A new documentary highlights St. Petersburg’s former Black neighborhood destroyed for Tropicana Field

Before there was Tropicana Field and its surrounding acres of asphalt, there was the Gas Plant Neighborhood in St. Petersburg.

Now, there’s a new documentary shining a light on the primarily Black neighborhood destroyed to make room for the baseball stadium. 

Razed is a documentary that shares firsthand memories and history of the formerly vibrant Gas Plant neighborhood. 

It’s a film that former Gas Plant resident Andrew Walker hopes will set the record straight for an area unfairly labeled as a slum.

“I had someone say to me that, yeah, you live in a better community now, quote unquote. But the community that I experienced as a youth, moving around, those are invaluable experiences. And there’s so much more to the story than what’s on the surface,” Walker told WMNF.

The idea for the film came after Filmmakers Andrew Lee and Tara Segall were hired to record some video interviews at a reunion event for Gas Plant residents.

 And after talking to former residents, they could tell there was more to the story. 

So they embarked on three years of research, talking to local historians, and interviewing community members about the demolished neighborhood.  

All leading up to the premiere of “Razed” in St. Petersburg in late February, shown to a crowd including St. Pete’s first black mayor Ken Welch, Tampa Bay Rays representatives, and former residents of the area. 

“Several of the residents, you know, who were there at the premiere told us that this was the first time in their lives that they’ve ever felt seen and heard. So for us to hear that, it just meant the world and it was an amazing experience for us as well,” Lee told WMNF.

Segall said she hopes the film can tell a collective history about a land many have forgotten. 

“It’s easy to think about history as something that is in the past. But the fact of the matter is lot of the people who are affected by the razing of the Gas Plant neighborhood still live in St. Pete, they still live in these neighborhoods,” Seagall said.

Seagall also said the film changed her view of urban development.

“I think when we talk about progress, when we talk about redevelopment, its always framed in a positive light. This is what’s best for the city. This is what’s best for all of us. And I think it really highlights a lot of times that’s not actually the case. There is a sacrifice on the other side of progress,” Seagall added.

The current area is still a topic of discussion, with a multi-billion-dollar new stadium and restoration project still up in the air.

 Andrew Walker said he hopes the area will get the justice it deserves.

“Despite what happens with the Rays, and the baseball redevelopment project, the community that was displaced and disrupted deserves a redevelopment plan no matter what,”  Walker said.

For information on upcoming screenings, visit the film’s site here.