July 09, 2019

Sunshine Kitty Catfe Pounces Onto 1st Avenue South This Fall

July 09, 2019/ Brian Zucker

Get ready, St. Pete! Sunshine Kitty Catfe, Tampa Bay’s first cat cafe, will open this fall at 1663 1st Avenue South in Downtown St. Pete.

Never heard of a cat cafe? Not to worry! A typical cat cafe is divided into two sections — a cafe that serves food and drinks and a cat lounge filled with adorable and adoptable cats.

The cat lounge is where the cats live, so to keep the space as low stress as possible, and to make it a pleasant experience for the people visiting, there is usually a limit on the amount of people admitted to the cat lounge per hour. The standard setup is to offer one hour reservations, which are highly recommended.

But before Sunshine Kitty Catfe can open their doors, they need our help! Although they’ve secured a beautiful space in Downtown St Pete, there is still a lot of work to be done. Sunshine Kitty is currently raising money via IndieGoGo to fund major renovations of the space, and to acquire appropriate permitting and licensing required by the city and state.

July 08, 2019

Fire at Karma Juice Bar & Eatery Prompts Temporary Move to EDGE District

July 08, 2019/ Brian Zucker

While the rest of America was grilling burgers and relaxing by the pool on July 4th, Josie Barber and her daughter April Lupkey received devastating news. A fire had broken out at their Downtown St. Pete restaurant, Karma Juice Bar & Eatery, located at 209 1st Street NE.

The cause of the fire is still unknown, but Barber estimates it’ll take 2-3 months and $200,000 to rebuild. “We are already drawing up the plans to make it safer,” says Barber. “This is an opportunity to make Karma better than ever.”

As a gesture of goodwill after hearing about the fire, real estate owner Jon Daou offered Karma discounted rent inside one of his properties. So until the original location reopens, Karma will temporarily operate out of Intermezzo Coffee and Cocktails at 1111 Central Avenue.

July 01, 2019

The Pinball Arcade Museum Opens in Downtown St. Pete Next Month

July 01, 2019/ Brian Zucker

Get ready to relive your childhood at a new arcade coming soon to Downtown St. Pete. The Pinball Arcade Museum will be booting up at 2313 Central Avenue on August 1st.

The 2,000 square foot space will be filled with around 60 pinball and arcade machines from the ’80’s and ’90’s. Expect to see pinball classics like The Addams Family, Cyclone, Gilligan's Island and South Park and popular arcade games such as Donkey Kong, Space Invaders, Moon Patrol, and Smash TV.

You won’t need to carry around a pocket full of dirty quarters or tokens either — all machines will be set to Free Play. Instead, a $15 admission fee will give gamers an all-day pass to the arcade. A wristband will allow re-entry, so feel free to grab some food and come back.

If you’re looking for a little competition, The Pinball Arcade Museum will be hosting tournaments and leagues throughout the year. And if you want to throw your own party, the space will also be available to rent. Who will be the first to hold their wedding reception at the arcade? And can I have an invite?

June 26, 2019

400 Central Reveals Redesigned Two Tower Concept

June 26, 2019/ Brian Zucker

In 2016, John Catsimatidis acquired a 2-acre lot on Downtown St Pete’s 400 block for $16.5 million. “St. Pete needs a skyline,” said the Greek-American billionaire as he announced plans to construct the tallest in Pinellas County on the site.

The proposal called for a 50-story tower filled with around 325 condominiums, 200 hotel rooms, and ground-level retail.

While the tower may still become the county’s tallest, it won’t soar quite as high as initially planned. “Because of the proximity to the flight paths from Albert Whitted Airport, we needed to reduce the height of the building,” said Ralph Zirinsky, Development Manager at Red Apple.

June 21, 2019

Proposed EDGE District Hotel Gains Flag and Council’s Approval

June 21, 2019/ Anthony Close

Back in October, St. Pete Rising broke the news of an 11-story, 135-key boutique hotel proposed for the heart of Downtown St. Pete’s trendy EDGE District. Since the announcement, DevMar Development has been diligently working behind the scenes to bring the project to fruition.

The development will be located on a currently vacant lot at the southeast corner of 1st Avenue North and 11th Street North, which is owned by local real estate investor Jonathan Daou, the de facto “mayor” of the EDGE District.

After months of planning, many of the project’s details are starting to come into focus. We’ve just learned that the hotel will be a Marriott property. Specifically, it will fall under Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio brand.

“Once they toured the area, the folks at Marriott immediately saw the potential for the EDGE District,” says Mark DeMaria, CEO of DevMar. “And with so much city pride throughout St. Pete, we knew the Tribute Portfolio brand would be a perfect fit.”

June 14, 2019

Downtown Developments June 2019: Burgers from Israel Coming to DTSP and More!

June 14, 2019/ Brian Zucker

Despite the blisteringly hot weather, May was a good month for St. Pete. In addition to the exciting things we’ve highlighted below, Hometown Crepes and Baum Mi started serving food at Baum Avenue Market, a new liquor store opened in the EDGE District, and seven proposals were submitted to replace the old Police HQ.

As many of you are aware, we write a column every month called Downtown Developments for Green Bench Monthly, a local community magazine. In the column, we highlight everything coming soon to Downtown St. Pete, including new restaurants, bars, and coffee shops. We also reveal new tower renderings, announce townhome projects, and much more. A few months ago, we started publishing that column right here on St. Pete Rising, in addition to Green Bench Monthly!

Want the news first? Be sure to follow us! Most of what we discuss in Downtown Developments has already been posted to either our website, newsletter, Facebook, or Instagram. With Downtown Developments, you’ll never miss the latest Downtown St. Pete news.

June 10, 2019

Chabad to Build $5 Million Jewish Center in Downtown St. Pete

June 10, 2019/ Brian Zucker

The Chabad Jewish Center of Greater St. Petersburg recently purchased a 1/2 acre parcel of land on the outskirts of Downtown St Pete at 533 4th Street North. The organization paid $1.7 million for the land, which will be the future home of The Chabad Center for Jewish Life and Learning.

A two-story 10,000 SF building will be constructed on the site, including a dedicated parking lot. “It aims to be a welcoming place where every Jewish citizen in our community will feel right at home,” says Chabad’s Rabbi Alter Korf. The new facility will be a great addition to Downtown St. Pete, where there are currently zero Jewish synagogues or community centers.

Chabad is one of the largest Hasidic groups and Jewish religious organizations in the world, particularly known for its outreach activities. In 2005, the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs reported that up to one million Jews attend Chabad services at least once a year.

June 05, 2019

Social Roost Will Be a Poultry Lover’s Paradise in Downtown St. Pete

June 05, 2019/ Brian Zucker

New window decals were installed last week revealing another concept coming soon to the recently completed ONE St Petersburg condo tower in Downtown St. Pete. Social Roost Kitchen and Bar will be a poultry lover’s paradise, featuring chicken in every way, including fried, grilled, blackened, roasted, and more.

The upscale casual restaurant concept is the creation of Jason Teabout and Rob Bowen, both of whom grew up in St. Pete. Rob is an interior designer, who started a design firm in Downtown St. Pete 12 years ago and Jason just retired from 24 years in the military.

Jason and Rob describe Social Roost as a personal passion project and a love letter to St. Pete. “We adore Downtown St. Pete,” says Rob. “This is our way of giving back to the community.”

May 22, 2019

Contemporary Townhomes Planned for Historic Kenwood

May 22, 2019/ Anthony Close

The downtown development boom is starting to have a ripple effect on the areas surrounding the downtown core. Neighborhoods like the Grand Central District, Warehouse Arts District, and EDGE District have all benefited from Downtown St. Pete’s increasing popularity. And as these communities continue to evolve, they’ve started to develop distinct identities and personalities of their own.

The Grand Central District, for example, is a growing, creative, and bohemian collection of 350 locally owned and operated businesses, including merchants, restaurants, bars, art galleries, professional services, and health and wellness providers. The neighborhood is located just west of Downtown St Pete with boundaries between 31st Street to 16th Street, and includes Central Avenue, 1st Avenue North and 1st Avenue South.

Many of the small businesses that would have once eyed the 600 block are instead looking west down Central Avenue due to significantly cheaper rents. While this shift is seen as a negative by many, the businesses moving into the district have reactivated buildings, and even entire blocks, that have sat underutilized or vacant for decades.