A shop dedicated to rubber ducks is opening soon in the Grand Central District

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A shop dedicated to rubber ducks is opening soon in the Grand Central District

St. Petersburg will soon have a new claim to fame – the first and only city in Florida with a retail store dedicated to rubber ducks.

This summer, The Lucky Duck Shop will join the flock of storefronts in St. Pete’s Grand Central District at 2626 Central Avenue, formerly home to Acme Air Conditioning Co.

The 1,000-square-foot shop will carry over 150 unique styles of rubber ducks and duck-themed shirts, stuffed animals, candles, dog toys, and more.

“The ducks just make people smile,” said owner Daniel Plonsky in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “They’re cute and fun to collect.”

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The Book Rescuers to open massive used bookstore with coffee, craft beer on tap in Largo

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The Book Rescuers to open massive used bookstore with coffee, craft beer on tap in Largo

When couple George and Sarah Brooks started selling used books in front of their home several years ago, they never dreamed it would become a full-fledged business with a mission to salvage hundreds of thousands of books.

After finding success in their front yard, the couple built mobile bookshelves and started popping up at various spots around town. That eventually led to leasing their current 3,600-square-foot warehouse at 10410 66th North in Pinellas Park, which allows the duo to sell books seven days a week.

At the current space, shelves stretch a mile long and thousands of cardboard boxes filled with over 100,000 books, including some over 100 years old, line the aisles.

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Chicken tender chain Raising Cane's to open first St. Pete restaurant in Tyrone

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Chicken tender chain Raising Cane's to open first St. Pete restaurant in Tyrone

Louisiana-based fried chicken chain Raising Cane's is bringing its crispy tenders and tangy sauce to St. Pete.

The growing franchise plans to open its first St. Petersburg restaurant at 6901 22nd Avenue North at Tyrone Square Mall, according to a recently filed permit application.

The St. Pete property is currently owned by Ohio-based Allied Stores General Real Estate Company, which is tied to Ronald Tysoe, Director at CINTAS and former Vice Chairman of Macy's Inc.

The new location will become the chain's third Tampa Bay location.  

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Done Deals: Rays select construction firm for new ballpark, Stella’s expands in Gulfport, Mid-century home lists

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Done Deals: Rays select construction firm for new ballpark, Stella’s expands in Gulfport, Mid-century home lists

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.

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Scooter's Coffee to open 4th Street drive-thru shop in St. Pete

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Scooter's Coffee to open 4th Street drive-thru shop in St. Pete

Midwest-based drive-thru coffee franchise Scooter's Coffee will open a new St. Pete shop this summer.

Scooter’s Coffee, a franchise known for serving artisan espresso drinks through its 664-square-foot store kiosk model, is building a new drive-thru shop at 9299 4th Street North in the Riviera Bay neighborhood.

This will be the third shop in Pinellas County for the growing franchise with existing drive-thrus at 980 Pasadena Avenue South and 4672 Park Boulevard in Pinellas Park.

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Affordable housing for homeless and low-income breaks ground near downtown St. Pete

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Affordable housing for homeless and low-income breaks ground near downtown St. Pete

Two nonprofits are joining forces to create more affordable housing and resources for St. Pete's low-income and homeless population.

Nonprofits St. Vincent de Paul CARES, which strives to end homelessness, and Ability Housing Inc., a developer of affordable multifamily housing — operating as a joint venture Ability SVdP LLC — have commenced site work for a new 73-unit affordable housing project.

The six-story development, dubbed Vincentian Village, is under construction at 401 13th Street North adjacent to St. Vincent de Paul CARES’ Center of Hope shelter.

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New mixed-use tower being planned for site of 12-story office building in downtown St. Pete

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New mixed-use tower being planned for site of 12-story office building in downtown St. Pete

A prime parcel in downtown St. Petersburg could soon be redeveloped, according to a notice sent to tenants of the City Center office building at 100 2nd Avenue South.

The 12-story office building is owned through a joint venture by City Office REIT, Feldman Equities, and Tower Realty Partners. The owners recently announced plans for a multi-million dollar renovation to City Center’s atrium lobby, entrances, and landscaping.

The 242,115-square-foot Class A office building sits on nearly a full city block fronting 2nd Avenue South between 1st Street and 2nd Street. The parcel is located in Downtown Center-1 (DC-1) zoning which allows for intense mixed-use development and a maximum floor area ratio (FAR) of 7.0 with no height restrictions.

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Massive 1,000-unit apartment project proposed for west St. Pete seeks $14.8 million from city and county

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Massive 1,000-unit apartment project proposed for west St. Pete seeks $14.8 million from city and county

After years of retooling plans for a 29-acre vacant industrial property in west St. Petersburg, a new proposal has been filed to redevelop it into a massive 1,000-unit apartment community.

Landowner Porter Development, headed by Les Porter, and joint venture partners Falcone Group and Metro Development Group, have submitted funding requests to the City of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County for the project now called Azalea Gateway, a proposed mixed-income multifamily project at 1501 72nd Street North, the former home of Raytheon Technologies.

"As our city grows, it is crucial that we ensure our teachers, first responders, hospitality workers, and others have access to safe and affordable living options," Porter said to St. Pete Rising.

The development group is requesting a $4.9 million contribution from the City of St. Petersburg and $9.9 million from Pinellas County’s Penny for Pinellas funds to help construct phase one of the project.

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Done Deals: Hotel developer buys 1700 block parcels, Downtown St. Pete office lists, art studio opens

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Done Deals: Hotel developer buys 1700 block parcels, Downtown St. Pete office lists, art studio opens

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.

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40-unit Castille Urbana tops out on 3rd Avenue South in downtown St. Pete

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40-unit Castille Urbana tops out on 3rd Avenue South in downtown St. Pete

The development team behind Castille Urbana, NJR Investment & Development Company, has completed vertical construction of the downtown St. Pete condominium building.

NJR, which is helmed by CEO and President Neil Rauenhorst, announced this week that the mid-rise 40-unit development at 600 3rd Avenue South is now more than 50% complete.

“We’re proud to be able to share the news that we’ve topped out on NJR’s latest downtown St.Petersburg project,” said Rauenhorst. “We are excited to bring more beautiful residences to the Downtown St. Pete area.”

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