Reflection, a proposed 18-story condo tower, exceeds $20M in reservations in two months

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Reflection, a proposed 18-story condo tower, exceeds $20M in reservations in two months

Two months ago when sales launched for Reflection St. Pete, a condominium tower planned near Mirror Lake in downtown St. Petersburg, many saw the location as pioneering.

Situated west of the downtown core, the area was untested for an 18-story condominium tower of this size. The thesis for the development is that there is demand for upscale condominium units within close proximity to the Central Arts District and the booming EDGE District. It appears they were right.

Despite COVID-19 and potential economic uncertainty, sales have exceeded initial expectations with over $20 million in reservations so far.

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Popular downtown Thai restaurant, Pin Wok & Bowl, opening new concept in the EDGE District

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Popular downtown Thai restaurant, Pin Wok & Bowl, opening new concept in the EDGE District

When Chiang Mai Thai Cuisine opened in the EDGE District over 10 years ago, the neighborhood looked a lot different. In fact, the area wasn’t even known as the EDGE District back then, but the Dome District.

The building currently occupied by Dr. BBQ was then home to Cast Steel Products. Red Mesa Mercado was Simple Living, a furniture store, and the Enigma nightclub was a shop called Interior Motives that sold art, antiques and frames. There were also a ton of vacant storefronts. And to be honest, it wasn’t really a part of town that many people wanted to hang out in.

Over the years, as Beach Drive rents skyrocketed, development started to creep west toward the EDGE District. Before long, Green Bench Brewing moved in, Bodega opened their doors, and Ashe Couture Boutique set up shop.

Today, the EDGE District is one of most popular neighborhoods for food, nightlife, and shopping not only in downtown St. Pete, but in all of Tampa Bay.

But all good things must come to an end.

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12-story residential building planned for St. Pete's EDGE District

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12-story residential building planned for St. Pete's EDGE District

A lot featuring a signature building and surface parking lot in St. Pete’s EDGE District could soon be redeveloped according to documents that were recently submitted to the City of St. Petersburg.

Silver Sands LLC, which purchased the property at 900 Central Avenue in 2019 for $5.75 million, filed site plan review documents in August for a 12-story mixed-use building at the southwest corner of Central Avenue and Dr. MLK Jr. Street. The intersection serves as the eastern gateway for the EDGE District, a burgeoning downtown neighborhood that extends from Dr. MLK Jr. Street to 16th Street between 1st Avenue North and 1st Avenue South.

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St. Pete’s first dog waterpark and bar coming to the Grand Central District

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St. Pete’s first dog waterpark and bar coming to the Grand Central District

A passion for animals was all Natalie Conner needed to follow her dream: creating Mutts and Martinis, St. Pete’s first doggie waterpark and full-liquor bar, coming soon to 2900 Central Ave in the Grand Central District. Chris Featherston of Barkett Realty represented the landlord in the deal. A Floridian for over 20 years, Conner wants to provide man’s best friend a place to dip a paw in, while the owners enjoy a couple of rounds.

Although we don’t know all of the details yet, the facts we do know are exciting. The front patio will feature a zero-entry splash pool, water sprays, and fountains. While you catch the latest sports games at the bar, rest assured your dog will be entertained at one of the many indoor play areas around the property, under the watchful eyes of the Mutts and Martinis staff.

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Hogg Batch Coffee begins roasting in the Grand Central District

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Hogg Batch Coffee begins roasting in the Grand Central District

In a town overflowing with coffee shops, Hogg Batch brings a truly unique flavor to the java scene. Located at 2327 Central Avenue, the shop quietly opened a few months ago in St. Pete’s Grand Central District. Although the shop mainly operates as a pick-up location for online orders, and not as a traditional coffee bar, the owners may host the occasional pop-up event or coffee tasting in the future.

The founders, twin brothers David and Duane Hogg, call their method of roasting coffee something of a disruption -- and fully a delight. Every last coffee bean is sourced and roasted with care; innovative and inspiring, their coffee is aged in used spirit barrels. This process infuses each cup of joe with a taste unlike anything else in the area. Some examples of what these two are brewing up in the kitchen include flavors such as: Coffee + Bourbon, Coffee + Whiskey, Coffee + Gin, and Coffee + Jamaican Rum.

The brothers originally hail from Hartford, CT. However, after finishing their BFAs at a private art school in Tampa, they decided to stick around, going on to continue their studies at USF. It was St. Pete’s spirit of community and togetherness -- as well as the continued support for local companies -- that kept them here. Growing up so close to large cities, they understand the power community support has on small businesses.

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Tampa Bay Innovation Center makes progress towards 2021 groundbreaking

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Tampa Bay Innovation Center makes progress towards 2021 groundbreaking

Back in January, Pinellas County issued an RFP calling for architectural service proposals to design the Tampa Bay Innovation Center scheduled to be built at the southwest corner of Fourth Street and 11th Avenue South in St. Petersburg’s Innovation District. The deadline to submit proposals was February 4th.

The new two-story 45,000 square foot state-of-the-art business incubator will house 30,000 square feet of client space, coworking space as well as conference/community rooms and offices. 113 parking spaces will be situated under a portion of the building and also at the rear of the property.

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St. Pete’s SHINE Mural Festival announces an all-Florida artist lineup

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St. Pete’s SHINE Mural Festival announces an all-Florida artist lineup

‘Tis the season! No, it’s not quite time string up the lights and light up the Christmas tree (or Hannukah bush). It’s mural season in St. Petersburg! The SHINE Mural Festival returns to the Sunshine City in less than a month on November 7th – 14th.

Over the past decade, St. Petersburg has established itself as an international mural destination. By using walls and streets as canvas, we’ve created an outdoor art gallery of over 600 murals that’s completely free and open 24/7.

Since 2015, the SHINE Mural Festival has been responsible for 93 murals by artists from all over the world, including more than 90 local artists. Some of our most iconic murals were painted during the annual mural fest, such as Shark Toof’s “Big Red Shark” behind the Floridian Social Club and Evoca1’s “Through the Perils of our Youth” in the EDGE District.

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Orange Station at the Edge unveiled for redevelopment of St. Pete Police HQ lot

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Orange Station at the Edge unveiled for redevelopment of St. Pete Police HQ lot

More details have been released about a mixed-use project proposed for the former St. Pete Police Department headquarters site at 1300 1st Avenue North in the EDGE District.

A year ago, the City of St. Petersburg selected Edge Central Development Partners to redevelop the site after a new police station was completed across the street in early 2019.

Named Orange Station at the Edge, the development is expected to include 100,000 square feet Class A office space, 56 urban condominiums, 30 workforce housing apartments, and over 20,000 square feet of ground floor retail space.

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How to keep St. Pete local and navigate retail leasing in a post-COVID world

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How to keep St. Pete local and navigate retail leasing in a post-COVID world

When thinking about how to continue to support St. Pete’s small businesses during the economic tough times in the aftermath of COVID-19, the average consumer repeats to themselves the phrase we hear so often: ”Shop Local.”

John Barkett, owner of Barkett Realty, a local real estate brokerage firm, has been involved in some of St. Pete’s most successful neighborhoods like The EDGE, Grand Central, and MLK Districts. Barkett has worked hard to ensure their continued success through the pandemic. In order to help keep the vibrancy of these neighborhoods alive, Barkett shares a few words of advice for landlords, brokers, and small business owners who may be dealing with uncertainty during COVID-19.

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83-unit infill apartment buildings to rise in downtown St. Pete

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83-unit infill apartment buildings to rise in downtown St. Pete

About a year ago, St. Pete City Council approved a package of Land Development Regulation (LDR) changes in an effort to help reduce the cost of building housing in the city. The package of code changes was just one prong in a multifaceted approach to help address housing affordability in the Sunshine City.

One of the approved code changes was the removal of mandatory parking minimums for residential units under 750 square feet in downtown St. Pete. Mandatory parking minimums are development regulations which require a certain number of vehicular parking spaces per residential unit.

There’s a growing body of evidence that mandatory parking minimums come at an immense cost to the cities that implement them.

A 2015 study even estimated that the cost of a single parking space in a structured garage increases residential rent by $225 per month.

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