In bid for $40 million federal grant, St. Pete looks to gondolas, Tampa to smart technology

ST. PETERSBURG — St. Petersburg is going for the unconventional and fanciful: gondolas. Tampa chose a more earthbound approach: infusing projects with gadgetry. Both cities are among 70 applicants vying for the $40 million “Smart City Challenge” federal grant that emphasizes alternative and innovative transportation. Close on the heels of Clearwater’s flirtation with a mode…