Why this top USF official supports the Rays/Hines Gas Plant stadium deal

If you’ve been to Tampa International Airport or driven around the region lately, you’ve probably seen signs promoting the University of South Florida anchored by a simple entreaty: Be bold.

It’s a charge from USF President Rhea Law and our Board of Trustees that our university has adopted, and it reflects the forward-thinking mindset that helped us meet audacious goals such as being invited to join the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU) and climb the ranks of U.S. News and World Report to become a Top 50 public university faster than many thought possible.

Now there’s an opportunity to display bold leadership here in St. Petersburg as we envision the future of Tropicana Field and the surrounding area. We at USF are excited by the Historic Gas Plant District Development proposal put forward by the Tampa Bay Rays and Hines, its global development partner, and stand ready to serve as the academic and research partner for this transformative project.

We see many collaboration opportunities in this 86-acre site that will help us advance our mission as a top research institution and benefit our faculty, staff, students and the community. In addition, it could give USF much-needed space to grow.

There are ongoing discussions between the Rays/Hines and USF about the university having a physical presence on the development site, which would be especially beneficial for USF St. Petersburg, which is less than a mile away and hemmed in by either development or waterfront on all sides. Proximity to Albert Whitted Airport also limits our ability to expand vertically.

The possibilities for world-class educational programming and research are limited only by our collective imaginations. We envision space for medical research and high-fidelity labs for nursing and public health students, just steps away from top hospitals such as Johns Hopkins All Children’s and Orlando Health Bayfront. Beyond the opportunities for shared facilities, there’s also the potential to work together on groundbreaking discoveries and help advance many scientific fields.

What better place for a budding hospitality student to prepare for a career than a planned development anchored by a pavilion-style ballpark that will be home for the Rays and a year-round destination for other events, and that also includes 750 hotel rooms, a concert venue and at least 90,000 square feet (about the area of a Manhattan city block) of conference, ballroom and meeting space?

Other ideas floated by our faculty members include a center for urban ecology, which could inform and influence urban planning and policy decisions to promote sustainable and ecologically sound practices. Or, given the explosion in growth of the arts industry in St. Petersburg, it could house a center focused on research and workforce development related to the creative economy.

As educators, our top priority is helping students succeed and find careers that are meaningful and sustaining to them post-graduation. We’re pleased to see the emphasis on developing and retaining young talent included in the proposal by committing $3.75 million for internships and mentorship/apprentice programs that will lead to job placement during the construction phase, as well as ongoing employment opportunities throughout the operation of the site.

The ancient Roman poet Virgil is credited with saying, “Fortune favors the bold.” As USF has demonstrated, big dreams produce big results. We are energized by the possibilities ahead with the Hines Historic Gas Plant Development proposal. This unprecedented investment in our community will pay dividends for generations to come and we pledge to do everything possible to help ensure its success.

Christian E. Hardigree is the regional chancellor of the St. Petersburg campus of the University of South Florida.