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Josh Solomon - St. Petersburg City Hall Reporter
Josh Solomon

St. Petersburg City Hall Reporter

I cover the city of St. Petersburg — its residents, leaders and issues. The dramatics of Washington and Tallahassee often overshadow the work of local government, but City Hall is where the decisions are made that have the greatest impact on people’s daily lives. It’s my job to keep it interesting so more people stay engaged with their community. I’m also on the Tampa Bay Times’ hurricane team, and have been deployed to report on the aftermaths of three storms: Hermine in 2016, Irma in 2017 and Michael in 2018. I find serenity in following recipes, the more complicated the better. I’m a bourbon fan, an amatuer pizza critic and a Pinellas Trail bike rider. Otherwise I like watching YouTube and talking on the phone. I’m proudly from New Jersey, don’t @ me for it — or do, it won’t matter. I came to the Times in 2014 after graduating from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.

  1. If the Rays replace Tropicana Field, where will fans park?
    5 hours ago• St. Petersburg
    The acres of surface parking lot surrounding Tropicana Field will disappear in a new development. Stadium parking could be reduced.
  2. Kriseman, council member clash over maskless photos at Rays game
    Apr. 17• St. Petersburg
    St. Petersburg City Council member Robert Blackmon, left, and Mayor Rick Kriseman, right, got into it over being photographed maskless at the Tampa Bay Rays' April 9 home opener. Trop rules require patrons to weak masks at all times, save for eating or drinking in their seats.
  3. With Rays’ fate uncertain, St. Petersburg City Council vies to halt Trop project
    Apr. 15• St. Petersburg
    Tampa Bay Rays principal owner Stu Sternberg, right, and president Matt Silverman, left, presented to St. Petersburg City Council on Thursday, pitching a new stadium on the Trop site as part of their sister-city concept.
  5. Kriseman hires Trop project consultant without City Council approval
    Apr. 14• St. Petersburg
    Kriseman hired HR&A Advisors to help city officials weigh the four remaining Trop project proposals and negotiate with the chosen developer.
  6. St. Pete Pride back on in 2021 after COVID cancellation last year
    Apr. 12• St. Petersburg
    After a hiatus in 2020 due to the pandemic, St. Pete Pride is back this summer, albeit without its signature parade. [MARTHA ASENCIO RHINE | Times (2018)]
  7. Vacant plot on St. Petersburg’s historic Black corridor moves closer to construction
    Apr. 9• St. Petersburg
    The site formerly known as Commerce Park along 22nd Street Smay now yield townhomes and commercial space.
  8. Tropicana Field finalists make their pitches to St. Petersburg residents
    Apr. 6• St. Petersburg
    The four shortlisted development companies made their pitch to the public during a virtual listening session on Monday.
  9. Rays decline to weigh in on four Tropicana Field redevelopment finalists, Kriseman says
    Apr. 1• St. Petersburg
    The Rays declined to offer their opinion on the four shortlisted proposals to redevelop the 86-acre Tropicana Field site.
  10. How St. Petersburg’s Tropicana Field pitches stack up on parks, homes, history
    Apr. 1• St. Petersburg
    Four developers are vying to revision the 86-acre Tropicana Field site, bound generally by Interstate 275 to the west (foreground), Interstate 175 to the south (right), First Avenue S to the north and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street to the east.
  11. Shooter in custody in Everglades National Park
    Mar. 29• Florida
    A man who opened fire on park rangers in Everglades National Park was taken into custody Sunday night.
  12. St. Petersburg City Council cancels Thursday’s meeting over COVID-19 exposure
    Mar. 28• St. Petersburg
    Plexiglass dividers shield St. Petersburg City Council members from each other on the dais. This Thursday's council meeting was canceled due to possible exposure at City Hall to COVID-19.
  13. Search begins for grave sites at Tropicana Field parking lots in St. Petersburg
    Mar. 26• St. Petersburg
    Rebecca O’Sullivan, the senior archaeologist at Cardno, uses ground-penetrating radar to take an initial scan for unmarked graves under a section of land at a Tropicana Field parking lot on March 26. The work is expected to take some time, including the use of more sophisticated radar technology next week,
  14. In Tropicana Field debate, St. Petersburg City Council asks: Where are the Rays?
    Mar. 25• St. Petersburg
    St. Petersburg City Council members hold a meeting on March 25 to address the redevelopment effort at Tropicana Field and the negotiations with the Tampa Bay Rays.
  15. Did a developer imply the local NAACP backed its Tropicana Field plan?
    Mar. 23• St. Petersburg
    This screengrab from a video by Sugar Hill Community Partners and JMA Ventures identifies Esther Eugene as the president of the St. Petersburg Branch of the NAACP, speaking in support of the developers' $3 billion proposal to redevelop the city'sTropicana Field site. Eugene said she was speaking on her own behalf as a local businesswoman, not as an NAACP leader. She said Sugar Hill misidentified her in their video, lending the false impression that the NAACP was endorsing their proposal, which she said is not the case.
  16. Watch: Tropicana Field development bidders share video visions of St. Petersburg
    Mar. 22• Business
    This screengrab from a video by Sugar Hill Community Partners and JMA Ventures shows a proposed new stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays, part of their $3 billion proposal to redevelop St. Petersburg's Tropicana Field site. The four development teams shortlisted for the site submitted video versions of their proposals that will be used as the city nears the public comment phase of the Trop redevelopment process.
  17. USF Health named regional headquarters of Global Virus Network
    Mar. 19• Health
    USF Health was named the southeastern headquarters for the Global Virus Network.
  18. Local players retain influence under St. Petersburg’s campaign finance rules
    Feb. 24• St. Petersburg
    City Council member and mayoral candidate Darden Rice, who championed the city's 2017 campaign finance ordinance, has still managed to raise a large sum of money for her political committee, Friends of Darden Rice.
  19. Kriseman, Fried push back on DeSantis call to lower flags for Rush Limbaugh
    Feb. 22• The Buzz on Florida Politics
    St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman.
  20. St. Petersburg selects proposal for downtown municipal building
    Feb. 19• St. Petersburg
    St. Petersburg officials chose a partnership between Third Lake Partners and Echelon to purchase and redevelop the existing Municipal Services Center on Central Avenue and Fourth Street and build a new one several blocks away.
  21. Rick Kriseman calls out Tampa Bay Rays in final St. Pete address
    Feb. 19• St. Petersburg
    St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman, seen here before Tropicana Field last month, gave his final State of the City address on Friday.
  22. St. Petersburg and Pinellas seek consultant to negotiate with Rays
    Feb. 18• St. Petersburg
    St. Petersburg is looking to hire a consultant to help it negotiate with the Tampa Bay Rays.
  23. After 50 cent Super Bowl led to eviction, aviation company owner speaks out
    Feb. 13• St. Petersburg
    A screenshot of the promotional flier for the Feb. 5 Super Bowl party featuring 50 Cent, posted to the Instagram page of Tampa's DJ Fresh.
  24. After 50 Cent party, St. Petersburg revokes aviation company’s lease
    Feb. 10• St. Petersburg
    Mayor Rick Kriseman tweeted his displeasure over the lack of precautions taken at a crowded Friday night Super Bowl party hosted by rapper 50 Center in a hanger at Albert Whitted Airport. City officials say they're investigating the incident.