Affordable housing development, Skyway Lofts, breaks ground in St. Pete

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Affordable housing development, Skyway Lofts, breaks ground in St. Pete

Nearly 1,000 people are moving to Florida every single day. This mass migration is partially due to Coronavirus but is also a result of the favorable tax climate we enjoy in Florida compared to some of the northern states, such as New York and New Jersey.

With the addition of beautiful beaches and being home to the most vibrant downtown in the state, it’s no surprise why Pinellas County, and especially St. Petersburg, is a popular place for out-of-state transplants.

However, one of the major byproducts of an influx of new residents is a dwindling supply of housing. And as a result, we’ve seen home values and rental rates rise quite significantly.

One Tampa-based affordable housing developer is trying to tackle the housing affordability issue in Florida. “Our mission is to help local governments and non-profits meet their affordable housing goals,” says Scott Macdonald, Executive Vice President and CFO of Blue Sky Communities.

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Reflection, an 18-story condo tower, launches sales in downtown St. Pete

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Reflection, an 18-story condo tower, launches sales in downtown St. Pete

Sales have officially kicked off for a new condominium project planned near Mirror Lake in downtown St. Pete. Known as Reflection, the 18-story tower was announced in January and is proposed for the northwest corner of 3rd Avenue North and 8th Street.

Reflection will feature 88 residences along with 3,300 square feet of ground floor retail space.

Units in the building will range from 1,200 square feet to 2,300 square feet with between one and three bedrooms. Pricing is set to begin in the $500,000’s, which is about 20% lower than Beach Drive prices, and will rise to over $1 million. That pricing is attainable because of the project’s location west of the downtown core, an area which has seen an increase in development activity in recent years.

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Dal Moro’s to cook up fresh pasta to-go in downtown St. Pete

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Dal Moro’s to cook up fresh pasta to-go in downtown St. Pete

When in need of a quick meal, your instinct is probably to search for the nearest drive-thru. The last thing to come to mind would be a hearty serving of pasta. But now, with Dal Moro’s coming to St. Pete in October, you can have your linguini -- and eat it, too.

Dal Moro's, which originated in Venice, took flight to Ottawa and Toronto. Now, for its American debut, it's set to land on St. Pete's doorstep, at 653 Central Ave, formerly home to Graphi-ko Decor. Thanks to Joe Esposito of KW Commercial, who represented both the tenant and landlord in the deal, you’ll soon be able to stuff your face with the carbohydrate creation of your dreams.

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Finalists selected for the redevelopment of MSC building in downtown St. Pete

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Finalists selected for the redevelopment of MSC building in downtown St. Pete

The redevelopment of St. Pete’s Municipal Services Center (MSC) has taken another step forward with the selection of two finalists – Allen Morris and a joint proposal by Echelon, LLC and Third Lake Capital.

Last December, the City of St. Pete received an unsolicited proposal from New York-based development firm Property Markets Group (PMG) to purchase and redevelop the MSC at 1 Fourth Street in downtown St. Pete. In order to redevelop the site, a new MSC building would be constructed on a city-owned parking lot on 2nd Avenue North. This unsolicited offer prompted the city to release a Notice of Intent to Sell, inviting any alternative proposals from private developers to purchase the existing MSC.

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BurgerFi plans to open in downtown St Pete this Winter

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BurgerFi plans to open in downtown St Pete this Winter

It has been just over a year since Icon Central began move-ins at 855 Central Avenue in downtown St. Petersburg. The 368-unit luxury apartment community, which was developed by Miami-based Related Group, is seeing healthy lease-up with 75% of units currently occupied.

However, while Icon Central has been able to find tenants for the residential portion of the community, the 38,000 square feet of retail has sat completely vacant. And although the retail market in general has been in flux since COVID-19 hit in late March, other downtown retail spaces haven’t had as much trouble filling vacancies.

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Bacon Bitch to bring back-talking breakfast and brunch to the ‘Burg

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Bacon Bitch to bring back-talking breakfast and brunch to the ‘Burg

Bacon Bitch, a breakfast and brunch concept with an attitude, will be landing in the EDGE District soon. Miami-based Queens Hospitality has just signed a lease to occupy the former Bodega on Central space at 1120 Central Avenue.

The full-service restaurant, whose only other location opened on South Beach in 2017, will serve a classic American breakfast and brunch inspired by a love for bacon.

If the Miami location is any indication, Bacon Bitch in St. Pete will be just as much an experience as a meal. The space looks like it was made for social media. You feel like you’re at a high-end lounge with neon lights and eclectic decorations that will make it impossible to not pull out your phone and snap a few shots.

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Sales for The Julia, a 19-story condo tower, launch in downtown St. Pete

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Sales for The Julia, a 19-story condo tower, launch in downtown St. Pete

Sales for a new boutique condominium building in downtown St. Pete have launched on a familiar site just two blocks from Beach Drive. Planned for the southwest corner of 4th Avenue North and 1st Street North, the building will be named The Julia.

In talking exclusively with St. Pete Rising, real estate developer Peter Francis, of Francis Family, LLC, discussed his vision for the building prior to its launch. “This is a boutique project and it’s going to be very customizable. We want the people moving in here to see it as not just another condominium building but as a home,” says Francis, “We’re going to make this a very intimate experience.”

With approximately 15 units and a maximum of two units per floor, The Julia promises to be a highly customizable boutique condominium building unlike some of downtown St. Pete’s larger condo developments. Given the building’s size there will rarely be crowds at the pool or waits for the elevator, aspects which could be key selling points in today’s COVID-19 environment.

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Veteran restauranteurs to open Gracie Pasta and Provisions in the EDGE District

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Veteran restauranteurs to open Gracie Pasta and Provisions in the EDGE District

Over the past few months, at the corner of 16th Street and Central Avenue, where the EDGE District meets the Grand Central District, three apartments buildings have completed construction and commenced lease-up on a total of 700 new apartments. A Tru by Hilton hotel has also just opened their doors across the street.

This pocket of new developments is the foundation of what will soon become a thriving community that will undoubtedly bring in a wave of coffee shops, cafes, boutiques, and services to the area.

Local restauranteurs, Chef Marlin Kaplan and his partner Lisa Masterson, are hoping to capitalize on the influx of residents when they open up Gracie Pasta and Provisions in a few days at 1431 Central Avenue, previously home to ARTicles which will still operate out of a storefront three doors down. This will be the second location of Gracie, with the original outpost located on Pass-a-Grille adjacent to Grace, the couple’s upscale casual eatery which opened in 2017.

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Two restaurants to open inside the historic Detroit Hotel building on Central

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Two restaurants to open inside the historic Detroit Hotel building on Central

Two new food concepts are taking over the former Caddy’s on Central space located at 217 Central Avenue. A restaurant tentatively namely The Brickyard will soon occupy the 8,000 square foot indoor and patio space and Pizza N’ Brew will operate out of the smaller, adjacent parcel.

The dual concept is being brought to the Sunshine City by Sarasota-based Segreti Hospitality Group. CEO Frank Segreti is a 4th generation restauranteur who has been in the restaurant and bar business for 22 years.

St. Pete has been on the restaurant group’s radar for a while, having been impressed by the city’s meteoric growth over the past decade. “If you want to go out and have some fun, you don’t go to Tampa, you go to St. Pete,” says Owner Relations Director Dana Speer. “In fact, we intend on moving our business office to St. Petersburg as well.”

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The EDGE District roundabout is getting a $200k sculpture

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The EDGE District roundabout is getting a $200k sculpture

Earlier this week, a selection committee chose Ilan Averbuch, an Israel-born sculptor, to construct a piece of art entitled The Sun on the EDGE for the prominent roundabout located at the intersection of 11th Street and Central Avenue in the heart of the EDGE District.

The City of St. Petersburg, in collaboration with the EDGE District, released a Request for Proposal (RFP) in early February seeking to commission an artist to design, engineer, construct and install a center public art piece in the roundabout.

The project budget is $199,000, which will come out of the Intown West CRA tax increment funds (TIF) funds that have been approved for the neighborhood’s streetscape improvements.

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