Lealman residents are being asked what should come next for their neighborhood as Pinellas County updates its redevelopment plan, a project budgeted at $200,000 in taxpayer money.
A county mailer received by residents in the Community Redevelopment Area on October 8 invites neighbors and business owners to a Monday, November 2, community input open house at the Lealman Exchange. There are two sessions: 10 a.m. to noon and 5 to 7 p.m.
Both will be held in the Ray Neri Room, 5175 45th St. N., Lealman, FL 33714. The county says residents can stop by, share ideas and priorities, and learn about the plan update.
GAI Consultants, Inc. was selected to update the plan. County staff reported the selection in the July 22 advisory committee meeting minutes, and the August meeting packet includes GAI’s kickoff presentation. Separately, the county’s fiscal 2026 work plan set aside $200,000 to update the CRA plan and prepare for its midterm review.
The Community Redevelopment Area, usually called the CRA, is a designated part of Lealman where redevelopment funding is directed. The current plan was adopted in 2016. County commissioners, sitting as the redevelopment agency, make the decisions; Lealman’s advisory committee makes recommendations.
GAI’s presentation describes an update intended to establish a vision for the next 10 to 15 years. For residents, the practical question is what that vision will deliver on their own streets, and how the county will show whether the money made a difference.
The open house gives neighbors a place to put specific needs on the record. Bring the location of a drainage problem, a missing sidewalk, or another concern you want addressed, and ask how public comments will be reflected in the finished plan. The mailer announces an opportunity to provide input, not a vote on a final plan or approval of individual projects.
Anyone needing an accommodation or an alternate format should contact the county’s Office of Human Rights at (727) 464-4062 (V/TDD) or accommodations@pinellas.gov at least three days in advance, according to the mailer.
Both November 2 sessions are listed on the Ledger’s community calendar.
Updated Oct 8, 2026