May 07, 2025

Here are the first renderings of Forbici Modern Italian coming to Sundial in downtown St. Pete

May 07, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

In February, Tampa Bay restauranteur Jeff Gigante announced his popular modern Italian restaurant Forbici would take over the 12,000-square-foot Sea Salt space at Sundial in downtown St. Pete. And now we have a closer look of what the restaurant will be like.

The restaurant originally planned to move into the ground-floor space previously occupied by Locale Market but shifted its plans to the second floor space at 183 2nd Avenue North following Sea Salt’s closure on December 31st.

Forbici is part of Next Level Brands, a Tampa-based restaurant group founded by restaurateur Jeff Gigante, real estate investor Andrew Wright, and attorney Joseph Guggino.

Expected to open by year’s end, renderings reveal that the 350-seat St. Pete location will mirror the flagship Forbici in South Tampa’s Hyde Park, which opened in 2019, but with a more refined and upscale twist.

May 06, 2025

Construction begins on 325-unit apartment community near YMCA in Grand Central District

May 06, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

Construction has officially commenced on a 325-unit apartment community that will anchor a new live-work-play neighborhood in St. Pete’s Grand Central District.

As first reported by St. Pete Rising, the five-story apartment building, dubbed The Henry at Whitney Village, is part of a larger development, which will also include a 32,000-square-foot pedestrian-only retail village and a 600-space parking garage for residents and visitors.

The mixed-use project will occupy 4.5 acres on the east side of the Jim & Heather Gills YMCA at 3200 1st Avenue South.

South Carolina-based multifamily developer Greystar Real Estate Partners purchased the property from the neighboring YMCA in February for $12 million.

The 25-year-old, 55,000-square-foot YMCA will undergo a major renovation funded by proceeds from the sale of the athletic field property.

May 06, 2025

Historically St. Pete: The oldest surviving school building in St Pete still stands 124 years later

May 06, 2025/ Rui Farias

At St. Pete Rising, we are constantly providing comprehensive coverage on everything new and coming soon to the Sunshine City, but we think it’s also important to take a look back at our city's rich history.

Historically St. Pete, a monthly column on St. Pete Rising written by Executive Director of the St. Petersburg Museum of History Rui Farias, covers everything from the legend of underground mobster tunnels to the buildings and people that created the Sunshine City.

This month we explore the captivating history of the 124-year-old Manual Training School building — Florida’s first vocational school and the oldest surviving school building in St Pete.

May 05, 2025

Green Turtle Brewery to replace Cycle Brewing in downtown St. Pete

May 05, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

A British-style brewery featuring traditional brewing methods and British fare is set to open next month in the space that Cycle Brewing, St. Pete’s first brewery, has occupied for the past 12 years.

Cycle Brewing will close its taproom sometime this month, but will continue to brew beer at its production warehouse at 2135 5th Avenue South.

Green Turtle Brewery and Public House, located at 534 Central Avenue in downtown St. Pete, will serve classic styles of beer such as IPAs, lagers, and porters, with a special focus on cask ales, which are traditional British beers brewed using natural fermentation and served via hand pump.

“It's the freshest beer you can have because it undergoes secondary fermentation in the cask,” said Todd Bearden, who is opening Green Turtle Brewery with his wife, Colleen. “It's not filtered, not pasteurized, and has natural carbonation. It’s alive and breathing.”

May 03, 2025

Cycle Brewing to close downtown taproom this month after 12 years

May 03, 2025/ Brian Zucker

Cycle Brewing, the city's oldest craft brewery and a cornerstone of St. Petersburg’s craft beer scene, will be closing its downtown taproom this month.

The cycling-themed brewery, which has served locals for the past 12 years, will not renew its lease at 534 Central Avenue, founder and brewmaster Doug Dozark announced earlier today on social media.

“The taproom will close in as early as a week or as late as the end of the month,” said Dozark.

While the tasting room will close, Cycle will continue to brew beer at its production warehouse 2135 5th Avenue South—near the Orange Belt Railway and Pinellas Trail—where it bottles its beverages.

May 02, 2025

Seven-story Frontier building set for major transformation in downtown St. Pete

May 02, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

After sitting underutilized for years, the windowless Frontier building at 821 1st Avenue North is finally set to see new life.

Plans have been filed with the City of St. Petersburg to redevelop the seven-story, 233,590-square-foot office and data center, which is partially leased by Frontier Communications. The proposed redevelopment includes 41,333 square feet of ground-floor retail space, 137,663 square feet of self-storage, and 54,594 square feet of office space.

Originally constructed in 1928 by the General Telephone Company of Florida, the building was expanded in 1967 and 1970. It remains a key part of St. Petersburg's internet infrastructure, housing extensive fiber optic cable, switch rooms, frame rooms, and generators as large as jet engines.

May 01, 2025

New renderings reveal Foot Locker’s $20 million global HQ in north St. Pete

May 01, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

New renderings obtained by St. Pete Rising provide a first look at the planned buildout of Foot Locker’s new global headquarters in north St. Petersburg.

The company, previously based in New York City, signed a 110,998-square-foot lease in March to relocate its operations to 570 Carillon Parkway in the Carillon Business Park.

Foot Locker will occupy the first, third, and fourth floors of the five-story office building. The space was previously leased by Protect My Car and Tata Consulting Services.

The buildout of the office space is expected to cost $10.7 million, according to a permit application submitted to the City of St. Pete. An additional $14 million will be spent on furniture, fixtures, and equipment.

The new headquarters will be surrounded by major employers such as Raymond James Financial, Jabil, and Franklin Templeton.

April 30, 2025

50-story Waldorf Astoria Residences in downtown St. Pete launch sales starting at $2.5 million

April 30, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

Sales have launched for the Waldorf Astoria Residences in downtown St. Petersburg, a project that will become the city’s tallest tower and its first hotel-branded luxury condominium.

The 50-story, 539-foot-tall tower planned for 150 2nd Avenue South will include 163 condominiums, 73,000 square feet of Class A office space, 10,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, and an extensive collection of high-end residential amenities.

Pricing for the luxury condominiums start at $2.5 million.

The $500 million tower, which will be managed by Hilton, is being co-developed by Miami-based Property Markets Group and St. Petersburg-based Feldman Equities, who own the adjacent City Center office building. Vancouver-based City Office REIT and Orlando-based Tower Realty Partners are also involved. Smith & Associates Real Estate is overseeing the sales.

April 29, 2025

80-unit affordable housing project Flats on 4th moves forward in north St. Pete

April 29, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

An undeveloped parcel at the southwest corner of the intersection of 106th Avenue North and 4th Street North will be developed into 80 affordable apartments reserved for seniors.

The project, dubbed Flats on 4th—a previously approved four-story mid-rise building designed for low-income seniors earning between 40% and 60% of the area median income (AMI).

The Pinellas County Housing Finance Authority purchased the land for the project earlier this month, as Trustee of the land trust, for $2.94 million using Penny for Pinellas funds, a voter-approved one-cent sales tax designated for infrastructure improvements.

April 29, 2025

Local herbal school to serve teas, tonics, and coffee at half-acre garden oasis in west St. Pete

April 29, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

A once dusty, fenced-in daycare yard in west St. Pete has been transformed into an herbal garden oasis, now featuring a unique coffee and tea cart that serves drinks with a healing twist.

The half-acre garden, which features a walking path winding through hundreds of medicinal and edible plants, sits behind the Traditions School of Herbal Studies and its sister company Acupuncture & Herbal Therapies at 6340 Central Avenue.

“I want the outdoor teaching garden to be a place where people can gather to sip tea, meditate, converse, and relax,” said founder Bob Linde in a discussion with St. Pete Rising.

Founded by Linde in 2005, Traditions offers acupuncture treatments and education on plant medicine, and houses the largest apothecary in the Southeast with over 2,000 Western and Chinese herbs used to treat everything from simple headaches to more serious ailments, including cancer.