Former Lealman mobile home park to become 17-unit affordable housing development

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Former Lealman mobile home park to become 17-unit affordable housing development

A local nonprofit plans to convert the Wood Acres mobile home park in Pinellas’ Lealman community into an affordable housing complex. 

Pinelllas Affordable Living Inc. (PAL), a Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) established by the Boley Centers that has developed multiple housing communities for low-income residents and those suffering from mental illnesses, is expected to enter a ground lease deal for the property at 3901 46th Avenue North.

The group intends to build 17 apartments for households at or below 60% of the area median income (AMI) with four units set aside for households earning below 33% of the AMI. 

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Done Deals: New retail on Central, revitalizing Williams Park, affordable housing tops out

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Done Deals: New retail on Central, revitalizing Williams Park, affordable housing tops out

Done Deals is a new weekly column by St. Pete Rising spotlighting recent real estate market insight and significant deals happening in the Sunshine City and beyond. The following information is sourced from public records and trusted intel.

Have real estate news to share? Send us an email at hello@stpeterising.com.

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First phase of luxury townhome project is complete near the EDGE District

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First phase of luxury townhome project is complete near the EDGE District

Two more townhome buildings will rise at 302 15th Street North, a site near St. Pete's bustling EDGE District where developer Onyx+East is building a 26-unit townhome community.

"The EDGE District is vibrant, and we are excited to be a part of its momentum. It was a target for us as we look to provide housing opportunities for all kinds of urban neighborhoods," Onyx+East CEO Kelli Lawrence said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising.

"All the townhomes in the Alante development have rooftop terraces on the fourth floor, providing views of the downtown skyline and Tropicana Field," she added. 

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First pop-up lesbian bar debuts in St. Pete

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First pop-up lesbian bar debuts in St. Pete

St. Petersburg is widely known for welcoming and embracing the LGBTQ+ community, and a local entrepreneur wants to further elevate the scene by introducing the first-ever lesbian pop-up bar experience. 

"I've always had this longing desire to create a space for the lesbian-identifying community," said LGBT travel blogger and comedian Rachel Covello. "You need the right people to open a lesbian bar in downtown St. Pete. There are lots of risks with overhead costs. By having pop-ups, we can still bring this experience."

Through her pop-up bar venture, LickHer Lounge, Covello is working with restaurateurs and venue operators to secure brick-and-mortar space on select evenings.

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St. Pete-Clearwater airport embarks on $110M terminal expansion amid stellar growth

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St. Pete-Clearwater airport embarks on $110M terminal expansion amid stellar growth

Passenger activity is soaring at the St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE), which welcomed nearly 2.5 million travelers last year and is preparing to handle even more.

"Because we are a strong tourism destination and have many direct flights with Allegiant Air [the leading airline at PIE], we are very fortunate to see such a recovery post-pandemic," said Airport Director Tom Jewsbury during a Tuesday, January 23rd airport event celebrating the historic passenger record. 

The airport, located northwest of Interstate I-275, has non-stop routes to over 65 cities, which is primarily offered through Allegiant Air.

"We are now reaching a point to start on a significant expansion of the terminal and to provide future connections with Allegiant and other airlines," added Jewsbury.

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80-unit affordable housing development proposed for 4th Street North

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80-unit affordable housing development proposed for 4th Street North

An 80-unit affordable apartment building that will provide much-needed low-cost housing for seniors has been proposed for the southwest corner of the intersection of 106th Avenue North and 4th Street North. The project is planned for a parcel that is currently undeveloped.

Dubbed Flats on 4th, the $37.5 million project will consist of a four-story, mid-rise building that will offer 52 one-bedroom units and 28 two-bedroom units. Residents whose income is between 40 to 60 percent of the area median income (AMI) will be eligible to apply for a lease.

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Pete's Bagels expands bagel production, adds coffee bar in Grand Central District

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Pete's Bagels expands bagel production, adds coffee bar in Grand Central District

St. Pete's beloved bagel shop Pete's Bagels, located at 2361 1st Avenue South, is expanding into a new production kitchen and adding more to its menu due to the ever-growing demand for their baked goods.

Owners Steven and Sara Peterman and Operations Manager Erica Gonzalez, who debuted Pete's General in 2019 in St. Petersburg’s Historic Uptown, have executed a lease for a 1,500-square-foot retail building in Gulfport.

They are currently converting the space at 1407 49th Street South, formerly home to Rico’s Pizza, into a production warehouse. 

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Deaf chef inspires, plans new restaurant ‘Def burger’ in north St. Pete

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Deaf chef inspires, plans new restaurant ‘Def burger’ in north St. Pete

Anna Cerney carefully watches the grill as she flips burgers and prepares toppings, timing everything to be fresh and hot for every customer to their exact liking despite a language barrier - Cerney is deaf. 

Cerney, who's overcome a history of restaurant operators doubting her skillset due to deafness, is proving to the world that she is more than capable of serving up delicious burgers and other dishes out her Def burger food truck in St. Petersburg. 

"I like developing relationships with my customers. If there's something wrong, I will know because I will read their reactions," said Cerney, who's a perfectionist at heart. 

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World’s most advanced VR gaming experience opening on Central Avenue

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World’s most advanced VR gaming experience opening on Central Avenue

A first-of-its-kind entertainment experience is coming soon to St. Pete.

Sandbox VR, a virtual-reality gaming franchise that has locations in 16 states and Washington, D.C., is expanding to Florida, and its Sunshine State debut will take place in St. Petersburg’s Grand Central District.

The company, which bills its technology as the “world's most advanced virtual reality”, also operates in Canada and a handful of cities in Europe and Asia.

This technology allows players to see and physically interact with one another while feeling like they are in the middle of an action movie, with the heightened emotions that come from not just watching a film, but from actually becoming the stars of the action.

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City to subsidize stalled Deuces affordable townhome development

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City to subsidize stalled Deuces affordable townhome development

A dirt site the city promised to redevelop into a thriving live-work environment for the South St. Pete community has remained just that - an empty lot - but officials are headstrong on pushing the project forward with significant subsidies.

During a Thursday, January 18th city council meeting, the majority of councilmembers passed a string of resolutions to move the needle on the affordable 24-unit townhome development located on 22nd Street South between 6th and 7th Avenue in the Deuces, a historic African-American entertainment and business district in the 22nd Street South corridor.

The approved resolutions included a roughly $13.1 million maximum guaranteed price (GMP) to Tampa-based Horus Construction Services, which was hired as the design-build firm in 2019.

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