Rooftop garden with rare dinosaur display planned in St. Pete

Ellison Development has unveiled an unexpected new idea for The Central in St. Petersburg’s Edge District: a nearly one-acre rooftop garden that would feature native landscaping and the display of a rare dinosaur skeleton.

The centerpiece of the proposed garden is “Devaiah,” a 76-million-year-old Gorgosaurus skeleton enclosed in protective glass. The fossil predates the T. Rex by 10 million years and is one of only 20 specimens of its kind in existence—the only one held privately. The skeleton comes from the personal collection of Ellison Development co-founder Sidd Pagidipati, who named it after his father, Dr. Devaiah Pagidipati.

“Let’s be honest, no one expects to find dinosaur fossils on top of a parking garage,” said Casey Ellison, CEO of Ellison Development. “That’s the fun of it. We love ideas that surprise people and spark their imagination, and this rooftop garden does exactly that. Where else can you take in city views, wander through a garden, and come face-to-face with fossils millions of years old? The Central isn’t just about new buildings. It’s about creating the kinds of experiences that make people say, ‘Only in St. Pete.’"

Ellison Development drew inspiration from the popularity of Big John, the world’s largest triceratops on display at Tampa’s Glazer Children’s Museum. The developer envisions the St. Petersburg installation as both a cultural attraction and a community amenity, offering families and visitors a chance to experience science in an outdoor setting while adding new green space to the city.

The Central is one of the largest mixed-use projects underway in downtown St. Petersburg. Anchored by Halcyon, the city’s first new trophy office tower in decades, the development also includes a 168-key Autograph Collection hotel, 42 units of workforce housing, 14,000 square feet of retail and public plaza space, and a permanent art installation by Ya La’ford honoring the Courageous Twelve.

Ellison Development says more details about the rooftop garden and dinosaur display will be released as planning progresses.