Ambitious plans to revitalize an underserved corridor in the MLK business district in south St. Petersburg are already moving forward with an expanded mission and new partners.
Local developer John Barkett and his wife Julie have rebranded a community garden, secured several tenants and will now open a Tech & Innovation Hub sponsored by ARK Invest. They also formed a community focus group of South St. Pete residents to guide the comprehensive adaptive reuse project, which was unveiled in late August.
The Looking Glass Initiative includes several long-neglected properties along the 900 and 1000 blocks of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street South. The couple, who are self-funding initial redevelopment work, said discussions with two local hospitals to bring health and education facilities to the neighborhood were “well underway”.
“This needs to be a permanent solution,” Julie Barkett said catalyst. “And with it For it to be so, it must be designed by the community for the community. We’re just a connection.”
The overarching goal of the non-displacement initiative is to create a thriving, inclusive and self-sustaining destination that reflects the neighborhood's identity, needs and culture. Barkett, co-founder of The Looking Glass, will also serve CEO of the new Healthy Roots Garden & Community Center.
The Looking Glass Initiative will cover the 900 and 1000 blocks (both sides) of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street South.
She renamed the previously announced Wonderland Garden concept to embody a holistic approach to addressing the root causes of community health and economic inequities. Healthy Roots Garden & Community Center now offers:
- A food farmacy and produce stand with fresh, affordable produce and groceries.
- A home garden network supported by a master gardener and peer mentors, empowering families to grow food at home.
- A technology and innovation center to strengthen STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) presence, digital literacy and workforce readiness resources.
- A community center with a teaching kitchen, exercise room, clinical exam rooms and health education.
“When we started this, we heard that this was a grocery store problem in South St. Pete and its food desert,” Barkett explained. “But once I started looking into it, I realized it was much deeper than just a grocery store problem.”
She said their plan seemed wrong a decade after the couple first saw the run-down mall. Barkett also noted, “There’s a lot really smart People in this city” who have struggled to address the region’s persistent health and nutrition inequities.
“They are broken systems,” she added. “I realized it's time for a change. It's time to change the broken systems.”
The Barketts believe that combining economic revitalization with food access, preventive health and resident-informed development will create a comprehensive ecosystem that creates well-being and prosperity. “Money circulates within the community, resources circulate within the community and food comes from the community itself,” Julie said.
The Looking Glass Initiative will reinvent several neglected buildings and properties. Image provided.
Barkett noted that technology and innovation hubs typically exist in wealthier areas, and ARK Invest is one of the best-known names in these industries. “Why shouldn’t we see it here too?” she said.
The community focus group is “probably the most important thing we do,” Barkett said. Participants will use their lived experiences to set program priorities, identify obstacles, and help determine what constitutes success.
“When we look at systems change and paradigm shifts, it's not going to come from outside,” Barkett explained. “I assume I know what the community needs, but this probably won’t be the right thing.
“Will it help? Will it meet today's needs? Most likely yes.” But Is It go To surcharge long-term change? Probably not.”
The redevelopment's commercial space will be dedicated to local and Black-owned small businesses, including Sober Roots Hair Products & Salon. Other confirmed tenants include CodeWiz, which offers STEM education for children, and a neighborhood bookstore.
A planned community café is intended to serve as an inviting “third place” for conversations, contacts and creativity. There are still several spaces available for rent.
“John and I understand our investment in a historically black neighborhood and the responsibility that comes with that,” Julie said of her desire to promote African American entrepreneurship and generational wealth.
Several retail spaces remain available for lease, and the Barketts will prioritize Black-owned businesses. (rendering)
Improvements to the property include a large shaded outdoor meeting area, a “contemporary facade restoration,” landscaping, expanded parking and bike racks And a shared courtyard for gatherings, murals and community events.
The Looking Glass Initiative also hopes to improve micromobility and neighborhood connectivity along the MLK corridor by introducing e-bike and scooter access, advocating for a new push-button crosswalk, and working with the South St. Pete Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) to improve sidewalks and street lighting.
The Barketts hope to establish a successful model that they can replicate in other areas once the community owns the initiative. Although they have applied for CRA funding, the couple hopes community foundations and partners will also help support the Looking Glass Initiative.
“I will make sure of that is maintained “We will do our best,” Julie promised. “And I really want the community center to feel like a hope for the future. That the future has arrived and is theirs.”