> St. Pete mayor responds to reports of graves underneath Tropicana Field lot
St. Pete mayor responds to reports of graves underneath Tropicana Field lot
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Description
An expanded radar search in a Tropicana Field parking lot has detected seven more possible burials and three additional areas of interest from the old Oaklawn Cemetery in St. Petersburg, according to a new report.
This brings the total number of possible graves found at the site to ten, with eleven areas of interest.
Archaeologists with Stantec did an expanded radar search in July of last year, adding to an initial search done in 2021. The report was completed in November 2024 and turned over to the city. However, the city did not immediately release the results to the public. That raises questions for Councilman Corey Givens, Jr., who shared with report with 10 Investigates.
"I am not shocked by these results, I am saddened. It's disgusting when you think about the grave injustice that was done to [these] people and their descendants," Givens said. "What should be a sacred final resting place has been built over and erased."
Givens, who is new to council, was a vocal advocate for investigating the site long before his time in office.
"I am happy that the city has pursued further testing, but this leaves me with more questions. Why hasn't the city published the testing results and recommendations? When will the city begin outreach to descendants and stakeholders? Why won't the city erect a historic marker to acknowledge the cemeteries existence? Will further testing be completed on areas of interest?" he said in a statement.
10 Investigates reached out to multiple city officials about the report but has not yet received a response.