St. Pete releases tool to help homeowners build accessory dwelling units

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St. Pete releases tool to help homeowners build accessory dwelling units

The City of St. Petersburg has launched a new tool to assist homeowners in determining if they can build an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) on their property. 

The initiative aims to increase awareness about ADUs and ultimately boost their numbers, thereby expanding the city’s housing supply.

ADUs are independent living spaces located on the same property as a primary residence. These units can vary in form and size, including garage apartments, granny flats, pool houses, backyard cottages, and more.

The size of an ADUs can range from small efficiencies to two-bedroom units, which may be either owner-occupied or rented. In St. Petersburg, ADUs are restricted to 800 square feet or 67% of the primary home’s size, whichever is smaller. 

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Warehouse Arts District upzoning approved, paves way for new development

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Warehouse Arts District upzoning approved, paves way for new development

A major zoning overhaul in the Warehouse Arts District is expected to spark a flurry of new development in the historically industrial neighborhood near downtown St. Pete.

Last week, after years of planning and debate, St. Petersburg City Council unanimously voted to adopt the SunRunner Target Employment Center (TEC) Local Overlay, which encompasses 58 acres generally located south of 1st Avenue South, east of 24th Street South, and north and west of Interstate 275.

The Warehouse Arts District houses many of St. Pete’s most popular businesses such as 3 Daughters Brewery, Urban Stillhouse, Morean Center for Clay, and the Duncan McClellan Gallery.

The zoning change is designed to boost housing, job creation, and commercial opportunities around the SunRunner Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) station at 22nd Street by allowing non-industrial uses to develop alongside small-scale fabrication, makers, and arts spaces when performance measures are met.

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Five-unit modern craftsman-style townhomes to be built in Kenwood

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Five-unit modern craftsman-style townhomes to be built in Kenwood

Five modern craftsman-style townhomes are coming soon to St. Pete's Kenwood neighborhood.

Husband-and-wife team Max and Kaitlin Vollmer, who are actively working on multiple residential projects in St. Petersburg, are on the cusp of demolishing a 70-year-old seven-room assisted living building at 2168 9th Avenue North for their new townhome development dubbed Historic Kenwood Townhomes. 

The property sits directly between a medical office and a retail plaza housing several local businesses, including Simply Delicious, a hidden gem known for their Cuban sandwich, and The Violet Stone, a Philadelphia-style pizzeria that's relocating to Crescent Heights.

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Michelin-starred chef to debut new restaurant at The Vinoy in downtown St. Pete

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Michelin-starred chef to debut new restaurant at The Vinoy in downtown St. Pete

A Michelin-starred chef will open a new sophisticated steak and seafood restaurant at the historic Vinoy Resort and Golf Club along St. Pete's downtown waterfront in early 2025.

Elliot Aster, the new restaurant debuting at 501 5th Avenue Northeast inside the Vinoy, is a concept from Boka Restaurant Group and Chef Lee Wolen, who is behind Chicago Michelin-award-winning Boka restaurant, Italian eatery Alla Vita, and GG's Chicken Shop.

The new restaurant, named after a native Florida wildflower and pays homage to the real estate developer Gene Elliott who named the Vinoy after owner Aymer Vinoy Laughner, will replace Marchand's Bar & Grill, which has been closed since 2020.

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St. Pete speakeasy The Saint to be transformed into The Ball, a pop-art-inspired bar and lounge

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St. Pete speakeasy The Saint to be transformed into The Ball, a pop-art-inspired bar and lounge

The Saint, a St. Pete speakeasy known for its moody dark red lighting and intimate atmosphere, will reopen as a new vibrant upscale cocktail lounge this winter.

Owner David Fischer, who founded a string of St. Pete LGBTQ-focused bars and destinations such as the Cocktail St. Pete nightclub and The Wet Spot pool bar, unveiled details this week of the new rebrand for The Saint at 49 24th Street North in the Grand Central District.

Parent company Pour Behavior and ZaZoo’d, Fischer's interior design team behind The Saint and other concepts, will transform the space into a new pop-art-inspired bar and lounge dubbed "The Ball," celebrating the symbolism behind the iconic disco ball.

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