Chris Ballestra

Race week in St. Pete gets City Council’s green flag

Published on March 3, 2016 in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by Janelle Irwin

St. Pete City Council approves Race Week 2016 for the March 10-13 Grand Prix in downtown. Chris Ballestra, the city’s managing director of development coordination, touted the race as an “off the charts” opportunity for the city. “There’s a staggering economic impact,” Ballestra said noting the $40 million impact and $5 million in direct impact. “We don’t have anything that compares.” The event draws more than 1.5 million TV viewers across a number of stations worldwide. It will be broadcast…

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Rick Kriseman next stop for 3 groups vying to run new Pier

Published on January 12, 2016 in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by Janelle Irwin

Three teams made their cases Tuesday before a committee of St. Pete staff leaders and selected city residents to run the city’s new Pier. The team chosen will be in charge of management and operation of the Pier, Pier approach and the inclusive Pier district that runs up to Beach Drive. The three teams who presented at the city’s water resources department facility were Philadelphia-based Spectra Venue Management, Clearwater’s Colliers International and St. Pete’s own locally based Skyway One. The…

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Grand Prix to race in St. Pete through 2020

Published on November 12, 2015 in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by Janelle Irwin

The St. Pete Grand Prix got the green flag to race in downtown until 2020. The original deal would have expired in 2017. Chris Ballestra, the city’s managing director of development coordination, told City Council the administration had negotiated with the company Green Savoree to secure an updated contract that allows the Indy Car race to continue in St. Pete while still protecting residents and the city’s interests. The new deal includes about an extra $350,000 in benefits to the…

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Times reporter fails to mention letter from top Pier activist

Published on April 9, 2015 in The Bay and the 'Burg/Top Headlines by Janelle Irwin

One of the fiercest critics of the Pier process wrote Tampa Bay Times Pier reporter Waveney Ann Moore a passionate (and rather long-winded) letter late last month laying down the argument that the Kriseman administration has flopped on its handling of the process. Tom Lambdon is with the group Vote on the Pier. He headed a petition effort to kill the Lens in 2013 and is now spearheading another to force development decisions on St. Pete’s downtown waterfront to be…

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