Under Florida's Tropicana Field parking lot, signs of more graves

Colleen Wright, Tampa Bay Times on May 1, 2025

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A second survey using ground-penetrating radar on land that was once a cemetery found seven more possible graves near Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.

That’s a total of 10 possible graves, eight identified areas of interest and nine areas where graves could have been removed, based on both studies.

St. Petersburg began looking into those sites five years ago for the planned redevelopment of the Trop, beginning with staff research followed by a survey using radar performed in July 2021. The second and latest survey was completed in November.

It focused on Oaklawn Cemetery. Historical maps and plats pinpoint the cemetery as located at Lot 1 and the eastern part of Lot 2 at Tropicana Field. The city’s consultant, Stantec, also reviewed death certificates, newspaper articles, obituaries and other historical documents.

That research identified 112 burials in Oaklawn Cemetery including 108 white individuals and four Black individuals. Deeds from Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties show that 113 lots were officially sold in that cemetery.

Researchers found 35 sales of those lots between 1906 and 1926 while noting that due to past record-keeping practices, they likely do not have a comprehensive list. The majority of those sold lots, whether linked to a deceased person or not, are clustered in the northeast part of Lot 1.

There were 13 sold lots along the southern edge of Lot 1 near Fifth Avenue South. That’s where Stantec’s results found more possible graves.

“Most likely to be missing are those from marginalized communities, people with less socio-economic means, and infants or children,” the report read. “However, these death records for all three cemeteries paint a picture, even if it is incomplete, of the burial patterns and various communities who used each cemetery.”

On Thursday, St. Petersburg City Council members unanimously approved holding a meeting to discuss the findings and recommendations of the survey. City Council member Corey Givens, who has made preserving cemeteries and gravesites a stated priority, asked for the discussion.

Stantec noted that many tree roots and utility lines were in the way and made it hard to discern possible graves or activity.

In its report, Stantec recommended testing certain areas to confirm the presence of human remains. But the firm also warned that no archaeological work should be done without first consulting with potential descendants and stakeholder groups connected to Oaklawn Cemetery.

“The City and Stantec plan to conduct outreach and consultation before any such work is begun,” the report said.

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