May 07, 2024

St. Pete Beach's Grove Surf and Coffee to open new cafe on Indian Rocks Beach

May 07, 2024/ Veronica Brezina

Riding a wave of growth, the owners behind the popular retail surf shop and specialty coffee bar Grove Surf + Coffee in St. Pete Beach are expanding into Indian Rocks Beach with an entirely new concept.

Unlike its sister shop, which only serves coffee, pastries, and baked goods, the new Grove Surf Cafe will be equipped with a full commercial kitchen, offering a full food and drink menu when it opens this Wednesday at 1309 Gulf Boulevard on Indian Rocks Beach.

The space previously housed Salt Public House and shares the same building with the Nekton Surf Shop.

"Indian Rocks Beach is our home. We always said if we were going to expand, we would do it here," founder Lindsey Gottschling said to St. Pete Rising.

May 07, 2024

Exclusive: Pedestrian-only retail village and apartments planned for YMCA property near downtown St. Pete

May 07, 2024/ Veronica Brezina

Longtime St. Pete investor Blake Whitney Thompson and multifamily developer Greystar Real Estate Partners plan to create a thriving live-work-play neighborhood on 4.5 acres in St. Pete’s Grand Central District just west of downtown St. Pete.

Blake Investment Partners (BLAKE), which was selected in early 2023 to redevelop a portion of the Jim & Heather Gills YMCA at 3200 1st Avenue South, has formed a joint venture with Greystar and submitted a special exception application to the City of St. Petersburg’s Development Review Committee to redevelop the property.

The proposed redevelopment, dubbed Whitney Village, will add 375 apartments, a parking garage, and 32,000 square feet of retail space to the property.

May 06, 2024

Karma Juice Bar and Eatery celebrates 10-year anniversary and its journey to success

May 06, 2024/ Veronica Brezina

St. Pete's beloved Karma Juice Bar & Eatery is celebrating its 10-year anniversary, but for founder Josie Barber, the landmark anniversary represents much more than a successful restaurant.

Karma Juice Bar and Eatery’s humble beginnings began in 2014 when mother-and-daughter duo, Barber and April Lupkey, opened up shop in downtown St. Pete at 209 1st Street NE, now home to Lily Rose Jewelry Co.

Today, Karma operates two locations in St. Petersburg at 490 1st Avenue South in downtown St. Pete and at 1804 4th Street North. A third outpost is located in Clearwater.

May 03, 2024

Done Deals: $182M loan secured for condo tower, 8-story hotel coming to Madeira Beach, St. Pete estate sells for over $9M

May 03, 2024/ Veronica Brezina

Done Deals is a 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.

May 03, 2024

Move-ins begin at Lake Maggiore mixed-income housing development

May 03, 2024/ Veronica Brezina

Local developer Stoneweg US is putting the finishing touches on a mixed-income apartment community situated east of Lake Maggiore in south St. Pete.

The Lake Maggiore Apartments, located at 825 32nd Avenue South, feature 330 rental apartments, including 14 townhomes with units starting at $1,433.

The community, which is expected to fully open in August, will consist of seven garden-style apartment buildings, two townhome-style buildings, a pool, an outdoor amenity area, a clubhouse with a community room, and a leasing office.

The project, which broke ground in 2022, was developed by Stoneweg US, a St. Pete-based investment firm specializing in multifamily development and acquisitions, and is the same group redeveloping Coquina Key Plaza.

May 01, 2024

St. Pete Beach's Miramar Resort unveils 1950s-inspired expansion plan

May 01, 2024/ Veronica Brezina

The Miramar Resort, built in 1953, was set to be completely demolished when the City of St. Pete Beach approved a $40 million redevelopment of the aging waterfront property in 2021; however, the owner is now scaling back those plans to save the 71-year-old buildings from the wrecking ball.

As the sun was setting Tuesday evening, Miramar Resort owner Kevin Bowden walked around the hotel property at 4200 Gulf Boulevard, pointing out to residents and community stakeholders where a new seven-story 30-unit building will rise just behind the towering dunes shielding the resort.

"Guests want new beds and bathrooms, but want the resort to still have that same historic feeling," said Bowden, who also owns the Cambria Hotel on Madeira Beach.

May 01, 2024

10-unit townhome development proposed for St. Pete's Central Oak Park neighborhood

May 01, 2024/ Veronica Brezina

In St. Pete's Central Oak Park neighborhood, plans are underway to replace a dilapidated 1938 Tudor home with a modern 10-unit townhome development.

Local architectural firm Behar + Peteranecz, representing Seattle, Washington-based development group Heron Properties, has filed proposals with the city for a garden-style townhome project at 3601 1st Avenue North.

Named Junction Townhomes, the complex will feature two duplexes and two triplexes encircling a lush, landscaped courtyard.

"We are trying to be mindful of the neighborhood and limit the townhomes to two stories instead of three," stated Grace Johnson, Principal at Heron Properties, in an interview with St. Pete Rising.

April 30, 2024

A New York-style bagel shop is coming this summer to St. Pete Beach

April 30, 2024/ Brian Hartz

In mid-June, St. Pete Beach residents and visitors will be able to enjoy authentic, Brooklyn-made bagels with a tropical twist.

Opening at 455 75th Avenue — formerly the home of Sunrise Tacos, and before that, the venerable Gayle’s Diner — Tiki Bagel will serve bagels made by Noshman’s Bagel of New York City, a wholesaler that ships partially baked bagels to restaurants, delis, and bakeries around the country.

According to the Noshman’s Bagel website, the company uses a recipe pioneered by Jewish immigrants that dates to the 1890s.

April 30, 2024

French bistro and bar coming to downtown St. Pete from owners of Bacchus

April 30, 2024/ Veronica Brezina

The plump red cherry perched atop the awning of the dormant Dirty Shirley Bar + Kitchen will soon be removed as two local restaurant veterans will bring a new French bistro to the downtown St. Pete space.

Christophe Guillot and Philippe Challeau, owners and operators of the upscale Bacchus Wine Bistro, will debut a new Parisian bistro and bar called COGNAC at 201 2nd Avenue North. Dirty Shirley closed their doors less than a year after opening in 2023.

"At Bacchus, we are limited on what we serve and need a bigger kitchen where we can offer more dishes and serve larger private parties," Gulliot said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising, explaining they’ve been seeking an adequate and efficient space for months.