Moffitt Cancer Center and UPC Insurance propose mixed-use development at 800 2nd Avenue South

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Moffitt Cancer Center and UPC Insurance propose mixed-use development at 800 2nd Avenue South

A prime lot in the heart of downtown could soon be redeveloped after the City of St. Petersburg received an unsolicited offer for the city-owned block at 800 2nd Avenue South.

Moffitt Cancer Center along with United Insurance Holdings Corp. and TPA Group submitted an offer to purchase the 4.59 acre site in order to develop a mixed-use project which would include a cancer care center, a future headquarters building for UPC, a residential building, and a public parking garage.

UPC Insurance had previously planned to purchase the site in 2018 to build a 150,000 square foot office building, a 500-space public parking garage, and a potential hotel. However, UPC scrapped the project in 2020 after reporting higher than expected losses as a result of a busy hurricane season and cited the need to reassess office space needs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Black Radish, an all-vegan grocery store, opening this fall in St. Pete

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Black Radish, an all-vegan grocery store, opening this fall in St. Pete

In a few short months, downtown St. Pete will be home to Black Radish Grocer, an entirely vegan grocery store. The plant-based bodega will put down roots at 246 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street North in a space neighboring the historic Coney Island Sandwich Shop.

After opening their first location in Tampa last year, the team behind Black Radish has seen first-hand the healthy demand for vegan grocery items in Tampa Bay, even despite being in the throes of a global pandemic. Riding the wave of success of the VM Ybor location, the owners decided it was time to open a second outpost across the bay in St. Pete.

Although the 900-square-foot St. Pete shop will be 50% larger than its space in Tampa, the two locations will mostly carry the same products. The increased space in St. Pete will allow employees to have more personal space as well as make it feasible for Black Radish to carry all-new items.

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Bella8 Boutique brings accessible, affordable fashion to Historic Uptown

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Bella8 Boutique brings accessible, affordable fashion to Historic Uptown

Bella8 Boutique opened on Saturday in Historic Uptown featuring size inclusive options for the career woman in search of trendy clothing at an affordable price.

Bella8’s mission is to make professional, stylish clothing that caters to both straight (XS to L) and plus size women. This means the 700 square foot storefront at 501 Dr. MLK Jr. Street North will be filled with a wide selection of clothing ranging from size S to 3X. EJ Barkett of Barkett Realty represented the landlord in the lease signing.

Owner and St. Pete native, Shawntavia Turner, wanted to create a space that dresses career women of all shapes and sizes with clothing that is fashionable and contemporary. “We are going to have clothing selections that cover the full gamut, from night attire, event wear, and business casual clothing to swimwear and outerwear.”

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Rezoning paves the way for new apartments and a massive industrial park in St. Pete’s Gateway area

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Rezoning paves the way for new apartments and a massive industrial park in St. Pete’s Gateway area

One of the largest vacant tracts of land in St. Petersburg could soon be developed after the City’s Community Planning & Preservation Commission (CPPC) unanimously approved a zoning change and future land use map amendment that paves the way for a proposed mixed-use development that is set to include new multifamily housing and industrial warehouses.

Located at the northwest corner of Gandy Boulevard and I-275, the 93.38 acre site is owned by Jabil, Inc., a global manufacturing services company, who once envisioned a massive headquarters campus on the site.

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Bonu’ Taverna to bring Italian hospitality to Central Avenue’s 600 block

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Bonu’ Taverna to bring Italian hospitality to Central Avenue’s 600 block

A new Italian tavern is coming to downtown St. Pete bringing avant-garde dishes with eclectic Italian hospitality. Bonu’ Taverna will be opening on the corner of Central Avenue and 6th Street in a space currently occupied by Cider Press Café, who will be moving to Kenwood by the end of the year.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a cuisine more comforting than Italian food. There’s no question Italians love to eat well and to many, it goes way beyond simple nourishment. In Italy, meals are a family affair and at Bonu’ Taverna, it will be no different.

“We cannot wait to invite St. Pete into our home, introduce them to our culture, our culinary experience, and our hospitality,” said Mia Maccarrone, who owns Bonu’ Taverna with her husband Mario Maccarrone.

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Cider Press Café is closing on Central Avenue, opening vegan gastropub in Kenwood

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Cider Press Café is closing on Central Avenue, opening vegan gastropub in Kenwood

After six years on Central Avenue, Cider Press Café will be packing up and moving to Kenwood. The move was unexpected for owners Johan Everstijn and Roland Strobel, but the duo is excited to reinvent the Cider Press brand in a new part of town.

“This is not a move that we planned,” said Johan. “Our landlord is not honoring our lease. We should’ve been able to stay for another year.”

The Central Avenue location will be open until the end of the year or until the build-out on the new location is complete.

Johan and Roland are using the move as an opportunity to retool the concept. Once the doors open at 3118 3rd Avenue North in the Shoppes of Kenwood, the popular vegan restaurant will be known as Cider Press Vegan Gastropub and Patio Bar.

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Tokyo-style listening bar, In Between Days, opens this month in St. Pete

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Tokyo-style listening bar, In Between Days, opens this month in St. Pete

Walk too quickly down 1st Avenue South in the Grand Central District and you’d be forgiven for passing right by St Pete’s newest hub of art, culture, food, and drinks. The small blue house at 2340 1st Avenue South has no sign, no logo on the door, and limited web presence. It’s a destination to stumble upon serendipitously or seek out intentionally. However you find yourself inside, you’re in for an experience unlike any you’ve had in St Pete - or all of Florida for that matter.

In Between Days is a listening bar, a cafe with high-end audio equipment where attention to detail, quality, and intentionality are the focus. When it opens this summer, it will be Florida’s first such institution, a concept originated in Japan and popularized in places like New York, LA, and London by both music lovers and casual listeners alike. Audiophiles will delight in the pristine and perfect sound, but even those who think music isn’t “their thing” will find themselves immediately mesmerized.

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New six-story apartment building planned for St. Pete’s Gateway area

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New six-story apartment building planned for St. Pete’s Gateway area

A grassy lot in north St. Petersburg is slated to become the site of the latest multifamily development in the Gateway area. On August 4th the Development Review Commission (DRC) will held a public hearing for a proposed site plan modification of the 22-acre Ibis Walk development which is located between Dr. MLK Jr. Street and Roosevelt Boulevard just north of Gandy Boulevard. The approval paves the way for a new six-story, 127-unit apartment building.

Ibis Walk is a mixed-use development that began construction in 2009 and was expected to have multifamily units, 77,000 square feet of retail space, and 150,000 square feet of office space. A portion of the retail space was completed in 2011 and later a 401-unit, four-story rental community, Ibis Walk Apartments, was completed in 2014. Current retail tenants in the retail space include Tijuana Flats, Freshii, 9Round Fitness, Smoothie King, Dollar General, and Yaya’s Flame Broiled Chicken.

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Marina Beach, a 400-unit mixed-use development, is approved for the Skyway Marina District

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Marina Beach, a 400-unit mixed-use development, is approved for the Skyway Marina District

Yesterday, St. Pete’s Development Review Commission unanimously approved plans for a mixed-use development planned for the southwest corner of 34th Street South and 42nd Avenue South in the Skyway Marina District.

The project at 4311 34th Street South was first announced by St. Pete Rising in early June and will feature a 400-unit multifamily building along with a 95,000 square foot self-storage facility, a 2,400 square foot bank, and a 4,500 square foot restaurant pad.

The land is under contract for purchase by Jack Dougherty of Allied Group Holdings and is currently occupied by an underutilized strip mall. Allied Group previously sold a 5.25-acre parcel just south of the site to Sarasota-based LifeStar Living which is planning to construct a nine-story luxury senior living community – The Manhattan.

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23-story condo building, The Nolen, approved for 4th Avenue Northeast

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23-story condo building, The Nolen, approved for 4th Avenue Northeast

On Tuesday, St. Pete’s Development Review Commission approved the site plan to construct The Nolen, a 23-story condominium tower planned for 146 4th Avenue Northeast in downtown. The Nolen is being developed by Bowen Arnold and John Schilling at DDA Development. The luxury condominium building is expected to have 31 units and will be 288 feet tall.

The property is currently occupied by two structures and a surface parking lot. One of the structures was built in 1912 and operates as the Watergarden Inn at the Bay, a bed & breakfast, and was designated a historic structure in 1994.

As part of the redevelopment, the structure will be moved to a vacant lot at the northeast corner of 8th Avenue North and Dartmoor Street North in Uptown. The lot is less than a mile away from the current location.

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