January 16, 2023

St. Pete’s first dog waterpark and bar Mutts & Martinis is under construction in the Grand Central District

January 16, 2023/ Brian Hartz

St. Petersburg, already the nation’s most dog-friendly city, is about to become even more accommodating to canines with the highly anticipated Mutts and Martinis on track to open in March.

The brainchild of Natalie Conner, owner of Love My Dog Resort and Playground, which has locations in downtown St. Pete and northern Pinellas County, Mutts and Martinis, first announced by St Pete Rising in October 2020 and located at 2900 Central Avenue, will be the city’s first dog park and full-liquor bar.

With more than 5,000 square feet of space, the facility will feature a zero-entry splash fountain and water sprays. The fountain will be only about 10 inches deep so there’s no risk of drowning.

January 13, 2023

YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg selects development partner to redevelop 11-acre site in Union Central District

January 13, 2023/ Anthony Close

YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg has selected a development partner to redevelop a significant 11-acre property in St. Pete’s Union Central District.

In a release, the YMCA said they plan to work with a joint venture between local real estate development teams, Blake Investment Partners (BLAKE) and Eastman Equity.

The site sits just one block south of Central Avenue at the intersection of 1st Avenue South and 31st Street and is bound by the Grand Central District to the east, Palmetto Park to the south, Central Oak Park to the west, and Historic Kenwood to the north.

January 13, 2023

Kahwa Coffee opening new café near Coquina Key in south St. Pete

January 13, 2023/ Brian Hartz

Kahwa Coffee Roasters plans to open a new location at 400 45th Avenue South, a stone’s throw away from the Lewis Boulevard bridge to Coquina Key. It will be the company’s seventh coffee shop in St. Petersburg and eighth in Pinellas County.

The 1,750 square foot building sits at the southwest corner of 45th Avenue South and 4th Street South and has ample parking and area for outdoor seating. It was most recently home to Coquina Key Food & Beverage, a community convenience store.

January 12, 2023

Venezuelan restaurant 11 Chicks set to expand in downtown St. Pete

January 12, 2023/ Brian Hartz

Fans of 11 Chicks Yummy Creations, the small restaurant serving Venezuelan cuisine at 199 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. N. in downtown St. Petersburg, don’t fret: The eatery’s recent closure is only temporary as it expands into an adjacent vacant space.

The larger footprint gives 11 Chicks an additional 550 square feet, for a total of 1,030 square feet. According to the restaurant’s Instagram page, it plans to reopen on Friday, January 17th.

“Here at 11 Chicks, our journey never ends! We are temporarily closing for transformational proposes,” a January 4 post reads. “We are expanding our business next door and we can’t wait to unveil our new addition. Please stay tuned. We are excited to share our new adventure with our loyal and new customers. See you soon! Thank you for your support.”

January 10, 2023

Brick & Mortar owners to open new restaurant in Grand Central District

January 10, 2023/ Brian Hartz

A new restaurant is under construction at 2147 Central Avenue, a building whose second floor houses the offices of the Anderson Group, a private equity firm, in the Grand Central District.

The eatery’s name is unknown, but it will be owned and operated by Jason Ruhe, chef and co-owner of Brick & Mortar, a downtown St. Petersburg restaurant located at 539 Central Avenue, and his brother Dylan Ruhe, who has over 25 years of experience in the restaurant industry, including two NYC-based Michelin-starred restaurants Nobu and SHO Shaun Hergatt.

Jason and Dylan’s childhood friend, Julian Colson, is also a part-owner. Joe Esposito of KW Commercial represented the landlord and tenant in the lease transaction.

The restaurant’s menu, St. Pete Rising has learned, will feature Latin cuisine with tapas-style dishes. Specific menu items have not been revealed yet, but if you’ve ever dined at Brick & Mortar, you’ll want to give the Ruhe brothers’ venture a try.

January 10, 2023

Construction begins on pedestrian safety improvements on 4th Street in downtown St. Pete

January 10, 2023/ Anthony Close

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is starting construction on a $2.7 million project to improve pedestrian safety at ten intersections along 4th Street in downtown St. Petersburg.

The project is similar to another FDOT project that was completed two years ago along 3rd Street. Construction involves rebuilding intersections to include new bulb-outs curb extensions, curb ramps, pedestrian signals, and other signs. The project will also resurface each intersection.

January 09, 2023

1,058-unit multifamily development with affordable housing proposed for Raytheon site in west St. Pete

January 09, 2023/ Brian Hartz

After striking out on a proposal for a sports tourism complex, a Tampa developer has come up with a new plan for a 29-acre vacant industrial parcel in west St. Petersburg, near Tyrone Square Mall, that has a troubled history.

According to a pre-application site plan review document submitted to the City of St. Petersburg, Porter Land LLC has proposed a 1,058-unit garden-style multifamily development for the property, which defense contractor Raytheon purchased in 1995 but never fully developed because of pollution issues that led to legal action. The company embarked on a lengthy environmental cleanup process in 2008 and sold the property, which neighbors Azalea Park, in 2015.

Over 300 units, or 30% of the total residential units, will be set aside as income-restricted workforce housing. Half of the affordable units will be earmarked for households earning less than 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) and the other half will be marketed to households earning less than 120% of AMI.

January 09, 2023

With renovations underway, The Vinoy will drop Renaissance flag, rebrand as Marriott Autograph Collection Hotel

January 09, 2023/ Brian Hartz

The Vinoy St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club last month unveiled its completely redesigned Palm Court Ballroom and Vinoy Grand Ballroom. The upgrades are part of an ambitious renovation plan, announced last fall, that also includes the downtown resort’s veranda, porte cochère, main lobby, guest rooms, spa, and restaurants.

At its 13.5-acre property at 450 7th Avenue Northeast in downtown St. Pete, the Vinoy boasts 361 hotel rooms, over 40,000 square feet of indoor/outdoor event space, a 5,000-square-foot fitness center and spa, a 72-slip marina, multiple bars and restaurants, and a 10-court tennis center. It also operates an 18-hole golf course on Snell Isle.

The Vinoy is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Over the past few years, it’s been through multiple rounds of renovation, including a $50 million redevelopment of one of its hotel towers in 2017.

January 06, 2023

Beloved burger joint El Cap has sold to local owners who will preserve its legacy

January 06, 2023/ Brian Zucker

It’s never easy to say goodbye. Especially when something has been around for generations. In the last few years, St. Pete has had to let go of some of its oldest institutions.

COVID-19 claimed two of the Sunshine City's most precious gems — St. Pete’s oldest family-operated restaurant, Coney Island Grill, and Florida's largest and oldest independent bookstore, Haslam's Book Store.

Just in the past month, Munch’s Restaurant and Sundries was shuttered after 70 years in business and Wilson’s Sports Lounge was demolished after a 50-year run on 4th Street.

Additionally, Kissin’ Cuzzins is under contract to be sold. Its fate is unknown.

Last week, another St. Pete establishment, El Cap, was sold – or at least 50% of it. However, unlike the shuttered institutions of the past few years, El Cap will continue to live on for years to come at 3500 4th Street North.

January 06, 2023

The Residences at 400 Central secures $252 million construction loan

January 06, 2023/ Anthony Close

Red Apple Real Estate, the developer behind The Residences at 400 Central, announced that the project has secured a $252 million construction loan and is set to go vertical construction.

The 46-story mixed-use development is slated for a 2.3-acre site at 400 Central Avenue in downtown St. Pete and will include 301 condominium residences ranging from one- to four-bedroom units along with 40,000 square feet of Class A office space, and 25,000 square feet of ground floor retail space.

The construction loan is being provided by Bank OZK, one of the nation’s most active construction lenders. While Bank OZK is based in Little Rock, Arkansas, it has a significant presence in St. Petersburg. Bank OZK Innovations Lab, the bank’s entrepreneurial and innovation hub, is based in downtown St. Petersburg.