17-unit townhome-style apartment community breaks ground on 1st Avenue South

/
17-unit townhome-style apartment community breaks ground on 1st Avenue South

New modern residences are rising on a vacant property on 1st Avenue South near 34th Street in St. Petersburg.

Northern Trust Builders broke ground earlier this month on a $4.7 million project that will bring 17 townhome-style apartments across two three-story buildings to the site.

The development is led by Tampa-based Zhukovskyi Development, headed by Tony Zhukovskyi, and designed by local architect Pete Alfonso Jr.

The first building, at 3655 1st Avenue South, will have nine units. The second, at 3651 1st Avenue South, will include eight.

Zhukovskyi bought the property last August for $255,000.

Read More

12-story luxury condo tower to rise in St. Pete’s 67-acre Marina Bay waterfront community

/
12-story luxury condo tower to rise in St. Pete’s 67-acre Marina Bay waterfront community

A new luxury condominium tower will be developed on the Pinellas Bayway, marking the final major development within Marina Bay, a 67-acre gated waterfront community adjacent to Eckerd College and southwest of the Skyway Marina District in St. Petersburg.

Marina Bay developer Reza Yazdani plans to submit plans in early October to the City of St. Pete for the Marina Bay Residence, a 12-story condominium tower featuring panoramic views of Boca Ciega Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.

The $120 million project will include 96 residential units, two levels of parking, and a suite of upscale amenities.

Since acquiring the initial Marina Bay property from Eckerd College in 2003, Yazdani has transformed the site into a premier coastal residential enclave featuring a deep-water marina and 187 homes, including single-family residences, villas, and condominiums located along almost 2,000 feet of the Intracoastal Waterway.

Read More

Local developer to build 26 new townhomes in Largo

/
Local developer to build 26 new townhomes in Largo

Local real estate development firm Heron Properties is planning four new townhome communities that will bring a total of 26 new residences to Largo.

The company is currently developing other projects in the area, with the 10-unit Junction Townhomes underway in St. Petersburg’s Central Oak Park neighborhood and The Station, a 25,000-square-foot mixed-use development planned in Largo.

“From an urban infill perspective, downtown Largo offers the same authentic character we value in St. Petersburg’s Central Oak Park neighborhood - original brick streets with granite curbs, nearly century-old craftsman bungalows, and mature oak trees that define the streetscape,” Heron Properties Principal Grace Johnson said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising.

Johnson moved to Tampa Bay from Seattle nearly five years ago, simultaneously relocating the boutique development company’s office to Largo.

“We are introducing versatile housing choices that reflect the modern, walkable, and community-focused future of Largo. The area is attracting a mix of tourists and residents, and benefits from heavy public investment, with a strong emphasis on modern infrastructure and walkability,” she said.

Read More

Financial technology company Velera sells former PSCU headquarters in Carillon for $19 million

/
Financial technology company Velera sells former PSCU headquarters in Carillon for $19 million

A financial technology company with nearly 50 years in St. Pete has sold its corporate headquarters.

Velera, formerly known as PSCU, has sold its 12.4-acre campus at 560 and 580 Carillon Parkway in the Carillon office park to Tampa-based Greenleaf Capital, the real estate arm of publicly traded HCI Group Inc.

Greenleaf Capital paid $19 million for the two-office building campus, which contain 179,779 square feet.

Anthony Saravanos, President of Greenleaf Capital, said the firm plans to make smart improvements to the property that will help secure the ideal tenant.

“We’re not looking to change uses or tear it down for multifamily,” he told St. Pete Rising. “We’re hoping to attract a full campus-type user, a corporate headquarters relocation.”

Read More

Historically St. Pete: The 100-year-old cafeteria craze that reshaped dining in St. Pete

/
Historically St. Pete: The 100-year-old cafeteria craze that reshaped dining in St. Pete

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.

Follow us each month as we explore how these projects shaped St. Pete into the city we know and love today.

This month we look back at the rise of cafeteria culture that swept through the Sunshine City in the 1910s and 1920s.

Read More

Publix plans bigger store at Gateway Market Center on 9th Street North in St. Pete

/
Publix plans bigger store at Gateway Market Center on 9th Street North in St. Pete

One of St. Petersburg’s largest shopping centers is preparing for a major upgrade.

Gateway Market Center, located six miles north of downtown at 7751-8229 9th Street North, will soon break ground on a new Publix supermarket as part of a broader redevelopment effort led by InvenTrust Properties Inc.

The Illinois-based real estate investment trust, which owns and manages open-air shopping centers nationwide, plans to demolish the 60,450-square-foot Bealls, which recently closed, and replace it with a new 54,964-square-foot Publix, according to plans obtained by St. Pete Rising.

The store will be built adjacent to the existing 37,888-square-foot Publix, which has anchored the site for more than two decades.

The current Publix is expected to stay open during construction to avoid disrupting service, with operations likely shifting to the larger store once it is complete.

Read More

St. Pete’s largest indoor Halloween market debuts next month with 50+ vendors, Labubu tattoos, and spooky lattes

/
St. Pete’s largest indoor Halloween market debuts next month with 50+ vendors, Labubu tattoos, and spooky lattes

Spooky season is creeping in early this year, and St. Pete is about to get its biggest dose of Halloween spirit yet.

On Saturday, October 11th, the debut of the Spooky Island Market will transform Coastal Creative in the Grand Central District into a tropical-meets-haunted bazaar unlike anything the Sunshine City has ever seen.

From noon to 5 p.m., more than 50 local vendors will take over the venue at 2201 1st Avenue South, creating an eerie indoor gathering inspired by the haunted resort from the 2002 Scooby-Doo movie.

Guests can expect a pumpkin patch, oddities, spooky photo ops, Halloween-inspired installations, and plenty of exclusive treats designed to give you goosebumps.

Read More

Aerial St. Pete: Construction progresses on five major developments in the Sunshine City

/
Aerial St. Pete: Construction progresses on five major developments in the Sunshine City

The latest edition of Aerial St. Pete highlights five major real estate projects under construction in the St. Petersburg.

Aerial St. Pete is a recurring column by St. Pete Rising that features exclusive aerial photography documenting the city’s rapid development. To capture these images, we’ve partnered with AB3 Visuals.

This month’s update showcases construction progress on the expansion of the historic Cordova Inn, the Bernie McCade Second District Court of Appeals Courthouse, Institute Square at Orlando Health Medical Pavilion, Waterways Apartments & Marina, and The Henry at Whitney Village.

Read More

50-story Waldorf Astoria Residences sales gallery opens in downtown St. Pete

/
50-story Waldorf Astoria Residences sales gallery opens in downtown St. Pete

The team behind what is expected to become St. Pete’s tallest tower marked a major milestone Wednesday evening with the grand opening of the Waldorf Astoria Residences sales gallery.

Located at 100 2nd Avenue South in the City Center office tower, the gallery features a full model unit that cost more than $1 million to build, giving prospective buyers and the public an early look at what the 50-story project will offer.

Rising 539 feet at 150 2nd Avenue South, the 163-unit Waldorf Astoria Residences will be St. Pete’s first hotel-branded luxury condominium tower.

The $500 million project is being co-developed by Miami-based Property Markets Group and St. Petersburg-based Feldman Equities, in partnership with Vancouver-based City Office REIT and Orlando-based Tower Realty Partners. Hilton will manage the residences, while Smith & Associates Real Estate is leading sales.

Read More

Sprouts Farmers Market sets opening date for first St. Pete location

/
Sprouts Farmers Market sets opening date for first St. Pete location

St. Pete’s first Sprouts Farmers Market is preparing to open its doors in the Skyway Marina District on Friday, November 14th.

The 23,000-square-foot store at 3411 32nd Avenue South will serve as the anchor retail tenant in the $800 million Sky Town development.

Sky Town, developed by Miami-based Altis Cardinal, is one of the largest projects currently underway in St. Pete.

The 34.3-acre site, formerly home to the Ceridian office campus, is being redeveloped into a mixed-use community that will include 2,084 apartments, 69,000 square feet of retail, and 120,000 square feet of self-storage.

Vertical construction recently commenced on the first phase of apartments.

The new Sprouts, which sits on the east side of the property, was constructed by Tarpon Springs-based Hawkins Construction.

Read More