Straub’s waterfront park vision with its open water vistas has largely remained intact and today remains a central feature of St. Petersburg. There is little doubt that the green necklace of downtown waterfront parks helped St. Petersburg from the boom of the1920’s and into the ensuing decades to be a leading tourist destination. Today, the value of the waterfront parks is recognized by a special provision in the city charter requiring voter approval before any of the park property can be sold or leased for more than five years. Rick Baker, elected mayor of St. Petersburg in 2001 and supporter of Straub’s waterfront park vision, added the newest jewel to the green necklace of waterfront parks in 2007 with the conversion of an asphalt parking lot across the street from the Mahaffey Theater to Whitted Park.