January 21, 2025

Home of the Week: A 1927-built Mediterranean Revival residence in Granada Terrace

January 21, 2025/ Anthony Close

This week’s featured home is a 1927 Mediterranean Revival residence located at 2311 Brevard Road NE in the Granada Terrace Historic District of Old Northeast. The two-bedroom, two-bathroom home offers 1,708 square feet of living space in one of St. Petersburg’s most historic and scenic neighborhoods.

Designed by C. Perry Snell, the home retains many original features, such as hardwood floors, vaulted ceilings with exposed wood beams, vintage glass doorknobs, and intricate chandeliers. The layout is centered around an open-air courtyard, creating a natural flow between indoor and outdoor spaces. A sunroom and the primary bedroom provide views of Coffee Pot Bayou.

January 20, 2025

Oakberry Açai sets opening date for downtown St. Pete location

January 20, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

A Brazilian-born brand that specializes in açai bowls and smoothies has set an opening date for its first location in Tampa Bay.

Oakberry will welcome guests to its newest shop at 205 1st Street North in downtown St. Pete on Monday, January 27th. A grand opening is scheduled for 11:00 am on Saturday February 1st, where the first 100 customers will receive a free açai bowl.

The space that Oakberry occupies was formerly home to HaleLife Bakery, which relocated to the Warehouse Arts District last year.

The St. Pete shop is owned by local St. Pete resident Sarah Schermerton Murphy, who was introduced to the Oakberry brand while playing competitive volleyball matches in Brazil and California, where the company has a major presence.

January 17, 2025

St. Pete Beach’s Hotel Zamora completes $7.5 million renovation, adds new Mediterranean restaurant

January 17, 2025/ Anthony Close

The Hotel Zamora in St. Pete Beach has reopened following a $7.5 million renovation, transforming the property into a 4-star luxury hotel.

Minneapolis-based Sherman Associates purchased the boutique hotel, located at 3701 Gulf Boulevard, for $34.65 million in 2022.

The renovation included updates to all 64 guest rooms and suites, which now feature Mediterranean-inspired designs, spa showers, and high-end air purification systems. Outdoor spaces such as the pool, gym, and rooftop lounge have also been upgraded, with the rooftop offering expansive views of the Gulf of Mexico, downtown St. Pete, and the Intracoastal Waterway.

January 16, 2025

33-story apartment tower 3rd & 3rd to begin vertical construction in downtown St. Pete

January 16, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

Vertical construction is imminent at downtown St. Pete’s next high-rise tower.

Next week, crews from KAST Construction will start pouring the foundation for 3rd & 3rd, a 33-story 262-unit apartment tower currently under construction in downtown St. Pete.

It’ll be one of the largest foundation pours ever completed in the city.

The main core mat foundation pour, consisting of 4,000 cubic yards of concrete, will commence on Friday January 24th at 8:00 p.m. and last between 12 to 14 hours.

The team estimates that roughly 380 to 420 concrete trucks will make their way through the project site located at 235 3rd Street South on the northwest corner of 3rd Avenue South and 3rd Street directly across from the Publix-anchored University Village shopping center.

January 16, 2025

Red Thread, serving flavors of the Silk Road, will open this month in downtown St. Pete

January 16, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

Red Thread, the hotly anticipated restaurant from the owners of Saigon Blonde, is expected to open on Sunday January 19th in the heart of downtown St. Pete.

The finishing touches are being put on the new upscale restaurant, located at 300 1st Avenue North, that will invite diners on a culinary journey to explore the rich tapestry of the ancient Silk Road.

More specifically, Red Thread will explore the diverse flavors of China, India, Persia, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean — all of the territories along the Silk Road, a network of trade routes spanning 4,000 miles connecting the East and West from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century.