St. Pete launches feasibility study for downtown convention center

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St. Pete launches feasibility study for downtown convention center

The City of St. Petersburg, which draws millions of visitors each year, has long lacked sufficient meeting and conference space, often pushing event organizers to look elsewhere - but that could soon change.

The city is seeking proposals from qualified consultants to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study evaluating the viability of a proposed convention center in downtown St. Petersburg.

The study will assess market demand, competitive positioning, facility program requirements, financial performance, and overall economic impact, according to a Request for Proposals (RFP) advertised on March 11th.

The selected consultant will analyze regional and national industry trends, engage key stakeholders, identify demand segments and unmet market opportunities, and benchmark against comparable and innovative convention center models.

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Two-story entrepreneurial hub proposed by Pinellas County Urban League in south St. Pete

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Two-story entrepreneurial hub proposed by Pinellas County Urban League in south St. Pete

An undeveloped stretch of property on 22nd Street South may become the site of a modern community hub with spaces specifically designed to educate and house non-profits and start-up businesses, with the goal of fostering new economic momentum for south St. Pete.

Pinellas County Urban League, Inc. (PCUL), an organization dedicated to empowering African Americans and underserved communities in the county, has submitted a 64-page proposal to the City of St. Petersburg to develop the property on 22nd Street South between 6th Avenue South and Fairfield Avenue South.

The proposal, submitted in December 2025, calls for a two-story, 28,000-square-foot building, referred to as the Sankofa Empowerment Center, which would offer a mix of Class A office, retail, food service, and flex spaces alongside a 6,000-square-foot rooftop terrace and lounge to host year-round events.

PCUL would relocate its corporate headquarters from 31st Street North in Kenwood to a 3,000-square-foot space on the second floor of the center.

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Downtown St. Pete apartment complex Beacon 430 sells for $131 million

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Downtown St. Pete apartment complex Beacon 430 sells for $131 million

A downtown St. Pete apartment complex has traded hands in a nine-figure deal.

Beacon 430, a four-story, 327-unit luxury apartment community at 430 3rd Avenue South, sold for $131 million, or just over $400,000 per unit, according to a deed recorded Wednesday with the Pinellas County Clerk’s office.

The buyer, Ram Realty Advisors, also secured an $88 million mortgage through Wells Fargo.

The sale places Beacon 430 among the priciest multifamily trades in downtown St. Pete on a per-unit basis. Only Camden Central, formerly Icon Central, has sold for more per unit, trading for $406,667 per unit in 2021.

More recently, Windsor Central Arts, formerly The Hermitage, sold for $104.46 million, or $300,172 per unit, in 2025, while 930 Central Flats sold for $81 million, or $371,560 per unit, in 2024.

According to CoStar data, Beacon 430’s average unit spans 883 square feet, with average rents of $2,237 per month and current occupancy at 93.6%.

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St. Petersburg Renaissance Faire returns next month with jousting, mead, and medieval fun

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St. Petersburg Renaissance Faire returns next month with jousting, mead, and medieval fun

Dust off your corsets, cloaks, and questionable British accents. The St. Petersburg Renaissance Faire is back.

The festivities return to England Brothers Park in Pinellas Park, running every weekend from April 4th through April 26th, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day.

Opening ceremonies begin just before the gates open, setting the stage for a full day inside the immersive “Shire of Heyford,” a 10-acre village inspired by Elizabethan England.

The event brings together more than 100 costumed performances across nine stages, along with over 50 artisans and three pubs.

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Global sailing race will make St. Pete its North American stop in 2027

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Global sailing race will make St. Pete its North American stop in 2027

St. Pete is set to take center stage on the global sailing circuit.

The Ocean Race, widely considered one of the toughest professional sporting events in the world, will make its first-ever Gulf Coast stop in 2027, with downtown St. Petersburg serving as the North American host for a new transatlantic leg of the race.

The announcement is a major win for the area, which will bring an internationally recognized event to the St. Petersburg Yacht Club and the University of South Florida St. Petersburg waterfront.

The 15th edition of The Ocean Race will begin in Alicante, Spain on Sunday, January 17th, 2027, sending a fleet of IMOCA 60-foot sailboats on a 14,000-nautical-mile opening leg to Auckland, New Zealand.

From there, teams will head to Itajaí, Brazil before arriving in downtown St. Pete for a scheduled stopover from May 4th through May 16th, 2027.

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174-unit affordable housing project with rents starting at $512 per month proposed for Skyway Marina District

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174-unit affordable housing project with rents starting at $512 per month proposed for Skyway Marina District

A new affordable housing development proposed in St. Petersburg’s Skyway Marina District would bring 174 income-restricted apartments, including units reserved for young adults aging out of foster care.

Nashville-based Elmington Capital Group plans to develop Skyway Flats at 3600 34th Street South on a 2.87-acre site currently used as a surface parking lot next to the Salterra assisted living complex, which remains closed following damage from the 2024 hurricanes.

The five-story project would include 28 one-bedroom units, 100 two-bedroom units, and 46 three-bedroom units, serving households earning between 30% and 80% of the Area Median Income.

Eighteen apartments would be set aside for youth aging out of foster care, paired with support services such as financial literacy training, housing stability programs, and connections to community resources.

Rents are projected to start as low as $512 per month.

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The Chattaway, St. Petersburg’s longest-running restaurant, will close this summer after more than 90 years

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The Chattaway, St. Petersburg’s longest-running restaurant, will close this summer after more than 90 years

St. Petersburg’s longest-running restaurant will close its doors this summer.

The Chattaway, a family-owned staple at 358 22nd Avenue South, will serve its last meal in mid-July after more than 90 years serving the community.

The property, which has been owned by the family for decades, is now under contract and expected to transfer to a new owner in early August.

The family plans to host a final “yard sale” in July, offering memorabilia and pieces of the restaurant’s history.

The Chattaway’s story begins in 1922, when a wooden building was constructed on a pie-shaped lot on the corner of 22nd Avenue South and 4th Street South.

The building’s first tenant was Four Corners Grocery, a neighborhood store with a small outdoor counter selling soda, candy, and cigarettes.

A single gas pump stood out front, where fuel once sold for just 22 cents per gallon.

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TapHouse 61 closes after nearly nine years in the Grand Central District

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TapHouse 61 closes after nearly nine years in the Grand Central District

A popular bar on Central Avenue served its last customers last week.

TapHouse 61 at 2061 Central Avenue in the Grand Central District has closed after nearly nine years in business.

The neighborhood bar offered more than a dozen craft beers on tap along with cocktails, wine, and bottled beer, attracting a loyal following of regulars, service industry workers, and neighborhood residents.

TapHouse 61 opened in 2017 after its owners rebranded the space’s previous concept, Sly Bar.

The earlier bar, which debuted in 2014, had developed a reputation as a casual dive known for its sandwich menu and live music.

When Sly Bar pivoted to TapHouse 61, owner Joe Robertson expanded the bar’s craft beer focus by increasing the number of taps, introducing a broader selection of bottles and cans, and hosting beer-centric events.

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Owner of The Bends and Wild Child to open Easy Tiger, a hi-fi listening lounge and cocktail bar in the EDGE District

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Owner of The Bends and Wild Child to open Easy Tiger, a hi-fi listening lounge and cocktail bar in the EDGE District

More than a decade after opening The Bends in what was then a quiet corner of St. Pete’s EDGE District, local hospitality operator Matt Kaye is preparing to debut his most personal project yet just a few feet away.

Easy Tiger, a hi-fi listening lounge and cocktail bar opening next month at 915 1st Avenue North, will pair vinyl DJ sets and high-fidelity sound with a globally inspired cocktail program.

The roughly 1,600-square-foot space sits along the same block as The Bends and represents the latest concept from Kaye, his wife Victoria Kaye, and partners Chris Stone and Craig Dragoonis.

Kaye is also behind Wild Child, a neighborhood bistro and cocktail bar, and Slim Charmer, a martini bar with Mediterranean small plates, both located in the Grand Central District.

Inside, Easy Tiger was designed to function less like a traditional bar and more like a listening lounge, where music plays a central role in shaping the experience.

The space features a carefully tuned hi-fi audio system built around Klipsch Heritage speakers paired with McIntosh amplification, allowing vinyl DJ sets to fill the room with warm, immersive sound without overpowering conversation.

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The Green Thumb Festival, St. Pete’s annual Arbor Day celebration, returns next month

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The Green Thumb Festival, St. Pete’s annual Arbor Day celebration, returns next month

St. Petersburg’s annual celebration of nature, gardening, and environmental education will return next month for its 40th installment.

The Green Thumb Festival will take place at Walter Fuller Park, 7891 26th Avenue North, on Saturday, April 25th and Sunday, April 26th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

The weekend-long event is free and open to the public.

Hosted by the City of St. Petersburg’s Parks and Recreation Department, the two-day festival is the city’s official Arbor Day celebration and one of the largest gardening events in the Tampa Bay area.

More than 120 garden and plant vendors will participate in the event, offering everything from native plants and tropical flowers to trees, herbs, and landscaping supplies.

The festival also features environmental exhibits, educational workshops, and hands-on activities focused on gardening and sustainability.

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