August 12, 2020

Machine Shop to provide barber cuts and community in the EDGE District

August 12, 2020/ Brian Zucker

We aren’t the only region in the world with beautiful beaches. Walkable downtowns can be found in just about every major city. And most places in Europe have us beat by a few hundred years when it comes to historic buildings. But what makes St. Petersburg truly unique and special to me are the people.

There are countless ways to meet people in St. Pete, but an especially great place to get to know your neighbors is at a local barbershop or salon. And there’s a new high-end barbershop coming soon to 915 Central Avenue that promises to be a cut above the rest.

The priority at Machine Shop Barber Company will be the people. “I want to create a place that feels like family,” says owner Brandon Thompson. “In fact, I’d love to periodically shut down the shop and take my staff to do haircuts for the homeless or any other community event we can be a part of.”

August 10, 2020

Pour Judgement will be Tampa Bay’s first craft shot bar

August 10, 2020/ Brian Zucker

You can’t talk about nightlife in Downtown St. Pete without mentioning the Jannus block. Bound by Central Avenue and First Avenue North between 1st Street and 2nd Street, nearly every business on the block is a bar, except for a handful of restaurants specializing in the drunk food. I’m looking at you Joey Brooklyn’s, Top Slice, and Hoots!

While we are sad to report on the closing of The Tamiami at 269 Central Avenue, we are really excited about what is replacing it. Pour Judgement will be a craft shot bar featuring hundreds of cleverly crafted shots opening later this month.

This new bar concept will be the first of its kind in Tampa Bay and is being brought to life by a group of seasoned hospitality veterans in St. Pete including Michael Jennings, Miles Duncan, Jerrad Atkin, Billy Orfanakos, Joe Moledo, and Melissa Powell. Jennings, Duncan, Atkin, and Orfanakos also own One Night Stand, a lively country bar located a block away at 149 1st Avenue North.

August 07, 2020

St. Pete moves forward with electric scooter share program

August 07, 2020/ Anthony Close

St. Pete may finally be getting e-scooters! On August 20th, St. Pete City Council will vote on an agreement which will allow two scooter vendors to participate in a pilot e-scooter share program in downtown St. Pete. E-scooters would be deployed by two companies – Veo and Razor.

Discussion about having e-scooters in downtown St. Pete began in 2018 when scooter sharing was first sweeping the nation. But unlike many cities, St. Pete was in no rush to have e-scooters and waited to see how other cities regulated them before deploying their own program.

Last October, St. Pete City Council approved an ordinance which green lit an e-scooter pilot program and began the vendor application process.

August 06, 2020

Aerial St. Pete: Skyway Marina District is rising in south St. Pete

August 06, 2020/ Anthony Close

This is the third quarter 2020 update of St. Pete Rising’s Aerial St. Pete series. Aerial St. Pete is a quarterly column we launched earlier this year which features exclusive aerial photography of projects under construction in St. Petersburg, FL. To accomplish this we have teamed up with Anthony Bove at AB3 Visuals.

In this update we’re taking a look at construction in the Skyway Marina District. The Skyway Marina District was founded in October 2013 and is located along 34th Street South between 30th Avenue South and 54th Street South. The district has undergone a series of changes in recent years including new place making signs and a renewed focus on bringing new businesses and residents to the area.

And these efforts are paying off! There are currently over 900 rental units planned for the district and of those, 850 are currently under construction. To put it another way, there are currently more residential units under construction in the Skyway Marina District than any other area of St. Pete.

These new units are concentrated in three projects – Sur Club, the Addison Skyway Marina, and Marina Walk.

July 30, 2020

A spotlight on The Mar, St. Pete's newest performing arts studio

July 30, 2020/ Stephanie Stott

In the aftermath of COVID-19 unemployment, The MAR St. Pete will be a refuge for artists. But Heather Hamar’s dream, transforming the space at 2309 Central Avenue into a workshopping wonderland, started long before the coronavirus chaos.

Originally from Flower Mound, Texas, Hamar wore many hats before settling into St. Pete. From Event Coordinator at Busch Gardens to Production Management at Norwegian Cruise Line, she knows what it takes to put on a great show.

She also knows that breaking into show business is no easy task.

July 27, 2020

Redevelopment of 86-acre Tropicana Field site begins in St. Pete

July 27, 2020/ Anthony Close

Today the City of St. Petersburg officially kicked off planning for the public/private redevelopment of the Tropicana Field site with the release of a Request for Proposals (RFP). The RFP is seeking submissions from developers to redevelop an 86-acre site in Downtown St. Pete which is currently home to the Tampa Bay Rays.

For years, city and county leaders have touted the site as a once in a generation opportunity to redevelop a large, publicly-owned tract of land in densely populated Pinellas County. Downtown St. Pete’s revitalization over the past decade has only made the site’s redevelopment potential even more attractive.

In 2017 the City contracted planning firm HKS to develop two vision concepts for the site – one with a Rays stadium and one without it. The plans are comparable but with different demand drivers and uses. These vision plans will likely guide developers in creating their redevelopment submissions.

July 23, 2020

A sinful speakeasy is coming to St. Pete

July 23, 2020/ Jennifer Stott

Enter a sinner, leave a saint. There’s a new church on the block—but this one’s got booze. It’s called The Saint and will be located at 49 24th Street North in the Grand Central District.

Founder David Fischer is a seasoned business owner. A Texas native, he bounced from Orlando to Treasure Island before establishing his home decor and interior design business, ZaZoo’d, on Central Avenue in Downtown St. Pete. The shop offers a unique array of treasures and services, from weddings to design consultations. But Fischer’s ambition didn’t stop there.

With ZaZood's success and Fischer's admiration for St. Pete's creativity, the city was just right for building his dream — his very own speakeasy.

July 22, 2020

Developers pitch ideas to transform two sites in Downtown St. Pete

July 22, 2020/ Anthony Close

Over the past few months, several groups have been in the running to redevelop two centrally located city-owned properties in Downtown St. Pete. The first lies directly on Central Avenue at the northeast corner of 4th Street while the second sits on 2nd Avenue North between 4th Street and 5th Street. The property at Central Avenue and 4th Street is currently home to the City of St. Petersburg’s Municipal Services Center (MSC), an 11-story office building which contains city services such as the planning department, code enforcement, and parking management, among others.

The existing MSC has outstanding deferred maintenance and late last year the City received an unsolicited proposal from Property Markets Group (PMG) to buy the Central Avenue property for $13M. Pursuant to Florida law, the City cannot sell City-owned property without first soliciting offers from other potential buyers.

July 20, 2020

LALA's to bring private karaoke experience to Downtown St. Pete

July 20, 2020/ Brianna Rodriguez

Karaoke night will soon be every night at LALA St. Pete, a new restaurant, bar, and karaoke box opening at 2324 Central Avenue in the Grand Central District of St. Petersburg.

The 4,500 square foot concept will feature two floors of restaurant space with an indoor capacity of 175 seats. There will also be seven private karaoke rooms, a rooftop bar, and courtyard space which will be shared with the neighboring Grand Central Brewhouse.

Karaoke rooms, or karaoke boxes, got their start in Japan in the 1980’s. Instead of singing in a public space, such as a crowded bar, friends convened in private rooms to belt out their favorite hits. Private karaoke rooms are still most popular in Asian countries, but have recently started to gain popularity in Canada, Europe and the United States.

July 17, 2020

What can Downtown St. Pete learn from European cities?

July 17, 2020/ Guest

St. Petersburg seems to be getting a lot of attention these days. And why shouldn’t it? We live in a city with good parks and trails, easy access to water, a bayfront downtown, and funky Central Avenue to tie it all together. And all of this without much traffic thanks to the well-connected street grid. Even though the city, and especially the downtown and Central Avenue, have made great strides in the last 5-10 years (as the long-time locals keep reminding me), the urban planner in me is always looking for ways to make a good thing better. And while some hesitate to look across the Atlantic for inspiration, I find there is much to learn from European cities and their immersive urban environments, especially as it relates to the downtown area.