PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — The city of St. Pete is working with Ferg's Sports Bar to create a new pedestrian trail that will connect much of the downtown area and help boost business.
"Currently, our foot traffic is mostly our current residents, we really pride ourselves in our community. It’s mostly everybody who lives next door and everybody in a five-block vicinity," said Keli Thomas, who works at the Boujee Pet Boutique.
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Thomas said business has been slow lately.
"I'd love to see at least a 75% increase of business, that would be great. Right now it is the slow season, and we understand that, so it's mostly the regulars and on game days, but it tends to be quiet right now, and that would improve business for us," said Thomas.
Thomas believes a new pedestrian trail coming to the area could help.
"We definitely need more foot traffic to get everybody over here," she said.
The city of St. Pete is planning to build the Booker Creek Trail, a new walking and biking trail along an old railroad near Ferg’s Sports Bar.
"I think we are walking and biker friendly definitely, so that’s what we need," said Thomas.
St. Pete City Council is buying roughly one mile of old railroad tracks in the downtown area to help create the new Booker Creek Trail.
On Thursday, city council approved two 99-year leases with the owner of Ferg's Sports Bar and Grill for the unused parts of the old railroad. Ferg's will contribute roughly $6 million to the trail project.
"It’s allowing them to build a trail that will bring more people to Ferg's, to Tropicana Field and the Edge District," said Ferg's owner Mark Ferguson.
Ferguson said the trail will be beneficial for all parties.
"Wherever you have a trail, people are going to build apartment complexes, businesses, it’s going to attract more people," said Ferguson.
Thomas said it will also keep people in the area after the Tampa Bay Rays finish their contracted seasons at Tropicana Field in 2028.
"I don’t know if we can make up that income, but at least it will benefit and bring something in where there’s a loss of that," said Thomas.
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