16-story hotel approved to replace 100-year-old storm-damaged building in downtown St. Pete

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16-story hotel approved to replace 100-year-old storm-damaged building in downtown St. Pete

An 11-story storm-damaged building in the heart of downtown St. Pete is one step closer to being demolished and redeveloped into a 16-story boutique hotel after receiving its first approval from the city.

St. Pete City Council, meeting as the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), found the proposed plan to demolish the 100-year-old building at 300 Central Avenue and construct a 16-story tower with 74 hotel rooms and 4,000 square feet of commercial space consistent with the City’s Intown Redevelopment Plan.

The existing structure, historically known as the Smith Empire Building and called the Coronet 300 since 1966, was constructed in 1924 as a commercial building and later adapted for mixed-use residential purposes in the 1960s. The building is not listed on the Local or National Register of Historic Places.

Local entrepreneur and developer Steve Gianfilippo of Gianco Companies, who purchased the building in 2017, said the vacant structure suffered significant damage from Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Interim repairs will be made to ensure safety while plans for the new hotel are finalized.

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Massive 31-story, twin-tower development approved for downtown St. Pete

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Massive 31-story, twin-tower development approved for downtown St. Pete

The City of St. Petersburg has officially approved plans for one of downtown’s largest-ever residential projects, a transformative $225 million development featuring two 31-story towers at the former headquarters of UPC Insurance.

First reported by St. Pete Rising earlier this year, the project at 800 2nd Avenue South is being led by local developer Echelon, LLC and Tampa-based investment advisory firm Third Lake Partners.

Now greenlit by the City, the development will move forward with site plan approvals, setting the stage for construction to begin as early as the first quarter of 2026.

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New townhomes and office HQ proposed alongside expanded preservation in north St. Pete

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New townhomes and office HQ proposed alongside expanded preservation in north St. Pete

Three wooded lots in north St. Pete's Gateway area, currently vacant and littered with debris, may soon become expanded and maintained preservation grounds alongside a local office building and a new residential development.

The noncontiguous sites, purchased by St. Pete-based general contracting firm Lema Construction in February for $400,000, are located on the northeast side of 4th Street North and Gandy Boulevard.

The properties are surrounded by commercial and multifamily developments, including the assisted living facility Aventura Bay Place, the Winn-Dixie-anchored Bayview Shopping Plaza, and a site slated for future townhomes.

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Circo Pizzeria & Italian Kitchen to relocate to the Skyway Marina District

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Circo Pizzeria & Italian Kitchen to relocate to the Skyway Marina District

Circo Pizzeria Italian Kitchen will bring its fresh house-made pastas and specialty pizzas to the Skyway Marina District.

The family-owned restaurant is relocating from its current spot at 114 Pinellas Bayway South to 5035 34th Street South in the Bay Pointe Plaza.

The neighborhood pizza joint is relocating to the new location this July - one year following Portofino Italian Restaurant's closure after serving south St. Pete diners for 30 years.

Circo Pizzeria Italian Kitchen, which debuted in Tierra Verde in 2021, is known for slinging New York and Sicilian-style slices in an inviting atmosphere.

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The Vinoy's new signature restaurant Elliott Aster announces May opening date

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The Vinoy's new signature restaurant Elliott Aster announces May opening date

The Vinoy Resort and Golf Club's highly anticipated new signature restaurant, Elliott Aster, is preparing to welcome guests next week.

The restaurant, located at 501 5th Avenue Northeast inside the historic waterfront resort, is set to open on May 20th.

Elliott Aster replaces Marchand's Bar & Grill, which closed in 2020, and introduces a sophisticated Italian steak and seafood concept developed in collaboration with the Chicago-based Boka Restaurant Group. Leading the culinary team is Michelin-award-winning Chef Lee Wolen, a 2025 James Beard Award semifinalist.

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Chicken tender chain Raising Cane's planning new restaurant in Largo

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Chicken tender chain Raising Cane's planning new restaurant in Largo

Louisiana-based fried chicken chain Raising Cane's is expanding its footprint in Tampa Bay with a new Largo location.

Raising Cane's plans to open a new drive-thru restaurant on an outparcel at 10500 Ulmerton Road, near the Largo Plaza shopping mall. The site was previously occupied by a Red Lobster, which closed in May 2024 after the company announced it was considering filing for bankruptcy.

Plans submitted to the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFMD) show that the existing building will be demolished and replaced with a new 2,683-square-foot Raising Cane's restaurant featuring a two-lane drive-thru and surface parking.

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Beloved Community Café to bring pay-what-you-can dining and worship to the Grand Central District

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Beloved Community Café to bring pay-what-you-can dining and worship to the Grand Central District

Healing, hope, and hospitality are on the menu at a new pay-what-you-can café, where no one eats alone and everyone is welcome.

Good Samaritan Church, currently based in Pinellas Park, and Recovery Epicenter Foundation in Clearwater are transforming a retail space in St. Petersburg’s Grand Central District into Beloved Community Café, a pay-what-you-can café and worship center.

Recovery Epicenter Foundation will use the space as a membership-based recovery center.

Last month, Good Samaritan purchased the 3,150-square-foot building at 1940 Central Avenue for $1,225,000. The building was previously home to a consignment shop called Retreat.

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New kava lounge Cozy Kava opens in the Grand Central District

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New kava lounge Cozy Kava opens in the Grand Central District

A new bar has opened in St. Pete, but instead of shots and cocktails, it’s pouring shells of kava.

Derived from the ground roots of a South Pacific pepper plant, kava is known for its calming, anxiety-reducing effects—and it’s at the center of a growing scene in Pinellas County, where more than 50 kava bars have opened in the last decade.

This surge reflects a broader nationwide trend, as younger generations increasingly turn toward wellness-focused, alcohol-free social spaces.

Cozy Kava quietly opened last month at 2309 Central Avenue in the Grand Central District, formerly home to The MAR St. Pete, a performing arts incubator and studio that has since relocated to the St. Pete City Theatre.

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60-unit Bayou Court opens in south St. Pete with affordable apartments for teachers and government workers

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60-unit Bayou Court opens in south St. Pete with affordable apartments for teachers and government workers

One year ago, city leaders and a local developer broke ground on a transformational project in south St. Pete that aimed to create more housing opportunities for teachers and faculty. Today, the community has officially opened.

The new 60-unit apartment community, Bayou Court Apartments, is located near the southeast corner of Lake Maggiore at 4201 6th Street South, directly behind Lakewood Elementary School.

The project, which recently welcomed its first residents, was made possible through a public-private collaboration between the City of St. Petersburg, Pinellas County, and Gravel Road Partners, a Washington D.C.-based workforce and affordable housing developer that acquired the property in 2022 for $1.7 million.

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Florida Holocaust Museum announces reopening date for remodeled and reimagined museum in downtown St. Pete

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Florida Holocaust Museum announces reopening date for remodeled and reimagined museum in downtown St. Pete

After more than a year of closure, The Florida Holocaust Museum has announced it will welcome visitors back starting Tuesday, September 9th following an extensive renovation.

With a collection of over 25,000 artifacts, The Florida Holocaust Museum, located at 55 5th Street South in downtown St. Pete, is one of the largest Holocaust museums in the country and one of only three nationally accredited Holocaust museums.

The renovation project includes a new entrance with enhanced security features, an open-air second-story balcony, a theater that will house its interactive Dimensions in Testimony exhibit, and a temporary installation housing elements of the Elie Wiesel Collection.

The full Elie Wiesel exhibit, which will occupy the museum’s third floor, will come in a later phase of the museum’s building projects.

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