Good morning. Fun fact: It's officially been cold enough this week that Floridians have been spotted wearing actual jackets. Not hoodies—actual jackets. This is basically an ice age for us. Meanwhile, someone in Florida recently spent $50,000 on a pet monkey, only to find out it's illegal to own one here. At least your impulse purchases are probably less exotic."

So remember how the city opened up a 30-day window for developers to pitch proposals for the Historic Gas Plant District? Well, the teams are assembling like it's the NFL draft, except instead of quarterbacks, they're recruiting construction firms and housing authorities.

Ark Ellison Horus just rolled out their dream team roster, according to TBN Weekly. They've partnered with Moss (construction), Jacobs (architecture and engineering), and Kimley-Horn (planning), plus they've got letters of intent from the Pinellas County Housing Authority, St. Pete Housing Authority, and Evara Health. Their pitch? A $6.8 billion vision for the redevelopment. (Yes, with a B.)

Not to be outdone, Blake Investment Partners announced they're teaming up with Blue Sky Communities—the local affordable housing developer behind Skyway Lofts and Bear Creek Commons. Thompson Whitney Blake (the guy who offered $260 million in cash to buy the whole site back in March) says Blue Sky will handle all affordable and workforce housing both on-site and off-site across the city. They're already identifying properties in five submarkets to start building within the next decade.

And lurking in the wings? New York billionaire John Catsimatidis (the guy behind Residences at 400 Central, our tallest tower) and Kolter Group. They asked the city to extend the timeline, and as of January 12, Kolter told the Tampa Bay Times they were still "discussing it internally." Translation: they're either all-in or they're not, and nobody knows yet.

The Pinellas County Housing Authority even submitted its own separate proposal to build a senior housing tower on Lot 3. Everyone wants a piece of this.

The kicker? Proposals are due February 3 at 10 a.m., and this is already the city's third attempt at redeveloping the Gas Plant in recent years. The first two... didn't go great. So there's that.

Bottom line: St. Pete is about to pick a developer for the biggest project in the city's modern history, and it's getting messy. The teams are stacked, the dollar figures are absurd, and if you live in Campbell Park, you've probably already sat through at least one tense neighborhood meeting about it.

The Rays did what the Rays do best on Friday: made a trade that has everyone either nodding knowingly or scratching their heads. They sent outfielder Josh Lowe to the Angels in a three-team deal and got back second baseman Gavin Lux from the Reds, plus pitching prospect Chris Clark.

Lowe had a breakout 2023 season (130 wRC+, 3.4 WAR), but injuries derailed him in 2024 and 2025—he missed over 100 games combined thanks to oblique issues. Lux, meanwhile, tore his ACL in 2023 spring training right when he was about to take over shortstop for the Dodgers, then had a decent 2024 before getting traded to Cincinnati. Last season with the Reds? He was solid against righties (111 wRC+) but brutal against lefties (33 wRC+).

Both players are first-round picks from the 2016 draft. Both are in their late 20s. Both have underperformed expectations. It's basically a "change of scenery" swap with upside for both sides, though Lux will make just over $5 million in his final year of his rookie contract. The Rays needed a second baseman; they had too many left-handed outfielders. Math checks out.

In better news for the home team: the Rays announced that Tropicana Field will reopen for the April 6 home opener after roof repairs were completed ahead of schedule. And if you want to get hyped early, Fan Fest is scheduled for February 14 near the Trop.

Tampa Bay Times has more on the trade and what this means for the Rays' infield situation heading into 2026.

Bottom line: The Rays made a roster tweak that makes sense on paper and costs them basically nothing. Whether Lux rediscovers his 2022 form or continues to struggle against lefties remains to be seen. Either way, welcome to Tampa Bay, Gavin. See you at the Trop in April.

North Florida spent yesterday prepping for possible snow—yes, snow, in Florida, again—and while we're not getting anything that dramatic down here in Pinellas, we're definitely feeling the cold front.

Saturday saw temps in the 60s and 70s statewide, but overnight rain is bringing a cooldown. According to the Florida Division of Emergency Management, scattered to widespread showers hit the Panhandle and Big Bend yesterday, with a chance of wet snow mixing in with rain in the western Panhandle before sunrise Sunday. (Accumulations would be minimal and confined to grass and elevated surfaces, but still—snow.)

For us in Tampa Bay, Sunday brings cooler temps and a shift to drier, colder air. Highs will drop into the low-to-mid 60s, with Monday morning lows possibly dipping into the low 40s. Not freeze-your-face-off cold, but definitely "where did I put my hoodie" weather.

The cold snap follows Florida's historic January 2025 snowstorm, which dumped 8.9 inches of snow in Pensacola and shattered 130-year-old records. Mother Nature apparently has a sense of humor.

Bottom line: It's jacket weather, folks. The cold front is real, and while we're not getting snow in St. Pete, North Florida might see flurries. Monday morning will feel legitimately chilly by our standards—so if you've got plants outside, maybe bring them in.

☀️ Monday morning freeze watch: Temperatures could dip into the low 40s Monday morning across Tampa Bay—bring in your plants and bust out the actual winter jacket you bought "just in case."

🏗️ Affordable housing expands: South Pinellas got 66 additional affordable housing units this week, more than doubling an existing apartment community. Over 130 families now have a place they can actually afford to call home.

⚾ Trop roof is done: The 24th and final roof panel was installed at Tropicana Field this week, with the stadium set to reopen April 6 for the home opener. Hurricane Milton's damage? Fixed ahead of schedule.

🎭 This week at the Mahaffey: Tony DeSare brings a Billy Joel tribute show to the Mahaffey Theater next weekend (Jan 24), and Morrissey performs January 20. Yes, that Morrissey.

📅 Mark your calendar: The Pinellas County Clerk's office is hosting a Passport Day event on January 31 from 9 AM to 1 PM at multiple locations if you need to renew or apply.

🌊 Boat show wraps tomorrow: The St. Pete Power & Sailboat Show—the Gulf Coast's largest—continues through Monday at the Mahaffey yacht basin.

🥙 Taste of Armenia Tampa Bay - 12 PM to 6 PM at St. Hagop Armenian Church (Pinellas Park). Live music, dancing, kids' performances, and enough shish kebab, lahmajoon, and Armenian pastries to make your day. Plus Armenian beer and wine.

🧘 Yoga at The Dalí - 9 AM to 10 AM at The Dalí Museum. Lucky Cat Yoga leads an all-levels flow with breathwork and meditation, surrounded by Dalí's art and waterfront views.

🍤 Corey Ave Sunday Market - 10 AM to 2 PM at St. Pete Beach (6850 Beach Plaza). Over 100 vendors selling produce, pastries, jewelry, art, and more. Bring a tote.

On January 18, 1849, Tampa was officially incorporated as the "Village of Tampa." Fourteen men voted unanimously to establish the village government. At the time, Tampa had 185 civilian residents (plus military personnel stationed at Fort Brooke). For context, that's about the same number of people who showed up to the boat show on Thursday morning before it opened.

Fast-forward to 2018: January 18 saw record cold temperatures blast through Tampa Bay, causing pipes to burst, crops to freeze, and everyone to collectively lose their minds because it dropped below 40 degrees. No snow, though—that happened the next day in 1977, when Tampa Bay got an actual dusting of the white stuff.