April 12, 2023

357-unit apartment tower Ascent St. Pete opens in downtown St. Pete

April 12, 2023/ Brian Hartz

Two years after breaking ground, Ascent St. Pete, a luxury apartment tower that also features a hotel, has started moving in residents.

The $117 million, 36-story Ascent, located at 225 1st Avenue North, began pre-releasing its apartments in September last year, a few months after the project topped out at 378 feet.

Developed by South Carolina-based Greystar Real Estate Partners, the building features 357 apartments and a 172-key AC Hotel by Marriott, which Greystar recently sold to OTO Development for $60 million.

April 07, 2023

Resort boutique Pink Soleil debuts on downtown St. Pete's Beach Drive

April 07, 2023/ Brian Zucker

A new boutique celebrating the sunny, Florida lifestyle has opened on Beach Drive.

Pink Soleil debuted last week at 400 Beach Drive NE, Suite 146, a space formerly home to Wyland Galleries.

Inspired by Palm Beach, Pink Soleil offers resort-style clothing, accessories, home décor, and gifts. The new boutique carries brands such as Lilly Pulitzer, Sail to Sable, Julie Vos Jewelry, Kenny Flowers, Pink Soleil Home Décor, and more.

Kelly Homman, owner and curator of Pink Soleil said, “Pink Soleil is a beautiful space that makes customers feel bright, sunny and welcome. Each shopper will enjoy the experience of shopping and leave feeling like their best self. We are excited to become part of this community and offer high quality pieces!”

April 07, 2023

Intermezzo Coffee and Cocktails to relocate by end of year

April 07, 2023/ Brian Hartz

Intermezzo Coffee & Cocktails, located at 1111 Central Avenue in the heart of downtown St. Petersburg’s EDGE District, will be on the move by the end of the year.

Owner Jarrett Sabatini recently signed a lease for 1049 Central Avenue, which had previously been the home of the Independent Bar. The move will situate Intermezzo, which opened in 2016, less than 350 feet to the east, but in an interview with St. Pete Rising, Sabatini said the new digs will also allow the popular coffee and cocktail bar to clear up some uncertainty about its future, because the building in which it’s currently located is likely to be razed to make way for a proposed hotel.

"I always knew my time at 1111 Central Avenue was limited,” Sabatini said of the move. “We started as a pop-up to begin with, I didn't expect to stay for more than three months, so I'm grateful I was able to stay for six years."

April 05, 2023

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

April 05, 2023/ Anthony Close

St. Petersburg’s Development Review Commission unanimously approved a site plan to construct a 14-story Tempo by Hilton hotel with 192 hotel rooms. The development is slated for a 0.53-acre site at 232 and 256 2nd Street North.

St. Pete Rising first posted about the hotel earlier this year.

The new hotel is expected to reach a height of 172 feet with a ground floor lobby fronting 2nd Street and three floors of parking containing a total of 127 parking spaces.

April 05, 2023

American Stage gears up for new outdoor season in Demens Landing Park with Ragtime

April 05, 2023/ Brian Hartz

Demens Landing Park is again abuzz with the sounds of construction as American Stage gets ready for its 38th park production, which runs from April 12th to May 14th and will feature a production of “Ragtime,” a Tony Award-winning musical that debuted in 1996 in Toronto.

Since 1986 for the debut of the theater company’s production of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, American Stage’s park production has been a fixture of springtime in St. Pete. The only exception being in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic prevented performances from being held.

The performances attract an average of 17,000 attendees over a five-week period, according to Production Director Timon Brown, who said the American Stage’s park production crew starts the planning process 12 to 18 months in advance.

April 04, 2023

Pilates and yoga studio Rare Body Studio moves into larger space in downtown St. Pete

April 04, 2023/ Brian Hartz

St. Petersburg residents who would like to build their core strength and mobility with Pilates or yoga; or even refresh their bodies with a nice cold plunge or infrared sauna treatment might want to check out Rare Body Studio’s new 4,000-square-foot facility in downtown St. Pete.

Previously located at 900 Central Avenue, the new space is situated at 276 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street North, between Ekeko Gallery and the former Coney Island Grill. Jessica Dwyer of Dalton Wade represented the landlord and tenant in the lease transaction.

Rare Body Studio recently had a soft opening and has planned a grand opening party for April 6th from 6:30pm to 8:30pm that will include live music, food and beverages, chair massages, Invigorate IV’s and permanent jewelry making by local artists.

March 31, 2023

Four groups vie to develop 1.3-acre Tomlinson site near Mirror Lake in downtown St. Pete

March 31, 2023/ Brian Zucker

In November, the Pinellas County School Board (PCSB) announced their desire to redevelop the 1.3-acre Tomlinson Adult Learning Center site near Mirror Lake in downtown St. Pete.

The site sits on the west side of Mirror Lake at 296 Mirror Lake Drive North and is composed of the former Tomlinson Adult Learning Center building, which sits on the corner of Mirror Lake Drive and 3rd Avenue North, along with two surface level parking lots that front 8th Street and are bordered by Burlington Avenue and 3rd Avenue North.

The school board issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) with the goal of preserve the existing Tomlinson building in addition to addressing the shortage of workforce housing for school district teachers and employees in Pinellas County.

March 30, 2023

New affordable housing website aims to help St. Pete residents access local resources

March 30, 2023/ Anthony Close

A new tool for tracking affordable and workforce housing developments in St. Petersburg has been released by the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership.

The new website serves to compare affordable housing production to the housing targets set by the city in addition to tracking actions the city has taken to assist developers, homeowners, and renters. It will act as a resource for residents, elected officials, and civic leaders.

“This website is designed to help policymakers, developers, advocates and investors make smart decisions,” according to the St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership. “There is no silver bullet [to address St. Petersburg’s housing issues], but there are hundreds of actions that can all help attack the problem from different angles and perspectives.”

March 27, 2023

Kaia Bowls to bring acai and poke bowls to Beach Drive in downtown St. Pete

March 27, 2023/ Anthony Close

A new café serving acai and poke bowls is coming to 30 Beach Drive Northeast in downtown St. Pete. Clearwater-based Kaia Bowls is opening a location in the former Naples Soap Company space, bringing a fresh and healthy dining option closer to St. Pete’s waterfront.

The café is owned by the Ancuta family, who hail from Canada, and first discovered Pinellas County in 2013. After traveling the world for both business and pleasure, the family decided to make Clearwater their second home.

During a 2021 trip to the area, Marc and Cristina Ancuta along with their daughter Beverly and her husband Ben, stumbled upon the Kaia Bowls cafe and loved it so much they purchased the business.

March 27, 2023

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

March 27, 2023/ Anthony Close

Earlier this month, a massive tower crane was transported to the site of one of downtown St. Petersburg’s newest condominium towers—The Nolen—signaling the start of vertical construction.

The Nolen is a 23-story condominium tower under construction at 126 4th Avenue Northeast. Despite the tower’s height, which will top out at 288 feet, the building will have just 31 residences, far fewer than the other residential towers under construction closer to Central Avenue. For reference, Art House and The Residences at 400 Central will have 244 and 301 units, respectively.

The Nolen is being spearheaded by Tampa-based DDA Development, which is led by Bowen Arnold and John Schilling. Ellison Construction, who serving as general contractor, began construction on the project in October.