, and thank you to Therese Johnson for her communication and administrative services for the Foundation.

We wouldn’t be able to show you the magnificent treasure we have in these parks without the incredible drone footage, photography, and website management provided by Frank Ranieri of Communicasting, Inc. Thanks to Frank and his company for helping us display what our beautiful parks have to offer. 

The Waterfront Parks Foundation has also enjoyed a mutually-beneficial relationship with the City’s Administration, City Council members, and the Parks and Recreation Department. We have worked closely with Bryan Eichler, the Assistant Parks Director, who has been an amazing help and resource in assisting the WPF with our project goals. I cannot say enough good things about our City’s Parks and Recreation Department and all its team members! 

And finally, we would never have been able to accomplish all that we have for the Waterfront Parks Foundation without the financial help of our Board Members and Donors. While I am not able to innumerate all of those, over the past ten years, who have donated time, talent and treasure to preserve and enhance our waterfront parks, I do want to acknowledge and thank the Majeed Foundation for their tremendous generosity and their passion for making our waterfront parks more beautiful and functional. The Majeed family has been a major donor for many of the projects that make our parks more colorful, and impactful; they have funded elements that greatly enhance our waterfront parks for the enjoyment and appreciation of all!

Finally, a BIG THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU who have made the first 10 years of the Waterfront Parks Foundation so successful!  

Going forward, Logan DeVicente, our current President and the great-great-grandson of William L. Straub, will be leading us to future goals and accomplishments for the “Preservation, Protection, and Promotion” of our amazing St. Petersburg Downtown Waterfront Parks!

As ever, see you in the park!

Phil Graham, Jr., Founder
Waterfront Parks Foundation

 


The Waterfront Parks Foundation: Who We Are and Why We Exist 

North Shore Park

The Mission of the Downtown Waterfront Parks Foundation (WPF) is to support and advocate for the preservation and enhancement of the historic waterfront parks of St. Petersburg, Florida, to ensure their future for the enjoyment of residents and visitors.

Founded on October 31, 2012, WPF focuses on the waterfront parks in downtown St. Petersburg, which run along Tampa Bay from the north at Coffee Pot Park (1st Street and 30th Ave. NE) to Lassing Park (Beach Drive and 22nd Ave. SE), just south of downtown.

WPF also engages with and supports the work of other organizations that protect our precious outdoor assets, including—but not limited to—the City of St. Petersburg’s Parks Department, St. Petersburg City Council, Preserve the Burg, Tampa Bay Watch, Byrne Ocean Conservation/Water Warrior Alliance and the neighborhood associations in which our waterfront parks are located. 

A list of current Initiatives WPF explores in collaboration with the City can be found at https://waterfrontparksfoundation.org/news 

We invite all who are interested in our waterfront parks to join our email list at https://waterfrontparksfoundation.org/contact , volunteer at our events, support the foundation’s work with your financial donations or by holding a fundraiser, and by spreading the word about all we are doing—and plan to do—to promote, preserve and protect our downtown waterfront parks. Your thoughts and ideas are always welcome! https://waterfrontparksfoundation.org/support  

For more information, check out https://waterfrontparksfoundation.org/about 

 


See You at the Swing!

Swing at Flora Wylie Park DedicationIf you’ve driven, biked, skated or walked along North Shore Drive or the adjacent waterfront trail from Coffee Pot Blvd. to Flora Wylie Park in the past six months, you’ve no doubt seen the most popular new attraction in the Waterfront Parks. 

The bench swing prototype, located at the north end of Flora Wylie Park at the intersection of North Shore Dr NE and Coffee Pot Blvd, was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in April. 

Swing at Flora Wylie ParkThe ribbon cutting ceremony featured City Council Chair and District 6 Councilmember Gina Driscoll, City Leisure Services Administrator Mike Jefferis, Assistant Director of Parks & Recreation, Bryan Eichler, The Majeed Family, whose generosity funded the prototype, WPF President Logan DeVicente, and WPF Founder Phil Graham, Jr.

Be sure to stop by and enjoy the swing prototype, and while you’re there, let us know what you think via the QR code posted on the arm of the swing. The public’s response will directly affect future plans to install additional swings throughout the waterfront parks system! 

 


Lighting the Parks, Improving the Views

Uplighting at Flora Wylie ParkAn ongoing interest for the Waterfront Parks Foundation (WPF) is helping the City Parks Department to develop better ways to light the parks without negatively affecting the skies. WPF board member and Lighting Committee Chairperson, Mack Hicks, has diligently been researching ways to light the trees to better reveal their beautiful sculptural qualities, while improving safety in some of the darker areas of the parks. 

Uplighting at Flora Wylie ParkPrototype lighting has now been installed at the north end of Flora Wylie Park which features the floral planting and the trees in that part of the park. The purpose is to highlight focal areas and provide uplighting of the beautiful tree canopies within the parks. 

WPF also is working with the city to install lighting of the primary identification signs for the 11 parks within the system.

As the lighting project progresses, watch for QR codes and let us know what you think of the progress!

 


Check Out the New Park Benches 

New Park Benches in St. Petersburg, FLOne issue WPF has worked to solve for the City Parks Department is the never-ending task and expense of cleaning the wooden park benches scattered throughout the parks. The natural wooden slats require constant cleaning/maintenance, but the wood never displays the clean appearance that this expensive effort deserves.

Last year, WFP Founder, Phil Graham, Jr. discovered a bench made of composite material, which could save the city thousands of dollars a month in cleaning/maintenance costs. This summer, the Parks Department installed several composite benches in North Straub Park along Bayshore Drive NE. If the benches meet the planned expectations, you can be sure we’ll enjoy more park benches that look as new and clean as these prototypes, and they won’t require the labor-intensive upkeep of the wooden benches. 

 


Meet WPF Board Member Bill Dahl

Bill DahlAlthough many—if not most—of the board members serving the Waterfront Parks Foundation (WPF) have family histories in St. Petersburg that go back generations, one notable exception is WPF board member, Bill Dahl. In 2017, Bill and his wife, Joyce, chose St. Petersburg as their new home after their two kids were off pursuing their own successful careers and raising Bill and Joyce’s five grandkids. Bill credits frequent family Florida vacations, baseball spring training trips, and extensive business travel as the reason St. Petersburg was their choice. “We love St Pete!” says Bill. 

“We immediately fell in love with the charm of historic neighborhoods and were fortunate to find a 1946 bungalow in the Old Southeast (OSE) neighborhood that we’ve enjoyed updating and restoring.” It wasn’t long before Bill got involved in the OSE neighborhood board, which led him to support various initiatives across CONA, the City of St. Pete, Tampa Bay Watch, Preserve the Burg, Friends of Salt Creek, Water Warriors, and more. His wife, Joyce, reminds Bill that he spreads himself too thin … but he can’t help himself. If an organization supports a cause that Bill finds important, he’ll get involved.

Fortunately for the WPF, Bill believes the advocacy to protect our waterfront parks is also worth his time. “The Downtown Waterfront Master Plan caught my eye as a terrific blueprint for preserving our fabulous waterfront. Keeping the plan on track from deviations led me to City Council debates and meeting Phil Graham, Jr. Phil is such a staunch, articulate advocate for our waterfront parks legacy. I was extremely honored when he invited me to join the WPF Board; it boasts an incredible group of experienced, successful individuals who share a passion for our great waterfront legacy. Hopefully, I can further sustain that legacy and grow partnerships that protect our waterfront parks.”

Bill’s extensive career in marketing communications is now serving his volunteer interests in every good way. “Generous mentors guided my media, communications, and business leadership career journey starting as a young Marine Corps Combat Correspondent. I’ve been privileged to work with incredibly talented pros first with NBC and CBS TV affiliates in the Southwest and then working up the corporate communications career ladder, eventually running my own marketing communications agency in Andover, Massachusetts. My mentors instilled the responsibility to give back, so I’ve served on multiple not-for-profit boards and created internship programs for the last 25+ years. I love talent-spotting and helping new careers along.” 

Of the WPF’s work, Bill reflects: “Legacies aren’t etched in stone. St Pete’s waterfront parks are always under pressure. For instance, increasing, unsustainable event venues that damage the parks are currently a big challenge. Fortunately, City leaders like Mayor Ken Welch, Council Chair Gina Driscoll and Council Member Ed Montanari are excellent stewards and often seek WPF collaboration. I’ve also been privileged to work on several WPF subcommittees for Parks initiatives with Mike Jefferis and Bryan Eichler. These are working relationships that make a difference. It’s the reason why my WPF experience is so personally rewarding.”

 


Living Shoreline Restoration Makes Progress in Tampa Bay

Shoreline Restoration at Lassing ParkLassing Park’s shoreline is the epicenter of a multi-year Living Shoreline Restoration Project spearheaded by Tampa Bay Watch and the City of St Petersburg Parks Department.

On Earth Day, April 22, several WPF Board Members joined the Old Southeast Neighborhood, Tampa Bay Watch, the St. Pete Parks Department, and other interested volunteers to help shovel 10 tons of oyster shells, creating approximately 200 square feet of reef in Tampa Bay. We also added 97 additional oyster reef balls and planted 2,000 smooth cordgrass plugs.

This multi-year project is designed to mitigate severe erosion on the north end of Lassing Park due to wave and wake action. (Lassing Park is the only downtown waterfront park to enjoy a natural shoreline, i.e., no seawalls.) Positive effects are already apparent, as sand and vegetation begin to backfill the oyster balls and oyster shell reefs, which are reinforced by the rapidly growing cordgrass.

By restoring lost habitat to promote new oyster growth, the project ultimately improves water quality and provides rich food sources and habitat for many aquatic species.

Join us to help support this important effort! 

 

The next restoration phase will include the building of an oyster shell bar, which will take place November 9–10 and December 14–15, between 9:00 am and noon at the north end of Lassing Park. Interested volunteers may contact Rachel Arndt at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to sign up and get more information. WPF board members will be there, wearing our water shoes to help support this ongoing effort to restore our park’s vulnerable shorelines.

 


Mark Your Calendars 

Please plan to Attend these Upcoming Events:

Preserve the Burg’s Movies in the Park
Thursday, October 20, 6:00 –9:00 pm 
North Straub Park
Featured movie: The Goonies
Register online at ptb.wildapricot.org

 

Tampa Bay Ocean Sweep Trash Collection Tournament
Saturday, October 22, 8:00 am–5:00 pm 
3734-3814 6th St S 
Register online at WaterWarriorAlliance.org

 

Preserve the Burg’s Movies in the Park
Thursday, October 27, 6:00 –9:00 pm 
North Straub Park
Featured movie: Beetlejuice
Register online at ptb.wildapricot.org

 

Friends of North Shore Park Cleanup
Saturday, November 5, 9:00 am–Noon
North end of Flora Wylie Park near the park swing.

Park Cleanup Volunteer Effort coordinated by Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood Association (HONNA), Keep Pinellas Beautiful and WPF. Volunteers can park in the lot at the south end of Flora Wylie and meet near the swing. All are welcome to join us! No registration necessary.

 

Coffee Pot Bayou Cleanup
Saturday, November 5, 9:00 am–Noon
This quarterly cleanup effort, sponsored by the Coffee Pot Bayou Watershed Alliance, uses boats, kayaks, canoes and walkers to clean the mangrove fringe on Coffee Pot Drive, the Masonic Home waterfront and the sidewalk/recreation trail from 34th Ave at Coffee Pot Park to the tennis courts in the North Shore Sports Complex. All are welcome. Cleaning tools provided. No registration necessary.

 

 

November Living Shoreline Restoration Oyster Shell Bar Construction
Wednesday–Thursday, November 9–10, 9:00 am–Noon
North end of Lassing Park
Interested volunteers may contact Rachel Arndt at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

December Living Shoreline Restoration Oyster Shell Bar Construction
Wednesday–Thursday, December 14–15, 9:00 am–Noon
North end of Lassing Park
Interested volunteers may contact Rachel Arndt at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Logan DeVicenteSpring is here, the weather is beautiful, and the city and parks are bustling.  The Waterfront Parks Foundation has been busy, and I’d like to share with you some of the exciting projects we have been working on. 

One of our most recent achievements took true collaboration. I want to express my sincere appreciation for the hard work and partnership between our organization, the City Parks Department, Advanced Engineering & Design, and the Majeed Foundation for the waterfront swing that was recently installed in Flora Wylie Park, at the intersection of Coffee Pot Blvd and Northshore Dr. NE. It was the brainchild of WPF founder Phil Graham, who made this all happen.  If you have not been able to enjoy the swing yet, please be sure to stop by this new park amenity and relax for a bit at the water’s edge. We have installed a QR code at the swing to get feedback from the public, and we greatly appreciate the great response we have already received.  We invite everyone to the formal ribbon-cutting ceremony, which we will hold on April 20th, 2022 at 10:00 am. We would love for you, friends, neighbors, and city officials to join us for its official dedication.

The Waterfront Parks Foundation recently presented to the St Petersburg City Council with an update on our latest efforts to support the downtown waterfront parks, including the seasonal flower plantings, the swing installation, future sign and utility installation plans, and ongoing maintenance of the beautiful green open spaces that grace our shoreline for all to enjoy.  We appreciate the relationship we have with the City staff as well as City Council, and have been working closely with them on additional ways to protect, preserve and promote our wonderful parks. Their continued support for the protection and enhancement of our waterfront parks is invaluable to our mission and future.

Until next time, enjoy the parks, and share them with all of those around you. 

Logan DeVicente
President
Waterfront Parks Foundation


Join Us for Our Park Swing Dedication

Swing at Flora Wylie ParkAll are invited to join City of Saint Petersburg Parks & Recreation Department and the Waterfront Parks Foundation (WPF) for a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new waterfront parks bench swing prototype on Wednesday, April 20th, 2022 at 10:00 am in Flora Wylie Park, located at the intersection Coffee Pot Blvd. and Northshore Dr. NE.  

This prototype swing was funded through the generosity of the Majeed Family (MajeedFoundation.org). WPF has installed embedded QR Codes on the swing, which we invite you to use to provide your input on this new way to enjoy the waterfront. If public response is as positive as we anticipate, we plan to install additional bench swings in our downtown waterfront parks.

The ribbon cutting ceremony will feature City Council Chair and District 6 Councilmember Gina Driscoll, City Leisure Services Administrator Mike Jefferis, Assistant Director of Parks & Recreation, Bryan Eichler, The Majeed Family, WPF President Logan DeVicente, and WPF Founder Phil Graham, Jr.


Lassing Park Living Shoreline Restoration

Project Volunteer Opportunity

Shoreline Restoration at Lassing ParkAmazing work continues at the southernmost park under WPF’s protection, Lassing Park, where Tampa Bay Watch, in partnership with the City of St. Petersburg, works to stabilize one of the last remaining undeveloped shorelines in St. Petersburg with the Living Shoreline Project. 

The project kicked off in December 2021 when volunteers installed 250 oyster reef balls. These reef balls work to help stabilize approximately 700 feet of shoreline which was suffering from serious erosion.  

According to Tampa Bay Watch, “Creation of a living shoreline project, including oyster reef balls, oyster shell reefs, and coastal wetland plans will prevent further erosion of Lassing Park, restore lost habitat systems to the bay, and improve water quality through natural biological filtration.” 


Volunteer Opportunity on Earth Day

Living Shoreline Restoration at Lassing Park Another volunteer opportunity will take place on Earth Day: Friday, April 22, 2022 beginning at 9:00 am. Bill Dahl, WPF Board Member and with Old Southeast Neighborhood Association board, reports that 68 volunteers were already signed up as of April 12th to install oyster reef balls, oyster bags, and begin sea grass planting. Bill says that there’s something for everyone to do. All are welcome to come out, get your feet wet and help restore this city treasure. WPF will have a table at the event. Be sure to stop by the WPF table and say hello! 

Founder’s Corner 

Phil Graham, Jr.Since childhood I have been able to call our downtown waterfront parks my playground. My father’s photography studio was across the street from South Straub Park and on afternoons, weekends and summers, the parks and the pier were where I played, fished and passed my time. I loved them then as I love them now! My great-great grandfather, Clarence W. Graham, was one of the Founders of our beloved Sunshine City. My roots in St. Petersburg run deep.

Our parks have been recognized as one of the foremost contiguous waterfront parks in North America! Not everyone is aware that our waterfront parks were a GIFT to the citizens of St. Petersburg from a select few of our city’s Founders, including William Straub, the crusading Editor of the St. Petersburg Times.

That is why, in 2012, I felt called to start the Waterfront Parks Foundation (WPF). With a group of like-minded men and women, we came together with a Mission “To support preservation and enhancement of the historic downtown waterfront parks for the enjoyment of residents and visitors of St. Petersburg.” We recognized the waterfront parks as the Jewels on Tampa Bay. We wanted to make sure that the parks continued to be available to all the citizens and visitors of our community; we wanted to protect the parks from developers’ shovels; and we wanted to promote the parks in the best possible ways.

It has been my privilege and pleasure to serve as President of the Waterfront Parks Foundation since its inception. I have worked with many excellent civic volunteers who share my passion for our parks. I thank them all for their contributions and support for the parks. Like me, they see their value, their beauty, and the recreational opportunities they provide for you and me. Together we have worked to enhance the parks and advocate for their protection and preservation. I especially would like to thank Charles Osterholt and Tami Simms, Secretary and Treasurer respectively, for their outstanding contributions to the WPF since its founding. I am also grateful for the generosity of our donors who have made park enhancements possible.

While remaining the Founder and a WPF Board member, I now welcome Logan DeVicente as the new President of the Waterfront Parks Foundation. Logan is a St. Petersburg native, the great-great grandson of William Straub; he is a respected businessman, active civic leader, and a devoted family man. He takes the reins this month and will continue to oversee the WFP ideals and endeavors. Logan will be an outstanding leader for our Foundation!

I hope you will continue to support our waterfront parks, and tell your family and friends about the WPF, the history of our parks, and encourage them to use and support our parks year-round. In summation, the St. Petersburg downtown waterfront parks are for you and me, for our loved ones, and for the many new residents and visitors to our beautiful city. Please join us as we continue to ‘PRESERVE, PROTECT AND PROMOTE’ the waterfront parks!

See you in the parks!
Philip H. Graham, Jr.
Founder


From Our New President

Logan DeVicenteAs I begin my first letter to you as President of the Waterfront Parks Foundation, I reflect upon what this amazing organization has already accomplished and what it represents for our beautiful city. I am honored and humbled to lead this exceptional endeavor. 

Over 100 years ago, my great-great grandfather, William L. Straub, worked diligently to preserve our waterfront parklands so that they could be enjoyed by all. He and a group of like-minded citizens shared a long-term vision to prevent privatization of this unique property as they worked to protect and preserve it for all to enjoy. St. Petersburg’s waterfront park system now includes over four linear miles of waterfront along Tampa Bay, encompassing over 100 acres of parkland.  I believe that he would be extremely proud to see that today, the Waterfront Parks Foundation continues to carry on his mission of protecting, preserving and promoting our wonderful waterfront parks.  

William Straub pioneered this mission in the 20th Century, and today, we are most fortunate to have our own pioneer in Philip Graham, Jr., who founded this organization in 2012. His passion and stewardship to continue the protection and beautification of our parks system has been a major asset to our foundation and to our community. I cannot thank Phil enough for his nine years of leadership, and I am grateful for his continued dedication to aid the foundation and educate the public on our mission. 

As many St. Pete residents and visitors have ventured outside to explore all our city has to offer (especially over the past 18 months), our waterfront parks have been busier than ever.  It cannot be overstated how important our parks system is to St. Petersburg, and I am honored to work with this amazing group of individuals, whose focus is the preservation, enhancement and advocacy of our waterfront parklands. 

If you have any interest in getting more involved with the Waterfront Parks Foundation, we would love to have a conversation.  We have many exciting projects in the works, and we welcome the wisdom and support from others who share our passion. Please reach out to us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Until next time, enjoy the parks, and please visit them with your family, friends and neighbors.

From the water’s edge,
Logan DeVicente
President


Living Shoreline Restoration Project to begin at Lassing Park

Oyster Balls at Lassing ParkTake a drive along Lassing Park and you will see that preparations are underway for the initial staging by Tampa Bay Watch and the City of St. Petersburg for Phase 1 of the Lassing Park Living Shoreline Restoration Project. The unusual objects pictured here and stacked at the north end of the park are oyster balls, which will be installed December 15th and 16th beginning at 9:00 a.m.

There are volunteer opportunities to help with this project. If you are interested, please contact Rachel Arndt at Tampa Bay Watch at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

According to Bill Dahl, WPF Board Member and President of Old Southeast Neighborhood Association, Tampa Bay Watch logoadditional project phases will occur in Spring and Summer of 2022, when protective shoreline grasses will be planted. All these events will include volunteer opportunities, so watch this website and the OSNE or Old Southeast Facebook pages for updates!

 

 

 

Message from our President

Flower Beds in Downtown St PetersburgOur waterfront parks are being enjoyed more and more now that COVID-19 restrictions are easing up. It is wonderful to see people of all ages enjoying the many features our downtown waterfront parks provide to our community. We have also been “discovered” as a destination city with new residents arriving daily, making the preservation of waterfront open space even more important as our user numbers increase. 

The Spring floral planting has been installed in the waterfront parks through the generosity of the Majeed Family (MajeedFoundation.org). The installation of seasonal flowers has been expanded and now adds vibrant floral color to 3rd Ave. N.E. and Beach Dr.; 4th Ave N.E. and Beach Drive; Coffee Pot Blvd. and North Shore Dr. N.E.; four large flower beds along Tampa Bay near the volleyball courts; and a soon-to-be-installed location at 5th Ave. and Bayshore Dr. N.E.  The Majeed Foundation has made it possible, through their ongoing funding of these floral displays and their maintenance, to provide the City with a number of bright focal points to highlight our waterfront park system. 

The Majeed Foundation will also provide funding for the installation of the first bench swing in our downtown waterfront parks. The bench swing was designed by the Waterfront Parks Foundation and engineered by Bill Reidy of Advanced Engineering & Design, Inc. This prototype swing will be installed along Tampa Bay in Flora Wylie Park near the intersection of Coffee Pot Blvd. and Northshore Dr. N.E.  It will be installed this summer and we will be asking the public for their impressions and comments. If we receive positive input, we will be installing more bench swings within the parks. 

The Waterfront Parks Foundation joined forces with the St. Petersburg Downtown Rotary Club this year for the refurbishment of the William Straub monument in South Straub Park. A dedication ceremony was held on May 7th. Stop by and visit the monument. Use your cell phone to receive information on Mr. Straub, who was the editor of the St. Petersburg Times, a founder of the St. Petersburg Rotary Club and the man who was instrumental in giving St. Petersburg the wonderful waterfront parks we enjoy today!

The Foundation’s Committees, in coordination with the City Parks Department, have been busy with various important aspects of the waterfront parks including utilities, benches, park zoning, site lighting, signage, and special events. One of the upcoming events will be “Hunt the Waterfront,” a fun-filled scavenger hunt to discover interesting facts about St. Pete and the waterfront parks. The Foundation also continues to provide advocacy for our waterfront parks and, most recently, formed a committee to mitigate negative impacts on Demens Landing Park found in the proposed Safe Harbor Development conceptual marina plan. 

We continue to work together to Preserve, Protect and Promote the waterfront park system and we are grateful to all who feel as we do about this beautiful and irreplaceable community asset. We’d love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts about our parks at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..  

Cordially,

Phil Graham, Jr., President
Waterfront Parks Foundation 


Setting the Record Straight 

Phil Graham talks Demens Landing, importance of advocacy for waterfront parks • St Pete Catalyst
Phil Graham talks Demens Landing, importance of advocacy for waterfront parks • St Pete Catalyst

The proposed St Petersburg Marina privatization and redevelopment plan by Safe Harbor Development (SHD) is one of the most controversial issues affecting our waterfront today and has a potentially profound generational impact.  

Faced with this challenge, President Phil Graham Jr. led a Waterfront Parks Foundation (WPF) committee in reviewing the Demens Landing parkland and green space portion of the proposal. "Waterfront parkland use is core to WPF's mission," according to Phil. "However, since our WPF charter does not cover the overall Marina or operations, we limited our review to only the Demens Landing parkland portion." 

WPF was briefly swept up in the surrounding Marina controversy when Mayor Rick Kriseman misinterpreted the Foundation's position and subsequent news stories, and social media posts repeated the incorrect information.  

"This turned out to be a blessing in disguise," states Phil, "because I had a great opportunity to set the record straight when Joe Hamilton of the St. Pete Catalyst offered an invitation for an interview. It presented a wonderful chance to share our waterfront parks mission with a broader audience, as well as detailing the WPF's position regarding the Marina proposal." Phil continued: "Our position is clear. At this time, we do not offer any approval or endorsement of the Demens Landing portion until three extremely specific conditions are met satisfactorily."  The WPF will not offer an opinion on the overall Safe Harbor redevelopment proposal. 

Phil adds: "We estimate that it would take months under the best of circumstances for the City and SHD to meet our conditions and they still may balk at those requirements. Only if all the conditions are satisfactorily met would WPF offer a conditional approval which will be limited to the Demens Land parkland use." 

The WPF position and contingent conditions are further outlined in Phil's Catalyst interview


Rotary Club Rededicates Monument Honoring William Straub on 100th Anniversary

Rotary Club Rededicates Monument Honoring William Straub on 100th Anniversary

The Rotary Club of St. Petersburg held a ceremony rededicating the William L. Straub monument on May 7, 2021, located on the northeast corner of South Straub Park. The monument serves the purpose of educating the public about the important role William Straub played in preserving our waterfront parks. Straub was the first president of the Rotary Club of St. Petersburg in 1920.

The Rotary Club graciously funded the needed restoration of this beautiful monument, as part of their centennial celebration this past year. The monument now includes an additional plaque with a new interactive feature for smart phones to provide more information about William Straub's impact on our city and Rotary.

Phil Graham, Jr., President of the Waterfront Parks Foundation who is also a Rotarian, worked closely with AGG Restoration to bring this project to fruition. "It's wonderful to have the DeVicente Family here with us for this rededication," said Graham. "Their kids are able to enjoy our waterfront parks thanks to the vision William Straub had many years ago."

"William Straub was my great-great grandfather. I've known about him since I was very young," said Logan DeVicente, Vice President of the Waterfront Parks Foundation. The monument will remind St. Pete residents and visitors about my great-great grandfather for many years to come." 

Kathy DeVicente, Logan's mother and the great granddaughter of William Straub, was also in attendance for the rededication of the monument. “The new technology for this memorial is very impressive," she said. "My great grandfather was such an integral part of St. Petersburg and had such a vision."

We hope you are able to enjoy the improvements to the monument, which is on the corner of 2nd Avenue North and North Shore Drive. The Waterfront Parks Foundation is grateful for the generosity of the Rotary Club for this improvement to our parks.

Read more about William Straub: https://sprotary.org/straub/  


 

Fun Events Return to the Waterfront Parks

Fun Fitness Boot Camp by St. Petersburg Parks and Recreation Fun Fitness Boot Camp

Saturday, May 15—Healthy St. Pete | Fun Fitness Boot Camp by St. Petersburg Parks and Recreation takes place on the third Saturday of each month, 9:00–10:00 am on the Family Lawn at the St. Pete Pier. Free! Click here to learn more. 

 

 

French Fry Festival

St. Petersburg French Fry Festival Saturday, May 15—St. Petersburg French Fry Festival returns to Albert Whitted Park in St. Petersburg on Saturday, May 15 from 3:00 to 10:00 pm. The event will feature 20 food trucks, in addition to a craft beer and wine booth for adults to enjoy. Details can be found on ILoveTheBurg.com.

 

 

 

Movies in the Park

Preserve the Burg’s Movies in the Park! Thursday, May 20—Join us for Preserve the Burg’s Movies in the Park! Once again this year, the Waterfront Parks Foundation is a Platinum Sponsor for Preserve the Burg’s semi-annual Movies in the Parks, which is held in North Straub Park. Due to COVID-19, the event is back with limited seating so tickets are required this year. The May 20th featured movie is Two Weeks Notice starring Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant. Gates open at 6:15 pm with food and drinks available (you may also bring your own picnic) and live music starts at 7:00. The film begins on the big screen at sunset. Get your tickets and more info from Preserve the ‘Burg, and we’ll see you there! 

Scavenger Hunt 

Hunt The Waterfront Scavenger HuntComing Soon—Watch for the release of WPF’s HUNT THE WATERFRONT Scavenger Hunt. This safe and fun activity will use your smartphone to guide you through our beautiful downtown waterfront parks in a challenging way! The WPF is providing this free event as an engaging and safe way to get to better know and appreciate our beautiful jewels on Tampa Bay. We’ll send a link to our subscribers and post on our Events tab as soon as it’s ready. So, if you aren’t already on our mailing list, be sure to sign up on our Events page

We look forward to seeing you in the Parks! 

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Champagne Shuffle

Our annual event, the “Champagne Shuffle” at the Historic St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club was a tremendous success with 179 in attendance and over 200 tickets sold. Everyone seemed to have a wonderful time just “shuffling“ or competing for prizes. Good food and drink; friends met and friends made. We are grateful to all who supported this event and especially to our major sponsors: Republic Bank, JMC Communities, Hampton Inn, and the Vinoy Renaissance Resort. This will become an annual event for us and we hope you will shuffle on down with us next year. See more highlights and pictures at https://waterfrontparksfoundation.org/2019-champagne-shuffle

 


New Website

Our website, www.waterfrontparksfoundation.org , has just been completely reworked by Communicasting, Inc., with a panoramic videos and interesting photos of our amazing downtown waterfront park system. The website also includes information on our organization, its purpose and activities and showcases each of the downtown waterfront parks, including the location of each and its unique characteristics, as well as information on upcoming activities and news items. We invite you to take a look at our site and hope you enjoy what you see. 

 


Matching Grant

I wanted to share with you some terrific news regarding our funding initiative for crafting and implementing land use and zoning changes to protect and preserve our waterfront parks. We have received a generous matching grant from an anonymous donor. These funds will be used to assist us in our effort to provide to the City language that would clean up the land use and zoning codes regarding our Downtown Waterfront Parks. Recently, the law firm of Carlton Fields extended very generous pro bono offer to provide legal representation for this initiative. Of course, there will still be additional legal filing fees, public awareness / marketing communications and other related expenses. Our matching fund donor was thrilled to learn that his donation—and yours—will now further enhance our ability to succeed in our land use and zoning initiatives as well as our overall ability to meet our Mission to Preserve, Protect and Promote our Waterfront Parks. We will be working with Carlton Fields and the City’s Legal and Planning Departments to better clarify the land use categories and zoning regulations regarding what can be developed within the Downtown Waterfront Parks. There are currently four different Land Use categories in the Comprehensive Plan as they relate to the Downtown Waterfront Parks. It also appears there are four different zoning categories, some of which allow for inappropriate development within our Downtown Waterfront Parks. We will be working to provide better protections for the preservation of our amazing Waterfront Parks through this process. 

 


Pier Report

The New St Pete Pier™ and Pier Approach vertical construction is well underway and will be progressing at a rapid pace until its completion in the Spring of 2020. Continued construction updates and images can be found at www.newstpetepier.com

 


Park Use

Our city is becoming increasingly dense each day as buildings rise and more people discover our wonderful city. All this popularity has added pressures on our waterfront parkland. Our Downtown Waterfront Parks have become a place to “exhale” for all of our citizens, away from the bustle of city life. More and more people are discovering the pastoral views of Tampa Bay, shaded walks and venues for a plethora of events for all ages. Our park’s founders could only imagine how popular and important their contribution to our community would become. With your help, we can preserve the precious open views to the Bay and provide appropriate amenities throughout our parks for all our citizens to enjoy.

 

 


Meet Our Board Members - Joan Jaicks

Joan JaicksFor Waterfront Parks Foundation Board Member Joan Jaicks, volunteering for a cause in which she believes is as natural as breathing. Joan was attending a St. Petersburg Women’s Chamber of Commerce meeting back in the 1990s when she heard WPF founder Phil Graham speak on the need for support and beautification of the parks, and she instantly appreciated the importance of preserving the parks. She did whatever she could for the city to help with beautification. Then in 2013, she saw an article in the Tampa Bay Times in which Phil announced the creation of the Downtown Waterfront Parks Foundation. Joan gave her old friend, Phil, a call and offered her support. She has served on the board since its inception. 

Joan moved to St. Petersburg as a child and other than her time at Florida State University, she has lived here ever since. Throughout her life, she’s never lived more than a few blocks from Tampa Bay. After college, Joan met her late husband, Don, while working in retail at the former Maas Brothers Department Store. She took time off work to raise their two children, and then returned to work for the Pinellas County Tax Collector where she spent the bulk of her career. She then took a part-time position as Information Specialist for the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce where she spent 20 years on “the front lines,” dealing with the public at the Chamber’s main office and at the St. Petersburg Pier. She officially retired from “paid work” in 2010. 

But she certainly didn’t stop working to improve her beloved city. In addition to her involvement with WPF, Joan has contributed countless volunteer hours as an active member of many local service organizations, including the St. Petersburg Woman’s Club, the Women’s Chamber of Commerce, and the Florida Orchestra Guild. She has also volunteered for many years at St. Anthony’s Hospital and she assists annually at the City of St. Petersburg Green Thumb Festival. “If I can do something to help people or keep this city as beautiful as it is, why not?” says Joan. Of her work for the Waterfront Parks Foundation, Joan says, “I think we have the most beautiful waterfront in the country, and I think more people should take advantage of it.” 

Her commitment to service has not gone unnoticed. In the mid-2000s, Joan was appointed to the City Beautiful Commission, a group that works for the City of St. Petersburg to enhance and safeguard the beauty of our natural resources and city landscape. She served on the Commission for six years. In 2007, she was inducted into the St. Petersburg Senior Hall of Fame and she also was awarded the Keys to the City. in 2010, Joan was chosen as the 2010 Queen of Hearts.  In 2015, Joan was given the Elva Rouse City Beautification Award. In 2017, the St. Anthony’s Hospital Foundation presented Joan with the Helen D. Roberts Philanthropy Award.  

When describing the past year’s work with the Women’s Chamber of Commerce, Joan remarks, “I’m so proud that the Women’s Chamber chose the Waterfront Parks Foundation was one of the recipients of our annual fundraiser, which then helped contribute to the recent WPF Matching Funds Campaign.”  

Certainly, this board is proud to have Joan Jaicks serve as a board member of the Waterfront Parks Foundation.  


See you in the park!

Phil Graham, Jr., President

Waterfront Parks Foundation

 

Message From Our President

Holiday Decorations at Pioneer ParkI wish you all a wonderful holiday season and we all look forward to a happy and prosperous New Year.

The Foundation has celebrated a successful year in the preservation, protection and promotion of our amazing waterfront parks. Our annual Champagne Shuffle event was a great success; we raised matching grant funds for the crafting of land use and zoning changes to clarify conflicting regulations; our website has been completely restructured and we are now visible on all social media platforms; and we have made several community presentations on the future of our waterfront park system.

The new year promises to include the completion of many new and ongoing projects of the Foundation. Through the generosity of donors, special projects will be initiated: design and installation of a prototypical swing, floral plantings at high focal areas of the park system, relocation/removal of unnecessary utilities, review and refurbishment of benches and trash receptacles, review of signage within the parks, enhancement of accent and pedestrian lighting, and development of a community speakers team.

All of these projects cannot be accomplished without the help of the community—both financially and physically. To accomplish the physical needs of these tasks, the Board has initiated an invitation to our community members who are passionate about our waterfront parks to join one or more of our service committees. A brief description of these committees is published within the current Park Views, with a more thorough descriptions on the Volunteer page of the website. The Waterfront Parks Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and as such, cannot have “members” other than Board members. While our Board members work hard to accomplish the Foundation’s Mission, we have many more projects than we can accomplish alone. I ask you to review the list of the Foundation Committees and select one or more that you would like to help with. The Foundation is grateful and considerate of each volunteer’s time and will limit participation only to what is necessary to achieve the committee’s objectives.

2020 promises to be an exciting and fruitful year for the Waterfront Parks Foundation and we look forward to the participation of our community to help us Protect, Preserve and Promote our treasured Waterfront Parks.

Thank you and Happy Holidays,

Phil Graham, Jr.
President
Waterfront Parks Foundation


 

Meet Our Board Members - New WPF Vice President Logan DeVicente

Logan DeVicenteOne of the newer members of the WPF wasted no time in committing his time and talent in a big way! Logan DeVicente, who joined the WPF Board in 2018, now serves on the WPF Executive Committee as Vice President. He joins Founder and President Phil Graham, Jr., Secretary Charles Osterholt and Treasurer Tami Simms. 

Logan’s history in St. Petersburg—and his commitment to our waterfront parks--runs deep.  “I am a fifth-generation native who has always been interested in family history. The more I learned, the more I appreciated the families who were dedicated in making St. Petersburg such a unique and charming city.” Logan’s great-great-grandfather, William Lincoln Straub, led the effort to preserve and protect our public waterfront system. (See the website for the Winter 2018 edition of this newsletter to read WPF member Will Michael’s story on William L. Straub.)  

Although Logan’s mother’s family were early settlers, his distinct last name comes straight from Spain. “When my mom was young, she went to Spain and taught English to native Spanish speakers. My father was one of her students, and their love story began there.” When she returned home, Logan’s father accompanied her, and they started their life together in St. Petersburg. 

Logan’s wife, Natalie, grew up in Gulfport and they both graduated from St. Petersburg High School. They are the proud parents of Harper, 7, Lily, 5 and Landon, 18 months. A Certified Financial Planner who specializes in financial planning for families, Logan has worked in the industry for 15 years. He attended University of Florida where he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. In addition to his service to WPF, Logan serves on the Boards of Great Explorations Children’s Museum, Pioneer Park and the First Flight Foundation. Prior to joining WPF, he spent seven years on the Board of Preserve the ’Burg.  

On joining WPF, Logan comments, “I believe that our waterfront park system is the gem of the city. It is something that so many people cherish and it’s a big part of what attracts them to our lovely city. I feel that these parks need to be protected and cared for so that they can be enjoyed by as many people as possible. I want to help WPF be a voice for the protection and beautification of our waterfront parks.”

Join us in welcoming Logan to our team.


Marketing Committee Sets the Pace 

Waterfront Parks Website ScreenshotAs the Waterfront Parks Foundation gears up for a productive 2020, our efforts have been enhanced by the earnest labors of the WPF Marketing Committee. 

As you can see, our recently revamped website at www.waterfrontparksfoundation.org continues to evolve in the best way, with new videos and additional images featuring the unique aspects of each of the waterfront parks. Be sure to check back regularly for new views of the parks. 

Our revamped Facebook page debuted in September with an initial promotion for our Preserve the ’Burg’s October “Movies in the Park” sponsorship. This sponsorship resulted in some unexpected exposure thanks to a special substitution on October 10th, when the event featured the Tampa Bay Rays vs. Houston Astros in the post-season playoff Game 5. The event’s enthusiastic turnout that evening provided terrific publicity for our WPF sponsorship efforts. 

Our Marketing Committee members are now busy supporting the Champagne Shuffle Committee to enhance the marketing, promotional and communications efforts for WPF's signature event, the 3rd Annual Champagne Shuffle, which is scheduled for Sunday, April 5, 2020. It promises to be another fun-filled event with friends and families from all over St. Pete! 


WPF Committee Members Wanted

WPF Committee VolunteersLet’s make 2020 the WPF Year for Action! With your help, we can really make a difference by supporting the WPF’ efforts to preserve, protect and promote our waterfront parks. 

Volunteers are sought for each of the committees described herein. Please study these brief overviews and find a committee or two where you feel you can make a difference, then follow the link to the Committees page on our website which provides a more thorough description of each committee. Then—and this is essential—SIGN UP to join the committee of your choice! The more hands, the lighter the load, so invite your friends to sign up too. Together, we can work with the City to make our waterfront parklands the best they can be! 

1-A LAND USE & ZONING / MODIFICATIONS COMMITTEE—This committee needs members with some knowledge of municipal codes and zoning, as members will coordinate and review land use revisions to the Downtown Waterfront Parks prepared by our attorneys, Carlton Fields. 

1-B LAND USE & ZONING / ELECTRICAL, WATER AND OTHER UTILITY STRUCTURES—If you are familiar with power distribution, we need you! This committee needs at least four volunteers who will meet with the head of the City Parks and Water Departments and Duke Energy representatives to review the viability, location and size of their related facilities, many of which are now unnecessary or abandoned and clutter the park views with unnecessary structures, pipes, etc. Other utilities that need review include phone, gas, fiber optics and cable. 

2-A SPECIAL PROJECTS / BENCHES & RECEPTACLES—Our park benches are in constant need of refurbishing! The WPF is working on a long-term solution to this ongoing and expensive problem. Committee members will work with the City Parks Department to research sustainable materials and methods for refurbishment of the 350+ benches in need of improvement or provide information for a design to use as a new standard park bench. Another task includes reviewing/adding to placement of benches and waste receptacles. Two to three members are welcome. 

2-B SPECIAL PROJECTS / SIGNAGE—This committee would work with the City Parks Department in the design and selection of regulatory, informational and identification signage standards for the parks. The committee would create a list of the signs required; coordinate conceptual design and location with the contractor doing the Pier signage; select appropriate family of signage from the concepts; request pricing; and work with the City Staff for approvals and implementation. Three to four members needed. 

2-C SPECIAL PROJECTS / FLORAL PLANTINGS—Gardeners welcome! A generous donor has offered to fund floral enhancements for selected areas of the park system. Committee members would assist in the selection of plant materials for these high-visibility areas which would be planted three times a year. Two to four volunteers are welcome.

2-D SPECIAL PROJECTS / SWING—We have developed a prototype swing to be erected in some areas of the waterfront parks. This committee work is already in progress, but one or two additional volunteers would be welcome to help provide input and coordination with the City.

2-E SPECIAL PROJECTS / LIGHTING—This committee will assist in the expansion of the City’s recent replacement of the Tivoli lights in the trees in Straub Park with up lights within the tree canopies. Our goal (with the financial support of a procured donor) is to expand the lighting to other areas of the waterfront park system in need of additional illumination, including lighting of the primary park signage. This committee would also look at the current light type, coverage and location of light poles within the parks. This committee needs four to five members.

2-F SPECIAL PROJECTS / MAINTENANCE—These members would act as “watch dogs” and would work with the City Parks Department, bringing attention to areas or elements of disrepair, degradation or other maintenance needs within our waterfront parks. Members might also assist with light physical maintenance of the parks to keep them looking their best.

3-A SPECIAL EVENTS / CHAMPAGNE SHUFFLE—This committee already is at work coordinating our annual fundraising event, which takes place at the St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club. Additional volunteers are welcome to assist with this event. 

3-B SPECIAL EVENTS/CIVIC PARTICIPATION—Committee members would act as volunteers at various community festivals and events such as the Green Thumb Festival, Wine & Food Festival, Earth Day, etc. Activities might include staffing tables, collecting names/emails of interested visitors, passing out literature, etc. Two to five members are welcome.

4-A MARKETING & COMMUNITY OUTREACH / ADVOCACY—Members of this committee will assist in the preservation, maintenance and appropriate enhancements of the waterfront park system. This would be accomplished by supporting the Foundation’s advocacy of the parks, promoting our Mission throughout the community, and building a lasting working relationship with the City Administration, City Staff and City Council members. Two to four members are welcome.

4-B MARKETING & COMMUNITY OUTREACH / SPEAKERS TEAM—Public speakers, here’s your opportunity: we need committee members willing to make presentations to residential, business, community and other interested groups on the Mission of the Waterfront Parks Foundation to develop an understanding of our purpose, encourage volunteers, provide opportunities for fundraising and build support for the preservation of our waterfront park system throughout the community (presentation training and materials will be provided). Two to four members are welcome.

Please consider what committee(s) which you would like to participate and complete the form below. We also encourage you to share this information with your family, friends and associates and invite them to participate with you. 

See more detailed descriptions and a volunteer registration form at www.waterfrontparksfoundation.org/volunteer

 


Save The Date

Champagne ShuffleGet your group together and mark your calendars for our WPF annual fundraiser, Champagne Shuffle, which takes place on Sunday, April 5, 3:00–6:00 pm at the historic St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club. The event gets bigger and better every year! In addition to the complimentary glass of bubbly, appetizers and our round robin shuffleboard competition, this year’s event will include a raffle table with plenty of great prizes. It’s a fun afternoon for all ages and a great way to support our downtown waterfront parks. 

Tickets are $20 if you reserve early; $25 day of event and will be available online after the first of the year. Check our Event Page on Facebook for more details. 


 

A Salute to our Board of Trustees

It has been eight years since the inception of the Downtown Waterfront Parks Foundation (WPF). The organization has worked diligently over this period to "Preserve, Protect, and Promote" St. Petersburg’s amazing waterfront parks. Our success as an organization has been made possible through the generosity of our supporters and the unwavering commitment to the Foundation’s Mission by our Board of Trustees. I’d like to take this opportunity to publicly thank the WPF Board members for the time, talent and treasure they have each afforded to the community through their service to the Foundation. 

The Waterfront Parks Foundation began in 2012 with two boards: the Board of Trustees and an Advisory Board. The Board of Trustees was the governing Board that guided policy for the organization and was comprised of men and women passionate about the preservation and protection of the privately-funded gift of the waterfront parks, by our City founders, for the benefit of all of St. Petersburg. The Trustee Board was made up of myself, as President; Charles Osterholt, Secretary; Tami Simms, Treasurer; and Board members Kent Lydecker, Ph.D., Robert Lovejoy, Joan Jaicks, Peter Betzer, Ph.D., Doug Fischer, Ed Montanari, Will Michaels, Ph.D., Don Howe and Marty Wallace.  Joel Giles, Esq. provided pro bono legal services for the WPF formation. Later Board members were Mike Cheezem, John Bowman, Helen Levine, Ph.D., David Feaster, Velva Lee Heraty, Karen Brown Dunlap, Ph.D. and Jesse Perez. The first Advisory Board was made up of like-minded community stakeholders and leaders that included the Foundation officers, and members Robert Carter, Tim Clemmons, Philip Graham IV, Mack Hicks, PhD., Sherry McBee, Ed Montanari, Peter Belmont, Esq. and Matt Shapiro. In 2016 we joined the two boards into one Board of Trustees. The current Board is comprised of officers Phil Graham, Charles Osterholt, Tami Simms and Logan DeVicente, Vice President, who make up the Executive Committee; and members Peter Betzer, Ph.D.; Robert Carter; Colleen Crutchfield; Bill Dahl; JP Fatseas; Doug Fisher; David Fischer; Harvey Ford, Esq.; Philip Graham IV; Patti Helton, Ph.D.; Mack Hicks, Ph.D.; Don Howe; Joan Jaicks; W. Richard Johnston; Will Michaels, Ph.D.; Sally Poynter; Ross Preville; and Robert Ulrich, Esq.  Mike Jefferis, Parks & Recreation Administrator and Councilman Ed Montanari are Ex-Officio members and Therese Johnson is our Executive Administrator. 

These dedicated volunteers represent the BEST of St. Petersburg and provide leadership in other areas of our community as well. We are most fortunate to have these individuals guiding the policy and performance of our organization. I am grateful for their contributions toward the preservation, protection and promotion of our amazing Downtown Waterfront Parks!  Thank you, Board Members, Past and Present! 

Phil Graham, Jr.
President
Waterfront Parks Foundation


 

Meet Our Board Members—Peter R. Betzer, PhD

Peter R. Betzer, PhDBoard Member Peter Betzer has served on the Waterfront Parks Foundation since its inception, and he brings a valuable wealth of knowledge and experience to the board. Peter and his wife, Susan Beers Betzer, MD, moved to St. Petersburg in 1971, soon after he earned his PhD in chemical oceanography from the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography. He joined the faculty of the University of South Florida’s Department of Marine Science, where he served until retiring in 2008. During his tenure there, Dr. Betzer served as Founding Dean and Professor of USF’S College of Marine Science. “It was exciting to play a key part in converting an industrial backwater into the largest marine research complex (www.spoceanteam.org) in the southeastern United States,” he remarks. “I am especially proud of the donations ($10 million) I solicited that endowed 18 student fellowships during the 25 years I led (Department Chair/Dean) the College of Marine Science.”

The author of over 60 scientific publications in journals and books, Dr. Betzer was a co-recipient of a Distinguished Authorship Award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in 1985. From 1986-89 and again from 1995-99, he was appointed to the Ocean Sciences Advisory Panel for The National Science Foundation. 

After retiring from USF, Peter was appointed CEO of the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership, a group that has been pivotal to the emergence of St. Petersburg, Florida as an internationally prominent center for marine research. After retiring from the Partnership in 2017, he was appointed to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Sea Grant Advisory Board which oversees Sea Grant Programs in 33 university systems.

In addition to Peter’s illustrious career in oceanography, he also immersed himself—quite literally—in the waters at North Shore Aquatics Center, where he joined the St. Petersburg Master’s team in 1973 and over the next 47 years, swam over 25,000 miles with the group! While competing in the 2002 World Championships in Christchurch, New Zealand, his time for the 100-meter breaststroke was the fastest recorded for all U.S. male swimmers in the 60–64-year-old age group. Of this honor, Peter remarks, “I was delighted to become an All American swimmer, something I could have never imagined during my college career.”

He has also made time for extensive public service, donating his energies to the Pier Aquarium, Bayfront Medical Center, Canterbury School of Florida, Ocean Optics, serving as Coach of St. Petersburg High School Swim Team, the Lawrence University Board of Trustees, as a member of the International Relations Committee for the City of St. Petersburg, the Florida Orchestra, the Palladium Chamber Players, and as a member of the Sea Grant Advisory Board.

Peter and Susan raised two daughters in St. Petersburg, Sarah and Katherine, both of whom now live out-of-state. The Betzers enjoy living across the street from Crescent Lake Park in St. Pete. 

Of his service to the WPF, Peter says, “It is immensely satisfying to be part of the Downtown Waterfront Parks Foundation, a group that is working not only to preserve but to enhance some of St. Petersburg’s most beautiful assets. I hope that my active collaboration with the members of the Downtown Waterfront Parks Foundation, with local business leaders and with the city, will help maintain and improve our waterfront parks so they remain a destination for residents and visitors alike.”

 


Tampa Bay Times ArticleWaterfront Parks In The News 

The recent flower bed plantings that took place earlier this month at North Straub and Flora Wiley Parks that were made possible by a generous donation from the Majeed Foundation got us some good coverage by the Tampa Bay Times. 

 
Read Entire Article

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

Park Updates

St Pete Pier 2020The Pier is completed, and our community is discovering its many features. It has been a long time coming and many are pleased with what they see! We are hopeful this project will achieve the intended goals of activating the entire Pier area as an inviting attraction for residents and visitors alike. 

The COVID-19 lock down has been stressful. However, out of hardship can come opportunity! In my visits to the waterfront parks these past months, it is apparent that our community has discovered--or rediscovered--the value of these beautiful open spaces. I am delighted at the numbers of people enjoying our parks, whether walking, biking, exercising, sitting and chatting, contemplating, picnicking, sunbathing, swinging in hammocks, engaging in sports, using the dog park, or just enjoying views of Tampa Bay. The pandemic has been a catalyst for many to get out of their confines and enjoy the benefits of nature and fresh air in our waterfront parks! Our own family got together recently at Flora Wylie Park. We each brought our folding chairs and our snacks, arranged our seating in a large circle and had a wonderful afternoon of fun and laughter. We put a big blanket in the middle of the circle where the youngest could play. There were many other groups in the park that day. We were impressed that everyone spaced themselves a distance from other groups so that we were all comfortable with room to spare.  

How fortunate we are to have this open green space, recreation, and beauty right in our front yard! We continue to be grateful to our founders for their long-range vision and the commitment that benefits us still today. It is the mission of the Waterfront Parks Foundation to continue to preserve and maintain this great treasure. 

More good news; everyone is enjoying the beautiful new flower beds! We will be changing the flowers seasonally as well as adding new flower beds. The funds for these flowers are provided by The Majeed Foundation and we are so very grateful for their generosity and personal commitment to making our Waterfront Parks more beautiful.

The Waterfront Parks Foundation has committees to help us Preserve, Protect and Promote the park system. They include Lighting, Benches, Signage, Floral Projects, Land Use & Zoning, Swings, and Marketing. While the pandemic has limited physical meetings, the committees have worked remotely on issues to ensure our parks are a special experience for all to enjoy long into the future. I gratefully thank the participants on these committees for their dedication to our parks. 

If you would like to serve on any of these committees email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Phil Graham, Jr., President
Waterfront Parks Foundation


The Fruits of Our Visionary Pioneers

St Pete Times Article from 1912Perhaps nothing better reflects the vision and optimism of St. Petersburg’s founders than this 108-year-old newspaper article, which appeared in the St. Petersburg Times on December 14, 1912. According to historian and WPF member, Will Michaels, it was probably written by Times Editor, William L. Straub, who was part-owner and editor of the St. Petersburg Times from 1901 until his death in 1939.

The text of the original article, pictured here, has been transcribed for readers, below. Note that Mayor Abe Pheil also was the passenger on the World’s First Airline which flew from St. Pete to Tampa beginning New Year’s Day 1914. Pheil’s legacy is most well-known for this historic flight. But he also was a strong supporter of the Downtown Waterfront Parks.  (Pheil also was responsible for bringing manufactured gas to St. Petersburg in 1913 as a city-owned utility, giving home cooks a much-desired alternative to cooking over the fireplace!) 

Article Transcript:

Complete!

When, on December 12, 1912, the city council of the Pheil administration, by an [sic] unanimous vote on a formal resolution, officially approved the plan submitted by the Board of Trade for the public recreation buildings and park on the waterfront, the waterfront “dream” plan that first came to The Times and other waterfront boosters a decade ago became an actual fact, complete in all respects. 

A red letter date in St. Petersburg’s history, and the most important and memorable action of this administration, no matter what other praiseworthy work may mark the balance of its term.

In the beginning, when every foot of St. Petersburg’s waterfront was under private ownership, and apparently doomed to be lost to the public, as waterfronts were and are in almost all other waterside cities, and before it was feasible to even suggest all of it, the half-dozen original waterfront boosters in their first meeting agreed upon and have ever since unceasingly worked for this general plan:

First. All the waterfront to be owned by the city for the public’s use

Second. All commercialism to be confined to some one locality, and all the rest to be beautified.

Third. A separate harbor for pleasure boats.

Fourth. A recreation pier and park.

Slowly, one by one, a part at a time, these various features were brought forward, and pushed through. The last became a fact Thursday night, and the whole plan is now complete. The details of actual construction are to follow, but with the plans definitely secure the work is certain.


Making the Waterfront Parks a More Beautiful Place for All

North Straub Park Flower Bed PlantingThere are a number of supporters in our community who help our organization with their time, talent and treasure.  One life-long St. Petersburg resident, who wishes to remain anonymous, loves and enjoys our unique waterfront very much and has supported it quite generously over the years.  To this donor and all our terrific supporters, we say Thank You!  You make our waterfront parks a special destination in St Pete!

Over the past two years, one of the most ardent supporters of the work of the Waterfront Parks Foundation (WPF) has come from the Majeed Foundation. The Majeed Foundation has played a major role in the enhancement of our waterfront park system. In addition to sponsoring WPF’s Annual Champaign Shuffle, the Majeed Foundation has funded the beautiful floral plantings that now grace Flora Wylie Park, Straub Park’s gateway at 4th Avenue NE and Beach Drive, and in locations near the tennis and volleyball courts in North Shore Park. What a beautiful and robust difference the lively, colorful flowers have made to our Waterfront Parks!

The latest floral plantings, which are updated at least twice per year, can be seen in these photos but you must take a trip downtown to experience the sheer delight of it for yourselves.  

The Majeed Foundation has also generously agreed to underwrite the creation of a prototype park swing, which will be installed along the Flora Wylie waterfront trail, for a most relaxing way to enjoy the glorious view of Tampa Bay. If the swing is as well-received as the WPF expects, the Majeed Foundation is interested in helping expand this project, so that more visitors will have an opportunity to take in the sights from the leisurely comfort of an old-fashioned swing.

The members of the Waterfront Parks Foundation are most grateful for the support of this amazing foundation. The Majeed Foundation philosophy is best described on their website (https://www.majeedfoundation.org/):

Here at Majeed Foundation, we are driven by a single goal; to do our part in making the world a better place for all.  We strive to build productive relationships and make a positive impact with all of our pursuits.”

The world and our own waterfront parks are certainly a better place thanks to the vision and gracious generosity of the Majeed Foundation! 

Click here to see additional photos of the latest floral planting.


Meet Our Board Members—Robert L. Ulrich

Robert L. UlrichFor WPF Board Member and former St Petersburg Mayor Bob Ulrich, his service to the Waterfront Parks Foundation is simply an extension of his lifelong history of service to our community. “Our Urban Waterfront was a focal point during our (the City’s) administration from 1987 to 1991 when we adopted three goals, the second of which was to: “preserve our waterfront and permeable open space.” At that time, Mayor Ulrich chaired all Council meetings. “The only time I relinquished the chair was to make a plea before my fellow councilmen and woman, to reject a permit for a building addition to a museum on our urban waterfront. Council passed the resolution anyway, and significant incursions to our former pristine waterfront continue.”

Mayor Ulrich is a Tampa Bay native and graduate of St. Petersburg High School. After earning his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Duke University, where he honed his leadership skills as ROTC Group Commander and President of the Arnold Air Society, he served as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force. His introduction to the Japanese people and culture began while he was stationed in Fukuoka, Kyushu, Japan in the late 1950s. 

Bob and his wife, Barbara, are the proud parents of four children: Lisa, Kurt, Trent and Tricia (all St. Pete residents), eight grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren. 

Following his military service, Bob returned to St. Petersburg and entered Stetson University College of Law, where he earned his J.D. in 1963. He began his legal career as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Florida, and then associated as a partner for two local law firms and as an “of counsel” associate for a third before opening his own practice in 1996, where he continues to practice.   With three associates, he organized the Bank of Florida in 1974 where he later served as its Chairman.

St. Petersburg has long benefited from Bob’s commitment to public service. He chaired the St. Petersburg Arts Commission in the mid-1970s. From 1987 to 1991, Bob served two terms as Mayor of St. Petersburg, during which time he made official visits to the Netherlands and Spain as a member of the Tampa Bay Super Task Force. During those years, Governor Bob Martinez appointed Mayor Ulrich to the Florida Blue Belt Commission, and he was also a member of the Florida League of Cities. Bob, along with Mayor Sandy Friedman of Tampa, created a committee of Florida Mayors from its six largest cities to promote the specific interests of Florida’s largest municipalities, including St. Pete.  During his tenure, Mayor Ulrich stood at the forefront of the City’s implementation of a quarter-billion dollar economic development plan which included annexation of 1100 acres in north St. Petersburg, a $26,000,000 renovation of the Bayfront Center and garage construction (arena and theater of performing arts); a $14,000,000 redevelopment of our municipal pier and the unglamorous, but vital, paving of the last 37 miles of the City’s unpaved streets. That administration also built the $100,000,000, 45,000 seat covered stadium now known as the “Trop”; planned and implemented a six-block $100,000,000 downtown redevelopment project known as Bay Plaza; made concerted efforts to acquire a major league baseball franchise; actively sought the acquisition of a professional hockey franchise; explored the method and feasibility of acquiring a professional basketball franchise with the Charlotte Hornets; filed the application in Kansas City to host the NCAA Basketball finals at the Trop; spurred the $95,000,000 Vinoy resort hotel and golf course redevelopment and the $19,000,000 redevelopment of the Hilton hotel.

Bob notes that these ambitious plans were costly to the ad valorem tax payers as our ad valorem tax rate soared to the 9 mill limit and many of our local citizens did not see these efforts in a positive way.  It remains a credit to our tax payers that such plans were ultimately accepted and most of its goals achieved although a number of them subsequent to his administration (e.g. Mayor Dave Fischer’s bringing our major league baseball franchise to the Trop; the north core development of the Bay Plaza Project by our local Ambassador, Mel Sembler; and Mayor Dave’s presiding over the NCAA basketball finals at the Trop, not to mention his planting some 10,000 trees in our city on his watch).

Bob also fostered increased relations with St. Petersburg’s Sister City, Takamatsu, Japan and nurtured business opportunities between St. Petersburg and Japan.   

Bob’s involvement goes far beyond his years as St. Petersburg’s mayor. A partial list of his efforts include serving as chair of St. Petersburg Progress, Inc, St. Petersburg Arts Resource Commission, and the St. Petersburg Area Port Authority. He served as Trustee of the YWCA, the YMCA, Florida Southern College for a decade and continues the role of Trustee at the Salvador Dalí Museum. He served as President and Chair of the Florida Gulf Coast Symphony (now the Florida Orchestra). He served on the board of Visiting Nurses and Homemaker’s Association, and was a long standing member of the Florida Suncoasters, Inc., where he served on its Executive Committee. Bob spearheaded and implemented a business assistance program for the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce’s economic development effort which was later adopted by Pinellas County. He also represented the Dalí Museum in opening the Nippon TV’s exhibit in Fukuoka, Japan. And he has been a member of the Waterfront Parks Foundation since its inception in 2012. 

“My reason for joining the WPF was to become a member of concerned citizens who seek to preserve our waterfront from any significant vertical and horizontal development that doesn’t fall within the definition of ‘green,’” Bob remarks. “My intent is to be a continuing protagonist for this position.”

 

The Downtown Waterfront Parks Newsletter is full of updates for friends of the Waterfront Parks Foundation. It includes information on special events that will be hosted at or by the Downtown Waterfront Parks Foundation, as well as our latest efforts taken to care for the parks.