February 09, 2023

Courigan’s Irish Pub, a St. Pete institution since 2005, to become high-end sports bar and grill

February 09, 2023/ Brian Hartz

In yet another sign that the times they are a-changin’ in downtown St. Petersburg, Courigan’s Irish Pub, a fixture for nearly two decades at 1 Beach Drive SE, has been sold and will reopen as a high-end sports bar.

In a Facebook post, Pete Boland, the establishment’s former general manager and owner of The Galley and Mary Margaret's Olde Irish Tavern, writes that “big changes” are coming to Courigan’s, which is located across the street from Al Lang Stadium and has been a popular gathering spot for Tampa Bay Rowdies supporters and soccer fans in general.

The buyer is local restauranteur Piotr Czajkowski, owner of Localz Sports Bar and Grill in Largo and Jamminz Beach Bar on Clearwater Beach. According to an LLC recently filed with the Florida Division of Corporations, Czajkowski is planning to open another Localz in the former Courigan’s in downtown St. Pete.

February 07, 2023

Tesla’s massive sales and service center is now open in Lealman

February 07, 2023/ Brian Hartz

The former Kane’s Furniture store at 4601 34th Street North has been reborn as a Tesla Motors sales and service facility.

Truett Realty Group, a commercial real estate company owned by Delray Beach developer Rob Truett, who’s worked with the electric vehicle maker on several other projects, acquired the 4.2-acre site in April 2022 for $13 million, and Tesla proposed an extensive renovation of the property, which features a 102,000-square-foot building that Kane’s Furniture had used as a liquidation center.

Under the auspices of Elon Musk’s company, the site now houses a 3,000-square-foot vehicle showroom, 45,000-square-foot service center, 50,000-square-foot vehicle storage facility with 170 parking spaces, 8,000-square-foot parts department, and customer lounge.

February 03, 2023

Nautical-themed bar and restaurant Nauti Duchess to replace Caddy’s on Central in downtown St. Pete

February 03, 2023/ Brian Hartz

A new nautical-themed bar and full-service restaurant will soon launch on the 200 block of Central Avenue, known as the most popular destination for nightlife in the Sunshine City.

Segreti’s Hospitality Group, the owner of Yard of Ale and 260 First in downtown St. Pete, hopes to open the 7,000-square-foot establishment, dubbed the Nauti Duchess, in mid-April. Located at 217 Central Avenue, it’ll takes the place of Caddy’s on Central, which closed in 2020 after COVID-19 shut down all restaurants and bars in Florida.

Segreti’s Hospitality Group originally proposed a dual-restaurant concept, The Brickyard and Pizza N’ Brew, for this space in 2020. However, the group has since abandoned that plan in favor of the Nauti Duchess, which will occupy the entire 7,000 square foot space.

February 02, 2023

Sundial to undergo major renovations in downtown St. Pete

February 02, 2023/ Brian Zucker

Nearly a year after purchasing the Sundial retail and dining center at 153 2nd Avenue North in downtown St. Pete for $21.13 million, St. Petersburg-based Paradise Ventures and Tampa-based Ally Capital Group have unveiled a plan to renovate a portion of the 85,357-square-foot plaza.

Designed by Behar and Peteranecz, a St. Petersburg-based architecture firm, the reimagined Sundial will feature multimillion dollars in improvements intended to revitalize the once upscale retail destination into a modern mixed-use urban destination.

The most significant change will be a complete overhaul and activation of the plaza’s courtyard. Plans call for an updated courtyard with a large outdoor bar and plenty of communal green space for engaging programming and for guests to sit and enjoy food and drink.

January 31, 2023

Biggby Coffee opens Ulmerton Road café in the Gateway area

January 31, 2023/ Brian Hartz

People who work at the Carillon Park office complex in northern St. Petersburg now have a new option for their daily coffee run.

Biggby Coffee has opened its second location in Florida at 4000 Ulmerton Road, which is technically a Clearwater address but is closer to Tampa Bay than the Gulf of Mexico.

Headquartered in Lansing, Michigan, Biggby Coffee is widespread throughout the Midwest but not the South. In addition to the St. Pete/Clearwater location, it has cafes in Ormond Beach, Atlanta and a handful of cities in the Carolinas. Jacksonville is also getting a Biggby Coffee, according to the company’s website.

January 30, 2023

Mayor Welch selects Hines & Rays to redevelop the 86-acre Historic Gas Plant District

January 30, 2023/ Anthony Close

Six months after restarting the request for proposal (RFP) process for the redevelopment of the Historic Gas Plant District, St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch has announced the selection of a joint bid from Hines and the Tampa Bay Rays to redevelop the 86-acre site.

In his annual State of the City address, which took place on the steps of City Hall, Mayor Welch announced the selection of Hines’ submission by commending the team for having the depth and expertise to execute on a multi-billion-dollar generational project of this scale.

He also noted the team’s commitment to community outreach and to the equitable development of the site.

January 27, 2023

Here’s what’s coming to the historic Union Trust bank building in downtown St. Pete

January 27, 2023/ Brian Hartz

After being vacant for nearly 30 years, the historic Union Trust bank building at 895 Central Avenue in downtown St. Pete, will finally be occupied.

The neoclassical former bank’s basement, ground floor, and mezzanine, which spans 10,000 square feet, are set to become a high-end steak and seafood restaurant.

The developer is Jim Fiore, an entrepreneur who worked for Xerox for 18 years before becoming a real estate investor in Pennsylvania.

January 25, 2023

14-story Tempo by Hilton hotel proposed for downtown St. Pete

January 25, 2023/ Anthony Close

Plans have been filed for a new hotel on 2nd Street in downtown St. Pete that would bring the first Tempo by Hilton hotel to Tampa Bay area.

KT St Pete Runner LLC, an entity controlled by Delray Beach-based Kolter Group, has submitted site plan review documents for a new 14-story 192-key hotel, that will sit on a 0.53-acre site at 232 and 256 2nd Street North.

The properties, which Kolter purchased for a combined $7.5 million in late 2021, are currently home to a surface parking lot and Fit2Run, a running specialty store.

January 24, 2023

Beloved Kissin’ Cuzzins restaurant to live on after pending sale to employee

January 24, 2023/ Brian Hartz

Like the El Cap hamburger joint on 4th Street North, Kissin’ Cuzzins, another venerable St. Petersburg restaurant, recently faced an existential crisis but has been saved from the wrecking ball.

Located at 951 34th Street North, the diner was listed for sale last August. However, instead of selling the business and the land it sits on, owner Gerry Rice, who started working at Kissin’ Cuzzins more than 50 years ago, at age 11, has agreed to sell the business to Rick Campbell, the eatery’s longtime manager.

In an interview with St. Pete Rising, Rice says he turned down offers from developers who just wanted the land occupied by Kissin’ Cuzzins and didn’t care about keeping the restaurant open. Campbell didn’t have sufficient funds — the sale price was listed as $2.5 million — to buy the land and business outright, so Rice will maintain ownership of the property.

January 23, 2023

Crave Cookies to take over iconic Twistee Treat location in Kenneth City

January 23, 2023/ Brian Hartz

The vacant Kenneth City building that used to look like a delicious vanilla ice cream cone is about to be revived as a cookie shop.

Formerly home to Twistee Treat and then The Daily Scoop, the property at 5804 54th Avenue North, which is less than a mile from the border of St. Petersburg, had a makeover when Driftwood Kava and Roastery was planning to occupy the space about a year ago. The iconic ice cream cone was covered with brown foam to resemble a volcano. However, Driftwood never opened and the space went back on the market.

Recently, a new banner was hoisted indicating the property has been leased to Crave Cookies & Soda, a Utah-based company that recently expanded to Florida, opening its first Sunshine State shop in Odessa. It operates eight stores in Utah.