Trust for Public Land secures Booker Creek corridor for trail

Trust for Public Land acquired the Booker Creek rail corridor in St. Petersburg in August. The purchase secures approximately 0.86 miles of former CSX property that cuts diagonally through the downtown area. The organization spent more than 20 years negotiating with the railroad company to preserve the land for public use.

The corridor is intended to become a trail connecting Fifth Avenue N. and First Avenue S. This route would link the Pinellas Trail to the planned 420-mile Florida Gulf Coast Trail. Lindsay Cross, the Florida state director for Trust for Public Land, noted that the diagonal alignment offers a travel advantage over the city's standard grid system. She stated that the segment expedites movement for residents in certain communities.

City officials view the project as a catalyst for economic activity in the adjacent EDGE District. This area contains restaurants, entertainment venues, and small businesses. Mark Ferguson, owner of Ferg’s Sports Bar, has committed $6 million toward the city’s $7 million purchase price. The City Council unanimously approved two 99-year ground lease agreements in July to facilitate this arrangement.

The leases cover portions of the former railroad property that will not be used for the public trail. Ferguson’s business has occupied parts of the site for more than three decades. He told the Catalyst in July that the investment would bring apartments and retail development to the area. He predicted the changes would increase business for the EDGE District, the Trop, and his establishment.

The acquisition process involved multiple stakeholders, including CSX Transportation, Rails to Trails Conservancy, and private partners. Trust for Public Land plans to transfer the property to the city for trail development. The city is responsible for the design and construction phases. A grant request has been submitted to Forward Pinellas, though the specific amount requested has not been confirmed.

The $7 million acquisition cost did not cover construction expenses. Cheryl Stacks, the city’s transportation manager, previously estimated that the trail could take three to five years to complete. Funding for design and construction remains to be identified. The total construction budget has not been finalized.

City officials have pursued this corridor since it appeared in local trail plans in 2003. Negotiations with CSX included litigation after the company agreed to sell the property to another buyer. Evan Mory, the transportation and parking management director, described the property as underutilized during a February City Council meeting. He said the vision for the land has been present in planning documents for over 20 years.

Trust for Public Land marked the acquisition on Nov. 8 with a guided bicycle tour through the Booker Creek corridor and the Historic Gas Plant District. The event included a community conversation at Ferg’s Sports Bar. Cross, a former state representative, recently assumed her current role at the organization. She said she is returning to conservation efforts and outdoor access for residents.

The project proceeds alongside another major trail initiative in St. Petersburg. The City Council recently accepted a $55 million master plan for Trails Crossing. That plan would transform approximately 12 acres beneath Interstate 275 into parks and pathways. Cross stated that these efforts are complementary and aim to make it easier for residents to get around the county and state.