January 08, 2019

City of St. Pete Seeks Proposals for Prime Central Avenue Block

January 08, 2019/ Anthony Close

A city-owned Central Avenue block may soon be sold for redevelopment. Yesterday, the City of St. Pete released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the purchase and development of a property located at 1300 1st Avenue North. The site is currently home to the St. Pete Police Department headquarters, which was originally built in the 1950’s and expanded in the 1970’s. A new 170,000 square foot headquarters is currently under construction across the street at 1301 1st Avenue North and will open later this year.

The two-acre site recently appraised for $6.6 million and sits in the middle of the EDGE District, one of Downtown St. Pete’s fastest growing neighborhoods. According to the EDGE District Master Plan, which was released in December 2016, this parcel has the potential to be a catalyst project — attracting additional development and serving as an end cap for a future Baum Avenue pedestrian streetscape.

January 04, 2019

Plant+Love Ice Cream Starts Churning in the EDGE District

January 04, 2019/ Brian Zucker

Less than six months ago, Matthew Matchin was working on opening a vegan ice cream shop in Charlotte, NC when he received a call from a high school friend in Pennsylvania.

“Hey I’m driving down to St. Pete to visit Matt! I’ll be passing right through Charlotte. Do you want to come hang out with us for a few days?”

Always down for a new adventure, Matchin agreed. Ten days after returning home to Charlotte, he bought a one-way ticket back to St. Pete. “I absolutely love this city,” says Matchin. “When I visited, I realized how active the vegan community is here. And I also noticed there were no vegan ice cream shops. Not to mention the weather — it’s warm year-round and perfect for ice cream.”

December 07, 2018

Blue Lotus to Rise 19-Stories at 100 4th Ave N in Downtown St. Pete

December 07, 2018/ Anthony Close

Downtown St. Pete’s urban core continues to expand with the introduction of the Blue Lotus condominiums at the southwest corner of 4th Avenue North and 1st Street North. Arclight Development Group is proposing a 19-story boutique high-rise which will feature 18 residential units including a three level penthouse.

The project is proposed for the site of a 24-story condominium concept which was shot down by the Development Review Commission and City Council earlier this year. Since that setback, developer Michel Regignano has worked to envision a project that is more compatible with the surrounding neighborhood.

December 04, 2018

Downtown St Pete is in for a Treat at Valhalla Bakery

December 04, 2018/ Brian Zucker

A few weeks ago, Celine Duvoisin walked down Central Avenue with a handful of flyers and a box filled with decadent desserts. As she handed out cookies, cakes, and other sweets to unsuspecting businesses, she let them in on an another exciting surprise: Valhalla Bakery has arrived in Downtown St. Pete.

You can find St. Pete’s newest bakery at 1113 Central Avenue inside Baum Avenue Market, which also houses two other food concepts — Serene and Avocado Valley. Serene is a wellness bar featuring smoothies, smoothie bowls, and wellness lattes. Avocado Valley is a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern-influenced eatery that utilizes fresh healthful ingredients.

This is the second location for Valhalla Bakery, which debuted in Orlando in 2015. Over the past three years, Valhalla has evolved from selling out at farmers markets to opening up two storefronts and twice being crowned Orlando’s Best Bakery.

December 03, 2018

21-Story Residential Building Proposed Near Mirror Lake in Downtown St. Pete

December 03, 2018/ Anthony Close

A 21-story residential tower has been proposed for the southeast corner of 3rd Avenue North and 5th Street North across from the Mirror Lake Community Library. According to site plan review documents submitted to the city, the proposed building will be 250 feet in height with 270 residential units and nearly 11,000 square feet of office space.

Currently, the site is home to 100 apartments which are scattered across six buildings. The documents submitted to the city note that the existing buildings were previously analyzed for consideration to be added to the List of Eligible Properties for potential historic designation. However after review it was determined by the city that the existing buildings did not meet the criteria for historic designation.