July 24, 2017

Downtown St. Pete Scores Tampa Bay's First Bento Café

July 24, 2017/ Anthony Close

A popular pan-Asian eatery is coming to Downtown St. Pete at the base of one of downtown’s newest buildings. Bento Café, a Gainesville-based chain best known for their Bento boxes and boba tea, will soon open at 330 Third Street South, in the base of the AER apartment building. The new eatery will occupy 2,700 square feet of space, leaving 2,000 square feet of retail to be occupied by another soon-to-be-announced tenant.

Since opening in May of 2016, the retail space at the AER building has largely sat vacant, often being used for storage during construction. With retail space at a premium throughout Downtown St. Pete, it seemed odd that this prime space was remaining vacant. But come to find out, the developers were just waiting for the right tenant.

July 18, 2017

Popular Dessert Bar, (swah-rey), Opening 2nd Location

July 18, 2017/ Brian Zucker

Downtown St. Pete is about to get a little bit sweeter. On Saturday, the owners of the beloved (swah-rey) dessert bar signed a lease for a second location on the 600 block of Central Avenue.

Gregg and Leslie-Ann Ciccone opened the original (swah-rey) in October 2015 at 2105 Central Ave in St. Pete’s Grand Central District. At the time, it was St. Pete’s only dedicated dessert bar. Offering delectable desserts such as cakes, pies, and créme brûlées as well as beverages such as beer, wine and Kahwa coffee, (swah-rey) quickly became the talk of the town.

While all of the desserts are fantastic, the star of the show has always been the Minis, the most delicious bite-sized cupcakes you’ll ever sink your teeth into. They are baked fresh daily in about 13 different flavors, such as Chocolate Salted Caramel, Funfetti, and Strawberry Lemonade. And if you’re feeling thirsty, upgrade to a “Mini Hook-up”, which pairs a Mini with a “shot” of beer, wine, milk, coffee, or another beverage.

July 17, 2017

Pour Taproom to Bring 85 Self-Serve Taps to Downtown St. Pete

July 17, 2017/ Anthony Close

Up until a few years ago, Downtown St. Pete was rarely considered a hot spot for nightlife. It lacked the newness and youth of Tampa and was typically pretty quiet at night. But as we know, the St. Pete of today is much different than the St. Pete of the past. And as Downtown St. Pete has continued to grow with new restaurants, retail stores, and housing, so has its nightlife.

What was once a few bars scattered along Central Avenue and Beach Drive, has turned into multiple neighborhoods with distinct atmospheres serving unique beer and cocktail concoctions. In the core of downtown, with the recent openings of The Landing, The Copper Shaker, and The Estate, the nightlife options have continued to expand.

July 12, 2017

Downtown St. Pete Development Update - Second Quarter 2017

July 12, 2017/ Brian Zucker

This quarter was packed full of groundbreakings! After over a decade of planning, construction has finally commenced on the new St. Pete pier. Construction crews have started driving piles into Tampa Bay to support the over-water portion of the pier. It will take 6 months to complete the pile driving process, however construction on the pier deck is scheduled to begin as early as October.

In other groundbreaking news, located on Fourth Avenue North between Third and Fourth streets, the Museum of the American Arts of Crafts Movement site was fenced off this quarter for site preparation. The $70 million privately funded museum will occupy 137,000 square feet and stand 5 stories tall. The museum will include a 100-seat auditorium, a resource library, a children's education center, a 300-seat upscale restaurant, a cafe, retail store and event space. The expected opening date is May 2019.

June 27, 2017

Lolita’s Wine Market Now Pouring in Downtown St. Pete

June 27, 2017/ Brian Zucker

Last year, when husband and wife Alex and Kelly Rodriguez adopted Lola, a Golden Retriever/Louisiana Catahoula Hound mix from Golden Retriever Rescue of Mid-Florida (GRRMF), they had no idea it would drive them and friend CF Hawkins to open a wine bar. You see, Lola is sassy and has a penchant for trouble. “When Lola is bad, we call her ‘Lolita’ and when she is bad, she causes us to drink. So, in order to afford to drink good wine, we had to open a wine market. So here’s to Lola!” says Kelly with a grin.

Lolita’s Wine Market quietly launched last week at 16 18th Street South in the Grand Central District of St. Pete. The space is a cozy 974 square feet — just enough room for around 25-30 people. And the vibe is comfortable and laid-back. “We want people to feel like they are coming to somebody’s house, not necessarily to a restaurant that they have to get dressed up for. We like to describe it as a wine shop meets coffee shop concept,” says Kelly.

June 23, 2017

Historic Vinoy Hotel Must Receive Voter Approval For Expansion Plans

June 23, 2017/ Anthony Close

There has been a lot of discussion recently surrounding St. Pete’s downtown waterfront, especially regarding the new St. Pete Pier and Pier District, which is set to begin construction next Wednesday June 28th. Because of the unique nature of St. Pete’s waterfront park system, there are protections in place to guarantee it remains an asset for generations. Specifically, there are certain restrictions and approvals required for new development along the waterfront.

One of the gems along our waterfront park system is the historic Vinoy Hotel, a pink Mediterranean Revival-style palace built in 1925 that has hosted celebrities such as Babe Ruth and Presidents such as Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover.

June 08, 2017

Good Gravy! Maple Street Biscuit Co. Opening in Downtown St. Pete

June 08, 2017/ Brian Zucker

Comfort food enthusiasts, rejoice — Maple Street Biscuit Co. has their sights set on Downtown St. Pete. The popular biscuit joint plans to open around year’s end at 662 Central Avenue, currently home to The Local 662.

Earlier this week, a majority of the 600 block’s south side was acquired by Tricera Capital from Miami. The new owners plan to make significant streetscape improvements to the building. However, despite the promised upgrades, rising rents have some residents concerned that smaller businesses may be forced to move to other parts of town. Consequently, neighborhoods such as the Grand Central District and the Fringe District (located on 9th St) have recently exploded in popularity due to their affordability.

Maple Street is most known for their signature biscuit sandwiches, offering ten unique creations on their menu. The most popular is The Squawking Goat, a flaky buttery biscuit sandwich with an all-natural fried chicken breast, a fried goat cheese medallion, and house-made pepper jelly.

June 02, 2017

New St. Pete Pier Moves Forward With Construction Set to Begin this Month

June 02, 2017/ Anthony Close

Throughout St. Pete’s history, the public pier has always been a waterfront destination. From the “Railroad Pier” to the “Million Dollar Pier” and the famed “Inverted Pyramid”, the history of the pier runs nearly as deep as the city’s.

The most recent iteration of the St. Pete Pier, the Inverted Pyramid, closed its doors to the public for the last time on May 31, 2013. Since then, there has been a long, often controversial, pier replacement process that involved public forums and information sessions, a dramatic citizen referendum, and of course, a lot of emotion.

Now, exactly four years later, St. Pete enters a new chapter in its pier history. On Wednesday—May 31st, 2017—the city officially received a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to begin construction on the new St. Pete Pier. This was the final permit needed before construction could begin.

May 22, 2017

Check Us Out in Green Bench Monthly!

May 22, 2017/ Brian Zucker

Whether it's the opening of a new restaurant or the announcement of another apartment tower, one thing is for certain -- Downtown St. Pete is constantly changing. While we would love to provide in-depth coverage of everything that is on the horizon for our beautiful city, there is simply not enough time in the day!

This is why we've decided to team up with our friends at Green Bench Monthly, St. Pete's direct-mail community magazine. Starting with the May issue, we will publish a monthly column called Downtown Developments, highlighting all of the latest news that never made it onto our homepage. Be the first to find out about future retail, restaurants, and real estate in Downtown St. Pete.

May 17, 2017

11-Story Apartment Tower To Rise Near St. Pete’s EDGE District

May 17, 2017/ Brian Zucker

A well-respected developer from Michigan has unveiled plans to build an 11-story apartment tower just outside of Downtown St. Pete’s trendy EDGE District. DevMar Development is in the process of assembling 1.9 acres of land located at the corner of 16th Street and 1st Avenue North. With the exception of a small car wash, a majority of the land has been sitting vacant for over a decade.

The mixed-use building, dubbed First North Lofts, is a collaboration between Mark DeMaria, CEO of DevMar Development, Jonathan Daou, a local real estate investor, the project’s architects, and local consultants. DeMaria brings over 20 years of multi-family development expertise and Daou contributes his retail experience into this collaborative tailor-made project specifically designed for St. Pete.

The development will be perfectly flanked by two of St. Pete’s most desirable neighborhoods — the EDGE District and the Grand Central District. In either direction, residents will be steps away from hundreds of restaurants, bars, art galleries, and coffee shops.

However, if residents are so inclined, they wouldn’t really have to leave the property. First North Lofts, which DeMaria describes as “an urban resort at an affordable cost”, will provide a wealth of attractive amenities.