Employment Districts

Employment districts (also called employment centers) are areas where there are clusters of primary businesses employing large numbers of workers. Urban downtowns often serve this purpose, but employment districts are also found in more suburban locations.

photo provided by Raymond James Financial

These districts form when primary employers cluster around the resources and infrastructure that make it convenient to do business, such as airports, railroads, ports, and major highways. Since many companies provide goods and services to one another, clustering is also useful from a business perspective. Local governments often encourage the process, through land use regulations and targeted infrastructure improvements, to help provide more efficient service delivery.

One of the premises of the Economic Development and Redevelopment Plan for the Pinellas Community is to provide flexibility for business locations, so as to not inordinately influence land values in anticipation of new development. However, with a shrinking supply of developable vacant land, employers need to have a variety of options for siting their enterprises. Identifying areas with similar users, land availability, and the capacity to accommodate more intensive uses allows the private sector greater predictability and convenience.

To assist with this process, seventeen existing or potential employment districts have been identified within the county. These districts include large downtowns, industrial zones, areas designated for redevelopment or employment by their local governments, and other areas where primary employers have clustered. Community input into the locations was also obtained during the Redevelopment Opportunities Summit. The identified districts include:

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