June 17, 2020

Spitfire Theater opens expanded space for improv comedy in the Grand Central District

June 17, 2020/ Brian Zucker

Let’s be honest. This year has been rough. And not just for some of us, but for everyone. At this point, I think it’s safe to say we could all use a good laugh. And what better way to blow off steam and relax than to experience live comedy!

Spitfire Theater, St. Pete’s home for improv comedy, will host their first shows in almost 300 days this weekend at their new and expanded theater located at 1920 1st Avenue South in the Grand Central District. The new space is steps away from Pinellas Ale Works, Cage Brewing, and Hideaway Cafe.

May 31, 2020

Naked Farmer debuts farm-fresh bowls at 200 Central in Downtown St. Pete

May 31, 2020/ Brian Zucker

Imagine having a dream of owning your own business. For years, decades even, you throw ideas around in your head of what your future venture might look like. Until one day, you conjure up the perfect concept. And you finally decide to take a leap of faith and make your dream a reality.

So you spend months upon months sketching out a business plan, deciding on a clever name, employing a branding company, finding an excellent location, hiring the right staff, etc. You get the picture. And then weeks before your grand opening, a pandemic brings the world to its knees and life as we know it shuts down.

This is essentially what the past few months has been like for Jordan Johnson, owner of Naked Farmer, a new farm-fresh restaurant located at 200 Central Avenue, which was scheduled to open to the public on April 1st in Downtown St. Pete.

May 20, 2020

Italy Bottega brings a taste of Italy to Central Avenue

May 20, 2020/ Brianna Rodriguez

Imagine driving through the rolling hills of Tuscany in your 2013 Fiat Panda when your stomach starts to rumble. You pull off the road and stroll into a small café for a buttery, flaky croissant and a warm caffé latte. While enjoying your traditional Italian colazione (or breakfast), you begin to think…Life sure is good!

Well, I can’t promise that exact scene here in St. Pete, but a new market and café offering up an authentic taste of Italy is opening very soon in the EDGE District. And although it won’t beat the Bel Paese (or beautiful country) itself, we’re hoping it’ll be a close second.

May 13, 2020

Gallery 3100, a 122-unit apartment building, breaks ground in the Grand Central District

May 13, 2020/ Anthony Close

A new apartment building recently broke ground in the Grand Central District at 3100 Central Avenue. Named Gallery 3100, the four-story project will be located on a site which formerly housed a SunTrust Bank building. The project is a joint-venture between St. Pete-based Mosaic Development and the Brookview Companies.

“We are officially under construction! We have demolished the former bank building, cleared the site, and have started environmental soil remediation. There is a lot of construction activity to look forward to,” says Roxanne Amoroso, Principal of Mosaic Development.

May 07, 2020

Plans for the redevelopment of Downtown St. Pete’s MSC building move forward

May 07, 2020/ Anthony Close

Back in December, St. Pete Rising reported that the City of St. Pete received an unsolicited offer from New York-based development firm Property Markets Group (PMG) to purchase and redevelop the Municipal Services Center at 1 Fourth Street in Downtown St. Pete.

For background, the Municipal Services Center, or MSC for short, is an 11-story city-owned building with an entire block of Central Avenue frontage that primarily houses city services such as the planning department, code enforcement, and parking management. The building needs millions of dollars in deferred renovations and as a result the City has been exploring ways to renovate or build a new MSC building.

As part of the plan, a new MSC building would be developed on 2nd Avenue North across from City Hall. After receiving the initial development proposal in December, the City was required to solicit requests from other groups before selling the land.

May 01, 2020

The Sapphire, a boutique condominium project, is proposed for 3rd Avenue South in Downtown St. Pete

May 01, 2020/ Anthony Close

The area of downtown St. Pete that lies just south of 2nd Avenue South between 5th Street and 8th Street has seen a number of new developments in recent years. While the area is largely quiet and residential, there is a scattering of other uses too.

Development in this neighborhood tends to be less intense than other areas of downtown, with projects like Campbell Landings, which was completed in 2014, and the Saint James Townhomes, which wrapped up earlier this year.

There are a number of new developments on the horizon for this areas as well. The Royal, which recently finished site preparations, is set to break ground on 4th Avenue South. Across the street, an underappreciated medical office building is in the process of being transformed into boutique office space and an upscale restaurant, Lingr on 6th. Soon to be joining these developments is The Sapphire – a new boutique condominium project.

April 28, 2020

Two New Businesses Announced for Artistry Apartments on St. Pete's Central Avenue

April 28, 2020/ Brianna Rodriguez

If you’ve driven down Central Avenue recently, you’d notice that the Grand Central District is teeming with new development. Over the next few months multiple developments are expected to wrap up including: 1701 Central, Vantage Lofts, TRU by Hilton, and Artistry Apartments. In total over 700 new apartments will soon join the district along with 132 new hotel rooms.

These added residents and guests will increase the need for more restaurants and services in the area. Thankfully, each of these developments has ground floor retail, more than 60,000 square feet in total, which will add to the vibrancy of the area.

At Artistry, which is located at 1601 Central Avenue, leases were recently signed for two of the retail units. Each of the businesses is expected to open by the end of the year.

April 21, 2020

New Townhomes Proposed for 8th Street in Downtown St. Pete

April 21, 2020/ Anthony Close

In a sign of confidence in the St. Pete market, a veteran real estate developer is launching a townhome development on 8th Street North in Downtown St. Pete. Located at Burlington Avenue and 8th Street, just a block from Mirror Lake, the project will be appropriately named the 8th Street Townhomes.

The development is being led by investor George Gower, who developed townhomes on Fareham Place near Beach Drive in the late 1990’s. At the time, developing new residential units in Downtown St. Pete was pretty rare. In a recent call with St. Pete Rising, Gower describes Downtown St. Pete in the 1990’s as “sleepy” and says his Fareham Place project was “one of the first new residential developments in downtown in 15 years.”

April 13, 2020

35-story Saltaire condo tower breaks ground in Downtown St. Pete

April 13, 2020/ Anthony Close

Amid the fanfare of the coronavirus pandemic, a significant project in Downtown St. Pete has taken steps toward becoming a reality. Saltaire, a 35-story condominium tower proposed for 300 1st Street South, recently announced it has broken ground on the site of the former parking lot of the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront Hotel.

Back in October 2019, Ashford Hospitality Trust, the owner of the Hilton Bayfront, sold the hotel’s 1.65 acre parking lot to KT St. Pete Bayfront, LLC for $17.5 million. KT St. Pete Bayfront, LLC is controlled by the Palm Beach County real estate development firm Kolter Group which is developing Saltaire.

March 12, 2020

Par Bar, a mini golf bar, tees off soon in the Grand Central District

March 12, 2020/ Brian Zucker

My favorite golf course is in my hometown of Fort Myers, Florida. I’ve probably played the course hundreds of times and I don’t think I’ve ever been able to shoot lower than an 85. It’s not a PGA Tour course, I’m just not much of a golfer. I’m talking about Castle Golf, a medieval-themed miniature golf course.

From the time you enter the castle gates (aka the parking lot), you’re swept up in a spellbinding mystery as you make your way over the lagoon, through the forest and fog, to the castle under the stars.

I used to have so much fun mini golfing, but I haven’t been in years. Mostly because I’m not a kid anymore, but also because St. Petersburg, FL doesn’t have any mini golf courses. However, that may soon change thanks to Marcel Gruber and Kurt Campagna.