The St. Petersburg Foundation will receive $350,000 in the newly approved Florida state budget, providing another boost to the effort to restore the historic campus and transform it into a destination for science, technology and artificial intelligence education.

State Sen. Darryl Rouson and State Rep. Berny Jacques sponsored the appropriation request during the 2026 legislative session. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the state budget June 29, making the funding official.

The legislators requested $2.5 million for the project. The final budget includes a $350,000 appropriation that will support continued redevelopment of the campus at 7701 22nd Ave. N.

According to the state's funding request, the appropriation will help preserve the historic Science Center while funding construction needed to meet current building codes, site improvements, landscaping and parking lot reconstruction.

The project is designed to restore one of St. Petersburg's longtime educational landmarks while expanding its mission to prepare students and adults for careers shaped by artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.

"This continued investment demonstrates confidence in a vision that began with preserving a beloved community institution and has grown into preparing our region for the future," said Joe Hamilton, who is leading the Science Center initiative. "We're grateful to Senator Rouson and Representative Jacques for their continued leadership and bipartisan support."

The <a href="https://sciencecenter.ai" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">St. Petersburg Science Center</a> closed in 2014 after serving generations of Pinellas County students through field trips, hands-on exhibits and its iconic planetarium. The reimagined campus will preserve those historic assets while adding new facilities centered on workforce development and emerging technology.

Plans include an Artificial Intelligence Center of Excellence, an AI Village designed for K-12 students, flexible classrooms, startup and innovation space, a hybrid auditorium capable of serving both in-person and online audiences and restoration of the historic planetarium. Organizers envision the campus serving students, educators, entrepreneurs, businesses and residents through year-round educational programming.

The legislative funding request states that the project will partner with local schools, universities and government agencies to provide hands-on science and emerging technology education while helping prepare Florida's workforce for an AI-driven economy.

The Science Center's redevelopment is expected to cost approximately $25 million. Organizers have secured significant public and private commitments while continuing to raise the remaining capital needed for construction and programming.

The latest appropriation follows another successful legislative session for the project. Last year, Rouson and Jacques secured an $800,000 appropriation that helped advance planning, design and redevelopment efforts. Together, the two lawmakers have built bipartisan support over multiple years for bringing the Science Center back to life.

When complete, the campus will blend the site's history with new educational opportunities focused on artificial intelligence, robotics, digital media, entrepreneurship and STEM education, creating a regional resource designed to serve learners of all ages.

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