The St. Petersburg City Council voted unanimously on Thursday to approve the sale of the former St. Petersburg Science Center, clearing the way for its transformation into a reimagined regional hub for innovation, education, and community engagement. The new Science Center will build on the site’s nearly 60-year legacy of inspiring curiosity in STEAM fields. Plans call for the facility to be reborn as a cutting-edge emerging technologies campus with a focus on artificial intelligence (AI). The redeveloped Center is envisioned as a vibrant ecosystem where education, research, creativity, and community intersect, advancing the region’s capacity to lead in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. At its core, the modernized Science Center will serve as a center of excellence for AI, featuring specialized labs, training programs, and new pathways for workforce development. The planned “AI Village” aims to prepare thousands of students annually for future careers, while LaunchAI — a two-story workspace anchored by a sky conference room — is expected to support the launch and growth of early-stage companies.

The State Historic Board today approved the language for the forthcoming Historic Marker that will be display at the Science Center. The Marker honors the previous incarnation of the facility and will be a permanent testament to the impact the SC had on generations of children.

The St Petersburg Foundation has kicked off its capital campaign to bring back a reimagined St Petersburg Science Center. If you're interested in learning how you can support this important community project, please email explore@sciencecenter.ai and someone from the SPF team will reach out.

Sean Williams’ firm Carbon AE has been selected as the SPSC arhitect. The firm has a long history in St Pete, working on many local projects including the Dali museum.

The unique indoor-outdoor event space on the roof of the Science Center will be called The Star Garden. The name speaks to both the rooftop garden and the blanket of stars that attendees will be that much closer to.

After an extensive proposal process, St Pete for STEAM has selected The Sinclair Group to construct the Science Center. Sinclair was chosen for its skill in unique builds as well as its experience with historic restoration. The group also enjoys strong relationships with some of the top craftspeople in Tampa Bay.