September 22, 2021

St. Pete Brewing Co. breaks ground on tasting room expansion

September 22, 2021/ Brian Zucker

It has been a long road for Tom Williams and St. Pete Brewing Company. When Williams first decided to open a brewery, there were none in St. Petersburg. By the time St Pete Brewing debuted in 2014, they were number five.

The original plan was to open at Baywalk. But then in 2011, the plaza was purchased and shut down to undergo extensive renovations for what would later become Sundial.

And so, the search to find a home for St. Pete Brewing began again. Eventually, Williams ended up purchasing a 3,900 square foot building at 544 1st Avenue North in 2012. Williams decided to move his financing company, eLease, into 1,500 square feet and open St. Pete Brewing in the remaining 2,400 square feet.

September 21, 2021

A new performing arts theater, Studio Grand Central, premiers in St. Pete

September 21, 2021/ Amy Kochek

St. Pete’s reputation as the new creative capital just received another promising boost with the recent opening of Studio Grand Central, a mid-sized, one-set theater, gallery, and performance venue located at 2260 1st Avenue South, formerly home to Andi Matheny Acting Studios.

The intimate theater, which seats 55 people, recently kicked off its inaugural season at the end of July with the debut of “Rasheeda Speaking”, a provocative depiction of race, power, and friendship.

The size of the Studio is touted as its strength as it introduces an opportunity for the players to tackle sensitive topics that target underserved audiences such as the LGBTQ+, African American, Asian, and senior citizen communities. The one-set stage is ideal for living room comedies and dramas that audiences can engage and interact with.

September 20, 2021

Mixed-use building planned for 2700 Central Avenue in the Grand Central District

September 20, 2021/ Samantha Flanagan

A new, luxury loft home development is coming soon to the Grand Central District in Downtown St Pete. 2700 Central, named for its prime location on Central Avenue and 27th Street, will feature three 3-bed and 3.5-bath sunlit properties with 2,100 square feet of living space. The building will also have 2,500 square feet of ground floor retail space that will front Central Avenue.

“2700 Central is an opportunity to redefine urban living in Downtown St. Pete and we’re excited to be part of it.” said John Barkett of Barkett Realty, which is representing the properties for sale. “As the Grand Central District continues to evolve and grow, our goal is to offer innovative and unique living spaces to match the city’s vibrant energy.”

September 17, 2021

The Candle Pour to bring DIY candle making to the EDGE District

September 17, 2021/ Brian Zucker

A do-it-yourself candle-making shop has signed a lease in the EDGE District of downtown St. Pete. This will be the second location for the family owned and operated business, which debuted in Tampa’s Hyde Park Village in 2019.

The Candle Pour’s St. Pete outpost will be located at 1128 Central Avenue in a 2,000 square foot space formerly home to Rick’s Electronics Boutique, which moved to 3920 Central Avenue earlier this year. Owners Misty and Dennis Akers hope to debut in the Sunshine City by early 2022.

"Candles were a big part of my childhood," said owner Misty Akers to St. Pete Patch in April 2019. "Candles have always been a sentimental part of our life. Dennis and I both feel they remind us of home and family. We love that we can create memories for others and be a part of their home."

September 16, 2021

Five groups submit proposals to redevelop 800 1st Avenue South in downtown St. Pete

September 16, 2021/ Anthony Close

Five groups have submitted proposals to redevelop a city-owned parking lot at 800 1st Avenue South in downtown St. Pete.

In early August, the City of St. Petersburg received an unsolicited offer to purchase the city-owned block at the corner of 1st Avenue North and 8th Street. Moffitt Cancer Center along with United Insurance Holdings Corp. (UPC) and master developer TPA Group offered to purchase the 4.59-acre site to develop a mixed-use project which would include a cancer care center, a development pad for a future headquarters building for UPC, a 30-story residential building, and a public parking garage.

Following the unsolicited offer, the City opened the process for other groups to submit proposals to purchase and develop the site. Proposals were due on September 15th. In addition to the unsolicited proposal, the City received five additional submissions.

September 16, 2021

A loaded baked potato restaurant, The Half Baked Potato, is coming soon to downtown St. Pete

September 16, 2021/ Brian Zucker

What do you get when you combine 1980s culture, stoner vibes, and baked potatoes? You get The Half Baked Potato, a new restaurant ready to serve up the craziest loaded baked potatoes you’ve ever eaten.

The new spud shop will be opening in a few weeks at 1626 Central Avenue in downtown St. Pete. The space was formerly occupied by Leafy Greens Café.

“There are a lot of places to get sandwiches and salads in St. Pete,” said James Castetter, who owns The Half Baked Potato with his girlfriend Chelsey Andrews. “We really wanted to open up something different. So, we decided to focus on baked potatoes. I think it’s a cool concept that we can have a ton of fun with.”

September 15, 2021

The Metro, an all-studio apartment building, breaks ground in the EDGE District

September 15, 2021/ Samantha Flanagan

The Metro, a seven-story, 100-unit apartment complex featuring fully furnished studio apartments, broke ground last week in downtown St Pete’s highly walkable and in-demand EDGE District. The $9.5 million development at 1st Avenue North and 11th Street North will cater towards city-dwellers who want to be close to the action downtown, but don’t need an abundance of living space.

Studios at The Metro will start at $1,450 per month and will come furnished with a Murphy bed, sofa, coffee table, a wi-fi enabled TV, and a washer and a dryer. As of now, it will be the only fully furnished apartment community in downtown St. Pete.

St. Pete Rising first reported on The Metro in early 2021 after Michigan-based DevMar Development pivoted from their original plan to build an eleven-story Marriott hotel on the 0.44-acre vacant lot. DevMar cited both the challenge of getting hotel financing due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the opportunity to meet newly increasing demand for studio units and car-free living in this part of the city.

September 10, 2021

Tropical Asian restaurant Mangosteen opening end of September on Central Avenue

September 10, 2021/ Brian Zucker

A few weeks ago, a sign was installed at the former Brass Bowl space on Central Avenue’s 600 block -- “Mangosteen”. Ever since, we’ve received email after email asking us for the details. One person thought it might be a women’s boutique, but most had heard it was going to be a sushi restaurant. As it turns out, they’re not completely off, but Mangosteen will offer much more than just sushi.

Mangosteen is a tropical Asian-inspired restaurant opening in a few weeks at 656 Central Avenue. It’s also a sweet-tasting exotic fruit originally from Southeast Asia.

The new eatery is being spearheaded by Sean Thongsiri with assistance from Serena Raynard. Sean started his 20-year career in the restaurant industry as a dishwasher for 9 Bangkok Thai on Central Avenue. Eventually, he moved to Savannah where he owned and operated over ten restaurants. But he recently returned to St. Pete to open Mangosteen.

September 02, 2021

Colony Grill to bring New England-style spicy pizza to the 600 block

September 02, 2021/ Brian Zucker

“Fly ball, deep left field!” the television announcer shouts on ABC’s Wide World of Sports. And then the outfielder in left field secures the fly ball. “It’s over! Trumbull wins it!”

No one expected a team from a small town in Connecticut to upset the defending World Champions from Taiwan to win the 1989 Little League World Series. But this group of 12-year-olds led by Chris Drury pulled out the win.

The team became one of the most celebrated Little League teams of all time. They went to the White House. They met President Bush. They even threw out the first pitch at the MLB World Series that year.

Chris Drury, who had already won a 14-and-under hockey championship, went on to play in the NHL for 13 years before beginning a career in NHL management. Four months ago, he was promoted to President and General Manager for the New York Rangers.

August 30, 2021

Aerial St. Pete: Downtown's newest residential towers begin to rise

August 30, 2021/ Anthony Close

The latest edition of Aerial St. Pete shows some of the early progress on several downtown developments. Aerial St. Pete is a quarterly column by St. Pete Rising 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.

This quarter we are taking a look at five projects in downtown St. Pete which have all broken ground in the past year. These include: 334 Apartments, Ascent St. Petersburg, Domus Urbana, Driftwood on Central, and Saltaire.