Iconic Tampa Bay restaurant Datz has closed in downtown St. Pete

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Iconic Tampa Bay restaurant Datz has closed in downtown St. Pete

Datz in downtown St. Pete has permanently closed, marking the end of what was once one of Tampa Bay’s most popular restaurants.

Earlier yesterday morning, a message was taped to the restaurant’s door:

“An ending to an era! It’s been a great and memorable journey throughout the years. Unfortunately, we have finished our final chapter in our Datz story.”

The message continued, “It’s been a privilege and our pleasure throughout the years! Be well and until we meet again. Stay Datzy!”

The note did not provide a reason for the closure, and a call to the owners, Suzanne and Roger Perry, was not returned.

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15-story Viv apartments to begin move-ins next month in the EDGE District

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15-story Viv apartments to begin move-ins next month in the EDGE District

Rising 150 feet, the highly anticipated 15-story Viv apartment community is now ready to welcome residents.

Announced in 2021 by developer Belpointe OZ, the complex is located on a 1.6-acre site at 1000 1st Avenue North in St. Pete’s EDGE District. The development features two 15-story towers with 269 market-rate apartments and a four-story parking garage offering 355 spaces.

Local general contractor JE Dunn Construction commenced construction in June 2023 and completed vertical construction in May 2024.

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Local boating company Hubbard's Marina selected as new operator of Cross Bay Ferry

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Local boating company Hubbard's Marina selected as new operator of Cross Bay Ferry

A longtime local boating business may bring back the popular ferry service connecting downtown St. Petersburg and downtown Tampa, with more frequent trips and year-round service.

The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) has recommended Hubbard’s Marina, a nearly century-old Madeira Beach-based business, to relaunch and manage the Cross Bay Ferry, which first launched in 2016. If approved, service could resume as early as 2026, ahead of the peak spring break season.

Hubbard’s Marina, which would operate the service as the Tampa Bay Ferry, was one of four respondents to PSTA’s Request for Proposals (RFP) issued on August 5th.

Founded in 1928 by Captain Wilson Hubbard as a bait-and-tackle shop, Hubbard’s Marina has grown into a major fishing and boating business. The family-owned company moved to John’s Pass on Maderia Beach in 1976, where it now offers deep-sea fishing, sightseeing tours, and operates a maintenance and manufacturing facility in Gulfport.

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It’s official: The Tampa Bay Rays have been sold to Jacksonville billionaire

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It’s official: The Tampa Bay Rays have been sold to Jacksonville billionaire

It’s official. The Tampa Bay Rays have been sold.

An ownership group led by 44-year-old billionaire Patrick Zalupski, CEO of Jacksonville-based Dream Finders Homes, has finalized the $1.7 billion purchase of the Major League Baseball franchise from longtime owner Stu Sternberg.

The transaction closed Tuesday following unanimous MLB approval last week.

“It’s an incredible honor to become the stewards of the Tampa Bay Rays, a franchise with a proud history and a bright future,” said Zalupski in a statement. “We are especially privileged to have been chosen by Stu Sternberg as his successors, and we’re all energized by the responsibility to serve Rays fans everywhere and this great game.

Commissioner Rob Manfred added, “Major League Baseball is pleased to welcome Patrick and his partners to the ownership ranks. Their collective experience and passion for the game will serve the Rays well as they enter this exciting new chapter."

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Celebrity Chef Geoffrey Zakarian to open new restaurant at The Central in downtown St. Pete

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Celebrity Chef Geoffrey Zakarian to open new restaurant at The Central in downtown St. Pete

Internationally recognized chef and TV personality Geoffrey Zakarian will introduce a new restaurant concept at The Central, a new mixed-use development under construction in St. Petersburg’s EDGE District.

Zakarian, known for his modern American cuisine, more than 25 years of leading top kitchens across the country, and appearances on competitive cooking shows, announced on Tuesday the flagship restaurant will be located in the 168-room Central Hotel within the 2.1-acre development at 1301 Central Avenue. The Central Hotel will be part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection.

“St. Petersburg is a city brimming with energy and creativity, and we are thrilled to create a dining experience that captures that spirit,” Zakarian said in a statement.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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Local developer to build 26 new townhomes in Largo

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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.

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

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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.”

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

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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.

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