April 17, 2017

Downtown St. Pete Development Update - First Quarter 2017

April 17, 2017/ Brian Zucker

Another great quarter is in the books for Downtown St. Pete. In the past three months we’ve learned of numerous new projects proposed for the area, seen significant progress on developments currently under construction, and even saw a few projects reach completion.

As home prices continue to rise in popular neighborhoods, such as the Old Northeast, other communities on the outskirts of downtown are beginning to heat up, especially Historic Kenwood and the Grand Central District. This quarter saw the introduction of Uptown Kenwood, a 69-unit townhouse community, proposed for 13th Ave North. Also rising in Kenwood are affordable housing communities Burlington Place, which is nearing completion, and Burlington Post, which will begin construction in the next few months.

April 06, 2017

St. Pete Makes Tropicana Field Redevelopment Pitch to the Tampa Bay Rays

April 06, 2017/ Anthony Close

The City of St. Petersburg has a long history of hosting professional baseball. From amateur leagues to Major League Baseball, the roots of America’s pastime run deep.

Since 1914, more Major League spring training games have been played in St. Petersburg, FL than in any other city. And over its history, baseball in the Sunshine City has hosted legends such as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Stan Musial, and Joe DiMaggio.

But since 1998, the highlight of St. Pete’s baseball history has been hosting the Tampa Bay Rays, who play at Tropicana Field in Downtown St. Pete. With a stingray as a name, a burst of sunshine as a logo, and a “seadog” as a mascot, the Rays embody Tampa Bay and the Sunshine City.

March 24, 2017

Sweet Charlie's to Bring Rolled Ice Cream to Downtown St. Pete

March 24, 2017/ Brian Zucker

From New York City to Los Angeles, Montreal to Atlanta, one of the latest food trends to sweep the country is rolled ice cream. This summer, St. Pete will join the craze as Sweet Charlie's debuts at 1010 Central Avenue in the EDGE District.

The movement began last year when ice cream shops started springing up across the U.S. serving cups stuffed with small rolls of ice cream and topped with an assortment of extras, including fruit, candy, drizzles and more. Lines regularly snake around the corner at establishments like 10Below in NYC and Hi B3ar in Boston. Although the trend is brand new here in the States, this method of making ice cream has been around on the streets of Thailand and other Asian countries for quite a while.

February 28, 2017

Two Affordable Housing Communities Coming to Historic Kenwood

February 28, 2017/ Brian Zucker

It is no secret that St. Pete is currently experiencing a huge building boom. Nearly 2,300 rental units are either under construction or proposed for the city over the next few years. Just take a walk through downtown and you are bound to run into numerous apartment communities in some stage of development. A commonality between the majority of these projects is that they are building luxury apartments with top-of-the-line amenities that will be leased at premium rates.

As a result, one of the most frequent questions we are asked is, "Where is all of the affordable housing being built?" And up until recently, we didn't have a great answer to that question. Then we learned about the Green Mills Group, a real estate development firm from Ft. Lauderdale, and their plans to bring affordable housing to St. Pete.

February 08, 2017

Modern Townhomes Proposed Minutes From Downtown St. Pete

February 08, 2017/ Anthony Close

Just a short bike ride west from downtown is St. Pete’s eclectic Grand Central District and the popular Historic Kenwood neighborhood. Being a few blocks north of Central Avenue, the Kenwood neighborhood combines a proximity to walkable amenities with classic charming bungalows to create an authentic urban neighborhood.

The unique nature of this community has spiked interest among real estate developers and homebuyers leading the area to be named one of the hottest zip codes in Tampa Bay for real estate.

Looking to satisfy the increased demand in the area, Icon Residential is teaming up with Crestview Realty and Clear pH to introduce a new townhome community just north of Historic Kenwood. Dubbed Uptown Kenwood, this new development will be built on 13th Avenue North and 25th Street North just a short distance from Booker Park.

February 06, 2017

Verve Boutique to Bring Women and Men’s Apparel to Downtown St. Pete

February 06, 2017/ Brian Zucker

The boutique scene in Downtown St. Pete is about to heat up. In early March, Verve Boutique will open their doors in the ever-growing EDGE District, introducing both men and women to popular clothing brands not currently represented on this side of the Bay. The new store will focus on elevated street style, meaning, “everyday wear that is comfortable, but that you can still transition easily if you want to go grab dinner or cocktails with your friends,” says owner Susie Wheldon.

Verve Boutique will occupy 2,350 square feet of space that was previously home to Paper Street Market, who closed their doors on Christmas Eve. The shop will carry brands that you would typically find at a department store such as Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus. For women, you’ll be able to find premium denims, tees, wovens, knits, and maxi dresses offered by well-known brands such as McGuire, Current/Elliot and Flynn Skye.

January 16, 2017

Unscripted Theatre Brings Improv Comedy to Downtown St. Pete

January 16, 2017/ Brian Zucker

In 2010, St. Petersburg, FL earned the No. 1 ranking as America’s Arts Destination for mid-sized cities by AmericanStyle Magazine. The accolade is well-earned thanks to numerous world-class art museums and galleries that call St. Pete home, such as The Dali Museum, The Chihuly Collection, The Museum of Fine Arts, and the Duncan McClellan Gallery.

St. Pete’s seven arts districts are drenched in over 50 outdoor murals by artists from all over the world. Local artists and makers pack the St. Pete's indie markets on a regular basis to sell their crafts. St. Pete is undeniably a vibrant arts city. But the one art medium that doesn’t often shine as bright as the rest in St. Pete is performing arts. Enter Unscripted Theatre.

January 13, 2017

Urban Townhomes Coming to 5th Avenue North in Downtown St. Pete

January 13, 2017/ Anthony Close

Coming off of a record year in 2016, Downtown St. Pete’s real estate market is continuing to show signs of strength with the addition of new residential development. With land in downtown’s core at a premium, many developers are turning to urban infill townhome developments to meet the increasing demand.

Over the last few years, these townhome developments, usually consisting of 10 units or less, have begun popping up around downtown with much success. Last year, sold out townhome projects such as Del Mar City Homes, Quattro, and the Renaissance City Homes were completed, indicating strength in the high-end townhome market.

January 09, 2017

Downtown St. Pete Development Update - Fourth Quarter 2016

January 09, 2017/ Brian Zucker

The fourth quarter of 2016 saw an enormous amount of progress on many of Downtown St. Pete's active developments. The demolition of the "cheese grater" building at 400 Central Ave concluded. The Rowdies launched an official campaign to join the MLS, which included an expanded Al Lang Stadium. A new site plan was approved for 801 Central, which now includes a 15 and 7-story apartment building and ground-level retail.

Also, a few projects broke ground including Bainbridge 930 Central Flats, and retail along 1st Ave S that will house an Orangetheory Fitness and a yet-to-be-determined restaurant.

Additionally, AER Apartments and The Hermitage Apartment Homes started leasing, which helped to relieve the extremely low apartment occupancy rates that Downtown St. Pete has grown accustomed to over the past few years.

Looking to the future, we should see the groundbreaking of a few notable projects this coming quarter including The Brownstones, 801 Conway, The District on 9th, and the Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement.

Lastly, be sure to check out Downtown St. Pete's first, second, and third quarter development updates of 2016 to see how your favorite projects have progressed!

January 04, 2017

Orangetheory Fitness Planned For Growing 1st Ave S in Downtown St. Pete

January 04, 2017/ Anthony Close

Even through times of recession, when many storefronts became shuttered and vacant, Central Avenue has always been Downtown St. Pete’s major commercial corridor. However, in the wake of Downtown St. Pete’s economic renaissance, many new businesses have opened and flourished throughout downtown — most prominently along Central Avenue.

It’s simple supply and demand. As more businesses continue to move into the neighborhood, that leaves less vacant space for future retail tenants. As a result, retailers and restaurants are beginning to branch out from Central Ave and consider the streets adjacent to it. One such street is 1st Avenue S.