September 01, 2023

Downtown St. Pete to host inaugural Orange Belt criterium cycling race in October

September 01, 2023/ Brian Zucker

Whether you’re a cycling fanatic or a casual cruiser, the upcoming CRIT Championship Tour has something for you.

Orange Belt, a new organizer of cycling events based in St. Petersburg, is excited to host the CRIT Championship Tour, a criterium bike race in the heart of the EDGE District to be held on October 21, 2023.

A criterium, or crit, is a bike race consisting of several laps around a closed circuit. “Think of a criterium like NASCAR,” said Michael Rideout, who co-founded Orange Belt with Nathan Stonecipher. “We’re doing a set number of laps.”

This year’s CRIT Championship Tour takes place in the heart of The EDGE District between 11th and 15th Streets.

August 31, 2023

Pete’s Bagels to open drive-thru location at historic gas station in south St. Pete

August 31, 2023/ Brian Zucker

St. Petersburg’s oldest gas station will soon become a drive-thru café serving St. Pete’s finest bagels and coffee.

Pete’s Bagels has leased the historic Harbordale Standard Oil Station located at 2439 4th Street South adjacent to the historic Driftwood neighborhood in St. Pete. Owner Steven Peterman hopes to open the new drive-thru sometime in early 2024.

“We are tentatively calling it Pete’s Drive-Thru. It's going to be an express version of Pete’s Bagels,” said Peterman in an interview with St. Pete Rising. “We will be very coffee-focused too, especially because there isn't a lot of coffee down there.”

August 31, 2023

Vertical construction begins on 40-unit Castille Urbana in downtown St. Pete

August 31, 2023/ Anthony Close

A construction milestone has been reached on Castille Urbana, the latest project by NJR Investment & Development Company.

The five-story building at 600 3rd Avenue South in downtown St. Petersburg will feature 40 condominiums with two- and three-bedroom floor plans, ranging from 1,158 to 1,650 square feet.

The developer has announced the completion of the building’s podium and says vertical construction will begin ahead of schedule. The one-story podium will contain the building’s parking garage and lobby area and will be topped by four floors of condominium residences.

August 28, 2023

Drive-thru only Starbucks proposed for 9th Avenue North in North Kenwood

August 28, 2023/ Anthony Close

Another week, another new coffee shop planned for St. Pete!

But unlike recent news of locally owned coffee shops like The Blend opening in Magnolia Heights and Sage’s Playground opening in downtown St. Pete, this time it’s a new location by Seattle-based coffee giant Starbucks.

Plans have been filed for a new Starbucks at the northeast corner of 9th Avenue North and 34th Street in St. Pete’s North Kenwood neighborhood. The site was formerly an Exxon Mobile gas station. The parcel is owned by Catfish Real Estate, LLC.

August 28, 2023

The Oyster Bar is relocating to the Grand Central District

August 28, 2023/ Brian Hartz

St. Petersburg’s booming Grand Central District has enticed The Oyster Bar, a staple of the downtown dining scene since 1999, to pull up stakes and leave its longtime home at 249 Central Avenue.

The eatery, known for its seafood menu and happy hour specials, closed its doors on Sunday, August 20th, but will reopen this October at 2245 Central Avenue, a 3,200-square-foot space formerly home to Zoie’s, an LGBTQ-owned restaurant that opened in 2022.

The business sale is currently under contract and expected to close later this week. Jenna Malowany of KW Commercial is representing the previous tenant and Joe Esposito of KW Commercial is representing The Oyster Bar in the business sale transaction.