October 13, 2021

Farm fresh restaurant Two Graces opening soon in west St. Pete

October 13, 2021/ Amy Kochek

Two Graces, a new casual, yet refined, restaurant is coming to 6001 Central Avenue. The restaurant was previously home to the nationally recognized Reading Room, which closed their doors in 2019. The uniquely designed restaurant boasts a spacious al fresco dining experience and fresh ingredients sourced from an on-site garden filled with herbs and vegetables.

The layout of Two Graces puts an emphasis on outdoor dining by offering various “rooms" in which to enjoy a hearty meal in the beautiful Florida sunshine. Plants, flowers, herbs, and vegetables will envelop the guests as they dine, a scene that could’ve easily been lifted out of The Secret Garden.

October 12, 2021

330-unit apartment development planned for 6th Street in south St. Pete

October 12, 2021/ Anthony Close

A development proposed for 6th Street South could bring new market rate and workforce housing to south St. Petersburg. Stoneweg US, an investment firm specializing in multifamily acquisitions and developments, has initiated a rezoning request for the property at 3049 6th Street South, just east of Lake Maggiore.

Based in downtown St. Pete, Stoneweg purchased the 14.73-acre site, which was previously home to the Bay and Lakeview Mobile Home Parks, in April for $6.4 million. The mobile home parks were gradually closed and cleared between 2006 and 2013 and remain vacant to this day. At one time the community had as many as 324 mobile home units resulting in an overall density of nearly 23 dwelling units per acre.

October 11, 2021

Everything you need to know about the SHINE Mural Festival beginning this Friday

October 11, 2021/ Samantha Flanagan

St. Pete’s biggest art event, the internationally recognized SHINE Mural Festival will see over 20 mural artists gather in the Sunshine City this Friday to kickoff its seventh annual edition. From October 15-24, a mix of local and visiting artists will create sixteen new public works of art throughout Downtown and the arts districts plus three community “Bright Spots” murals that aim to engage and inspire.

An official map detailing the location of all the 2021 projects was released last week by St. Petersburg Arts Alliance (SPAA), the nonprofit that produces the event each year.

October 08, 2021

16-story Orange Station at the EDGE receives approval from Development Review Commission

October 08, 2021/ Samantha Flanagan

Demolition is set to begin soon at 1300 1st Avenue North, site of the former St Pete Police Department headquarters and future home of Orange Station at the EDGE. The project is moving forward after the St Petersburg Development Review Commission granted approval of the site plan and requested variances earlier this week.

St Pete Rising first reported on the mixed-use development when plans were unveiled late last year. The project features an ambitious but thoughtfully-designed blend of office, retail, and residential space, including 42 workforce apartments to be named The WYE (a hat tip to the triangular junction found in railroads) and 61 luxury condos called The Residences at Orange Station.

October 08, 2021

Sixty90, a 204-unit apartment building, is approved for Central Avenue in west St. Pete

October 08, 2021/ Anthony Close

St. Pete’s Development Review Commission approved plans for a multi-family development planned for 6090 Central Avenue in west St. Petersburg. The project, named Sixty90, is being developed by local real estate firm DDA Development and feature a four-story building with 204 units along with ground floor retail space.

October 07, 2021

The Wet Spot Pool Bar coming soon to the Grand Central District

October 07, 2021/ Brian Zucker

There’s nothing more relaxing than lounging by the pool with a drink in hand on a hot summer day. For years, the Hollander Hotel in downtown St. Pete has hosted popular events at their outdoor pool bar. And now, owner Michael Andoniades hopes to replicate his success in the Grand Central District.

Permits were approved earlier this week and construction will soon begin on St. Pete’s newest pool bar, The Wet Spot, located at 2355 Central Avenue in the historic Mari-Jean Hotel.

The new watering hole will be operated by David Fischer, who also owns two other bars on the property – Cocktail, St. Pete’s newest gay bar, and The Saint, a sinful speakeasy. Fischer is also owner of Zazoo’d, a home decor shop, in downtown St. Pete.

October 06, 2021

Sales launch for The Residences at 400 Central, a 46-story condo tower in downtown St. Pete

October 06, 2021/ Samantha Flanagan

Sales have launched for 400 Central, a 46-story luxury condo building slated to be built on the 400 block of Central Avenue in Downtown St Pete. Once completed, the 515-foot, $400 million tower developed by Red Apple Real Estate will be the tallest building on Florida’s Gulf Coast. The community will feature a residents-only glass-enclosed Sky Lounge with sweeping views of Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico on the top floor.

Designed by award-winning global architecture firm Arquitectonica of Miami, the building’s 301 coastal-modern residential units will include twenty different floor plans with 2-4 bedrooms and custom 2-story penthouse homes ranging from 1,277 to 5,600 square feet. Each unit will have an open concept floor plan with 10-foot ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, spa-style bathrooms, and a gourmet kitchen with quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, and European style cabinetry.

September 29, 2021

Three food concepts to debut at the upscale EDGE Eatery in downtown St. Pete

September 29, 2021/ Amy Kochek

The EDGE Eatery, a restaurant concept featuring three food counters, is set to open the first week of December at 1572 Central Avenue in the EDGE District. The new restaurant will offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the former Pinot’s Palette located on the ground level of the Fusion 1560 Apartments. The 3,000 square foot space will also offer a lounge that will serve as a place to relax or get some work done.

The EDGE Eatery’s three food counters will offer Asian, Italian, and Latin cuisine. St. Pete locals may recognize some of the operators as they were among the most popular food spots at the EDGE Collective Urban Market Place located a few blocks away at 1234 Central Avenue.

The owner of the popular food truck Shiso Crispy will be opening Shiso Dumplings at The EDGE Eatery. The dumpling house will offer made-to-order gyoza, shumai, and mandu. Owner Ronicca Whaley’s Shiso Crispy was recently voted the number one food truck in Tampa Bay at the 2021 Best of the Best Awards presented by The Tampa Bay Times.

September 28, 2021

New renderings revealed for The Nolen, a 23-story condo tower planned for downtown St. Pete

September 28, 2021/ Anthony Close

The developers behind The Nolen, a 23-story residential tower planned for 146 4th Avenue Northeast in downtown St. Pete, have revealed additional information about the project as it moves closer to reality.

DDA Development, which is led by Bowen Arnold and John Schilling, has announced that sales for the project is expected to begin in November. Smith & Associates Real Estate is the exclusive broker for the project.

September 27, 2021

Major expansion planned for downtown St. Pete’s historic Cordova Inn

September 27, 2021/ Anthony Close

The Cordova Inn, a historic boutique hotel in downtown St. Pete, is set for a major expansion that will grow the hotel from 32 to 94 rooms while adding a restaurant and a rooftop bar and pool to the property, according to plans recently filed with the city.

Built in 1921, The Cordova Inn is located at 253 2nd Avenue North and was added to the list of National Register of Historic Places in 2004.