Philly native to open Little Philly, serving authentic cheesesteaks in the Grand Central District

/
Philly native to open Little Philly, serving authentic cheesesteaks in the Grand Central District

Philadelphia-born-and-raised chef and restaurant operator Sean Ford, alongside prominent local business owner Renaud Cowez, is bringing the taste of Philly to downtown St. Petersburg.

The partners are planning to open a new Philly cheesesteak restaurant - Little Philly - in the Grand Central District at 2063 Central Avenue, which formerly housed The Job Site Burgers.

"Growing up in Philly, I always felt safe and welcomed in the small sandwich shops,” Ford said. “They knew your name and treated you like family. I want to replicate that kind of feeling here in St. Pete.”

"This whole Grand Central neighborhood is buzzing and reminds me of when we opened Tryst on Beach Drive in 2011," said Ford, who moved to St. Pete over a decade ago to launch the high-end restaurant and lounge with Cowez.

Read More

Construction begins on The Central, formerly Orange Station, in St. Pete’s EDGE District

/
Construction begins on The Central, formerly Orange Station, in St. Pete’s EDGE District

Shovels have officially hit the ground on a long-awaited mixed-use development planned for downtown St. Petersburg’s EDGE District.

On Wednesday, Ellison Construction began construction on The Central, previously named Orange Station, at 1301 Central Avenue. 

The Central will feature an upscale Marriott hotel and the city's first new Class A office space in decades. Also included will be workforce apartments, retail space, and a parking garage.

The 2.1-acre project is a joint venture of J Square Developers, DDA Development, Ellison Development, and Backstreets Capital, LLC, who have collectively worked on several other St. Petersburg developments including The Salvador, St. James Townhomes, and The Nolen.

Read More

Massive expansion of Sirata Beach Resort approved, will bring two new hotels to St. Pete Beach

/
Massive expansion of Sirata Beach Resort approved, will bring two new hotels to St. Pete Beach

After months of deliberation and testimony from the public and parties involved, the St. Pete Beach commissioners approved the plans for the controversial Sirata Beach Resort expansion.  

In a 3-2 vote Tuesday evening, February 27th, commissioners greenlighted the conditional use permit (CUP) for the construction of a 290-key luxury JW Marriott hotel, a limited-service 130-key Hampton Inn, and a massive revamp of the existing 382-key resort at 5300 Gulf Boulevard.

The narrowly passed vote is a continuation of the nearly 11-hour public hearing last week when the newly appointed commissioners made a motion to defer the decision.

Read More

First look at St. Pete's Whole Foods Market ahead of tomorrow's grand opening

/
First look at St. Pete's Whole Foods Market ahead of tomorrow's grand opening

Three years after it was first announced, St. Petersburg’s first and only Whole Foods Market, and the company’s 537th store, is set to open at 9 a.m. on February 28th at 201 38th Avenue North, and the Austin, Texas-based specialty grocery store chain provided St. Pete Rising a sneak peek prior to the 41,100-square-foot store’s grand opening.

Local touches can be found in the store’s product assortment, which features more than 800 locally sourced products from the Southeast, curated with the help of Dustin Kennedy, Whole Foods Market’s local forager.

Some of the local and regional suppliers include Mother Kombucha, Greg Abrams Seafood, Wild Seafood Co., Keys Fisheries, Lady Moon Farms, Sunny Culture, Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Co., Adam’s Ranch, Green Bench Brewing Co., Escape Brewing Co., 3 Sons Brewing Co., Gelato Fino, Momma’s Baked Goods, Chef Cristy’s, Glasers Organic Farms, Norman Love Confections, Mozzarita, Wood’s Fisheries, and Hardee Fresh. 

Read More

Home of the Week: 1920-built home on a brick street lists in Historic Old Northeast

/
Home of the Week: 1920-built home on a brick street lists in Historic Old Northeast

A historic home in St. Petersburg’s Old Northeast neighborhood is St. Pete Rising’s Home of the Week.

Located at 445 17th Avenue Northeast, the two-story home has four bedrooms and four bathrooms with 2,978 square feet of living space. Situated on one of Old Northeast’s premier brick streets, the house flanked by 20th century homes that are full of history.

Built in 1920, the home features a tiled porch with lounging swing. The home has been tastefully renovated and includes hardwood flooring throughout, spacious living areas, a fireplace, separate dining area featuring a built-in dry bar, and a family room.

Read More