Affordable housing for teachers may be developed near Mirror Lake in downtown St. Pete

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Affordable housing for teachers may be developed near Mirror Lake in downtown St. Pete

The former Tomlinson Adult Learning Center near Mirror Lake in downtown St. Petersburg could be redeveloped into housing for employees of Pinellas County Schools.

According to a Request for Proposals (RFP) issued on Tuesday, the School Board of Pinellas County says there’s a shortage of workforce housing for teachers and staff members, and redevelopment of the 1.7-acre site, located at 296 Mirror Lake Drive, could bring much-needed affordable rental units while simultaneously preserving the three-story, 40,942-square-foot Tomlinson Building.

While the construction of new workforce housing is a main priority for the School Board, the historic building itself could be utilized in a number of ways, including “transforming it into a housing, business, entertainment, or mixed-use facility.”

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50-bed hospital coming to west St. Pete

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50-bed hospital coming to west St. Pete

Encompass Health, which owns and operates 153 rehabilitation hospitals in 36 states and Puerto Rico, including 19 in Florida, has announced plans to build a 50-bed inpatient facility on St. Petersburg’s west side.

Although the exact address has not been determined, the rehab hospital will be built near the intersection of Tyrone Boulevard and 9th Avenue North, adjacent to a shopping plaza that houses Suncoast Medical Supply as well as a Winn-Dixie supermarket and Big Lots discount store.

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Little’s to cook up sliders, tenders, fries, and shakes in north St. Pete

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Little’s to cook up sliders, tenders, fries, and shakes in north St. Pete

From Sparkman Wharf in Tampa to new cafes being planned by St. Petersburg’s Kahwa Coffee, shipping containers have become a cost-effective, fast, and eye-catching way to get a retail or restaurant business up and running.

The latest concept to embrace the shipping container aesthetic is Little’s, a drive-thru restaurant serving sliders, tenders, fries, and malted milkshakes with a projected opening in early 2023. It will be located at the northwest corner of the intersection of 4th Street North and 87th Avenue near the site of Terraces at 87th, a 92-unit townhome community being developed by Belleair Development Group. Jake Wollman and Mark Stanton of KW Commercial represented Little’s in the lease transaction.

Little’s — the name is inspired by the Chicken Little folk tale — is the result of a collaboration between entrepreneur and long-time St. Pete resident Brian P. Butler and Colby Restaurant Group, a company founded by Butler’s lifelong friends Craig and Mike Colby, twin brothers who operate several Red Robin, Walk-Ons Sports Bistreaux, Chuck Lager’s American Tavern, and Colbie’s Southern Kissed Chicken franchises.

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13-story boutique hotel with significant food and beverage focus revealed for the EDGE District

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13-story boutique hotel with significant food and beverage focus revealed for the EDGE District

At the beginning of 2020, there were around five new hotels planned for downtown St. Pete. Then COVID-19 hit and financing for new hotel construction dried up. Most of the proposed hotels were either reconfigured into apartments or scrapped altogether. Only two hotels found a way to move forward.

Today, with COVID under control and the world beginning to travel again, hotel financing has opened back up and downtown St. Pete is once again in need of additional hotel rooms.

A new 114-key boutique hotel with a significant food and beverage focus has been proposed for the EDGE District of downtown St. Pete. And once the hotel debuts, it will be one of the most opulent hotels in all of St. Petersburg.

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23-story apartment tower Evo set to welcome downtown St. Pete renters

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23-story apartment tower Evo set to welcome downtown St. Pete renters

Evo, a 23-story, 220-unit apartment tower under construction at 334 2nd Avenue South, has progressed into the preleasing stage.

Miami-based developer American Land Ventures proposed the project in 2016. It replaces a property, since demolished, that housed the controversial Onyx nightclub.

American Land Ventures says Evo is on track to open in early 2023. It broke ground in March 2021 and topped out at 250 feet earlier this year. Coastal Construction is the project’s general contractor.

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Construction begins on Canvas City Homes in the Warehouse Arts District

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Construction begins on Canvas City Homes in the Warehouse Arts District

Construction has begun on Canvas City Homes, a 10-unit townhome development in St. Petersburg’s growing Warehouse Arts District. The community is under construction on a formerly vacant lot on the 2700 block of 5th Avenue South adjacent to First Mount Pilgrim Evangelical Missionary Baptist Church.

The project was exclusively announced on St. Pete Rising in early 2022 and is being built by Tampa-based Sight Development. Sight is also developing a 13-unit townhome community in south St. Pete’s Coquina Key neighborhood named Coquina Cabanas.

Canvas City Homes will offer two 3-bed 3.5-bath floorplans with either 2,040 or 2,070 square feet of open-concept living space and a two-car garage.

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RockShop Jewelry plans to move, double space in downtown St. Pete

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RockShop Jewelry plans to move, double space in downtown St. Pete

An 18-year veteran in the jewelry industry, Carlos Lopez has proudly showcased his custom hand-crafted jewelry designs in downtown St. Pete for nearly nine years.

Now, Carlos, his wife Christie, and their staff of jewelry experts and craftsmen are ready to embark on a new adventure as the RockShop prepares to expand into a larger space this December, promising more beautiful jewelry and the same great service.

Currently located at 529 Central Avenue, the RockShop will double in size by moving next door to 531 Central Avenue. The space was previously home to Zazoo’d which recently relocated to 631 Central Avenue.

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Construction begins on The Nolen, a 23-story condo tower in downtown St. Pete

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Construction begins on The Nolen, a 23-story condo tower in downtown St. Pete

Construction has begun on The Nolen, a 23-story condominium tower slated for 126 4th Avenue Northeast in downtown St. Pete.

The boutique condominium building will feature 31 residences and will be 288 feet tall. The project is being spearheaded by Tampa-based DDA Development, which is led by Bowen Arnold and John Schilling.

DDA is partnering with Ellison Construction of Tampa to build the condominium tower. Ellison Construction’s experience includes other notable projects such as Oxford Exchange and the Stovall House in Tampa.

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New Second District Court of Appeal Courthouse in downtown St. Pete moves forward

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New Second District Court of Appeal Courthouse in downtown St. Pete moves forward

Last year, Florida House Speaker Chris Sprowls announced the decision to construct a new courthouse for Florida’s Second District Court of Appeal (DCA) in downtown St. Petersburg.

The decision was seen as a major win for St. Petersburg and is expected to bring jobs and investment to downtown. The $50 million courthouse will be named the Bernie McCabe Second District Court of Appeal Courthouse after the late State Attorney for Florida’s Sixth Judicial Circuit which represents Pinellas and Pasco County.

“This courthouse will serve as a physical symbol of McCabe’s deep legacy of devotion to justice and to Pinellas County,” said Speaker Chris Sprowls earlier this year.

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Downtown St. Pete’s newest rooftop bar Cane & Barrel to open in 2023

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Downtown St. Pete’s newest rooftop bar Cane & Barrel to open in 2023

Downtown St. Pete’s newest rooftop bar will open early next year on top of the AC Hotel by Marriott, which is currently under construction at 110 2nd Street North.

The 172-key AC Hotel is part of Ascent St. Pete, a 36-story $117 million hotel and apartment tower being developed and constructed by Greystar Real Estate Partners. Headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina, Greystar is the largest developer, manager, and builder of apartments in the United States.

Cane & Barrel, the hotel’s signature rooftop terrace bar, will be located on the 8th floor of the hotel. The bar will be inspired by Cuban heritage and is designed with the flora and fauna of Florida in mind. The bar’s interiors were designed by the California-based Ellis Adams Group.

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