$33 million Tierra Verde Marina redevelopment revised again, could become Florida’s second-largest boat storage facility

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$33 million Tierra Verde Marina redevelopment revised again, could become Florida’s second-largest boat storage facility

A Tampa-based developer has refined its plans to transform the aging seven-acre Tierra Verde Marina property, adding new public amenities and retail while addressing concerns from nearby residents.

Since the proposal was first introduced in March, Greenleaf Capital has made several key revisions to its $33 million, two-phase redevelopment at 100 Pinellas Bayway South.

The project, which was originally slated to go before St. Pete’s Development Review Commission (DRC) in October, has been rescheduled to December to accommodate additional design and a traffic analysis.

One of the community’s main concerns was losing the existing retail space at the marina. In response, the developer has added 2,400 square feet of new retail space to the latest plan, which could be divided into up to three storefronts and will be included in Phase 1 of construction.

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Publix at Dolphin Village in St. Pete Beach to be rebuilt into larger, elevated new prototype store

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Publix at Dolphin Village in St. Pete Beach to be rebuilt into larger, elevated new prototype store

Five months after a devastating fire left Dolphin Village’s Publix and neighboring shops in ruins, plans are now moving forward to bring a larger, more modern supermarket back to the barrier island.

New York-based Brixmor Property Group, owner of the fire-damaged shopping center, announced Monday that it will submit development plans to the city for a new 51,000-square-foot Publix Super Market — a major expansion from the previous 33,000-square-foot store.

The proposed design includes covered parking beneath an elevated store, a feature aimed at improving shopper convenience and storm resilience at the 136,000-square-foot grocery-anchored center.

Project approvals and construction are expected to take several years, and an opening date has not yet been determined.

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Great Explorations Children’s Museum plans new Discovery Center with focus on STEAM education

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Great Explorations Children’s Museum plans new Discovery Center with focus on STEAM education

After nearly four decades of inspiring young minds, Great Explorations Children’s Museum is dreaming bigger.

The beloved St. Petersburg institution, located at 1925 4th Street North next to Sunken Gardens, is searching for a larger home to keep pace with its expanding programs, growing preschool, and community impact.

Founded in 1986 as The Hands-On Museum, Great Explorations has evolved into a 24,000-square-foot center for imagination and discovery.

Children can shop in a mini grocery store, role-play as doctors, build, tinker, and experiment, all while learning through play.

In 2013, Angeline Howell joined the museum as its CEO.

A year later, the museum became the first mid-sized children’s museum in the country to earn accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums, an honor that few children’s museums have achieved.

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Massive street festival Halloween on Central returns to Central Avenue this weekend

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Massive street festival Halloween on Central returns to Central Avenue this weekend

St. Pete’s largest family-friendly open-air event, Halloween on Central, returns for its fifth year this Sunday, October 26th, from noon to 5 p.m. And it’s completely free.

Once again, more than two miles of Central Avenue will close to vehicular traffic, from Dr. MLK Jr. Street (9th) Street to 31st Street, for a full day of festive fun in the heart of the Sunshine City.

With Central Avenue closed to cars, thousands of trick-or-treaters and festivalgoers can stroll, roll, and explore 22 blocks filled with candy stops, live entertainment, vendors, and costumed revelers.

This year’s celebration is presented by ARK Ellison Horus Baker Barrios in partnership with the Grand Central District, EDGE District, and the City of St. Pete.

“Having ARK Ellison Horus Baker Barrios as our title sponsor this year has helped remind us of what community and local is all about,” said Roger Curlin, Executive Director of the EDGE Business District Association. “With attendance typically exceeding 100,000, this event brings residents and visitors together for the perfect all-community gathering.”

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Melt n Dip dessert lounge coming to former Rollbotto space in downtown St. Pete

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Melt n Dip dessert lounge coming to former Rollbotto space in downtown St. Pete

A new dessert café is on its way to downtown St. Pete.

Melt n Dip, a dessert chain known for waffles, crepes, and gelato, plans to open at 221 1st Street North at Plaza Tower near Sundial and Beach Drive.

The new shop will occupy a 2,300-square-foot space that previously housed Rollbotto, a sushi restaurant that opened in 2012, closed in May 2024 after more than a decade in business.

Harrison Gault and Jay Billings of Commercial Partners Realty represented the tenant, while Kevin Yeager, also of Commercial Partners Realty, represented the landlord.

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Developer buys more land on Salt Creek as investment now tops $59 million

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Developer buys more land on Salt Creek as investment now tops $59 million

Clearwater-based real estate firm Prometheus Partners has once again expanded its portfolio along Salt Creek in St. Pete.

The company, which has now spent $59 million acquiring over 15 acres in recent years, quietly acquired two more industrial properties just south of downtown as part of its ongoing effort to assemble a large swath of contiguous land in the Old Southeast neighborhood.

According to property records, Prometheus purchased the 3.4-acre site at 333 16th Avenue South, the 57,000-square-foot former home of Captain’s Fine Foods, for $7.5 million on Monday.

Last Tuesday, the company acquired the 0.48-acre property at 205 15th Avenue Southeast for $2 million. The site includes a 7,000-square-foot warehouse currently occupied by Universal Stenciling and Marking Systems.

Both sites are zoned IC (Institutional Center), which is intended for public and semi-public uses such as hospitals, universities, utilities, and government facilities.

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Seven-story affordable apartment building for seniors proposed for city-owned lot in downtown St. Pete

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Seven-story affordable apartment building for seniors proposed for city-owned lot in downtown St. Pete

The City of St. Pete has received another offer to redevelop part of the Historic Gas Plant District in downtown St. Pete.

The Pinellas County Housing Authority (PCHA) has submitted an unsolicited proposal to purchase and redevelop a city-owned parking lot at 1659 3rd Avenue South into an 80-unit affordable housing building for seniors.

In 2023, the Rays and Hines submitted a nearly identical proposal for the same site.

The property, which sits adjacent to the recently completed Modera St. Petersburg apartment tower, has been historically used as parking for Tampa Bay Rays games.

In an October 8th offer letter to the city, PCHA Executive Director Neil Brickfield detailed plans for a seven-story building designed by St. Pete-based Storyn Studio for Architecture in partnership with local developer Ascension Real Estate Partners.

The proposal calls for the City to convey the land to PCHA so it can utilize the Affordable Housing Voucher Program to ensure long-term affordability.

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St. Pete to invite new proposals for redevelopment of Historic Gas Plant District

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St. Pete to invite new proposals for redevelopment of Historic Gas Plant District

The City of St. Petersburg is once again preparing to solicit proposals for the redevelopment of the 86-acre Historic Gas Plant District in downtown St. Pete, the same site where the Tampa Bay Rays’ future stadium and a new mixed-use district have long been envisioned.

This morning, the City announced plans to publish a notice in mid-November inviting private developers and other interested parties to submit proposals within 30 days for the site’s redevelopment.

The move follows an unsolicited proposal submitted earlier this month by a development team led by Casey Ellison, CEO of Ellison Companies; Cathie Wood, founder of global investment firm ARK Invest; and Jonathan Graham, president of Horus Construction.

Their 98-page, $6.8 billion proposal outlines a sweeping vision for a new mixed-use district anchored by innovation, housing, cultural institutions, and world-class event venues spanning 95.5 acres of downtown St. Petersburg, including the Historic Gas Plant District.

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St. Pete florists plant roots together in new floral shop with a garden and drive-thru

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St. Pete florists plant roots together in new floral shop with a garden and drive-thru

A colorful new floral shop has taken root in St. Petersburg’s Euclid Heights neighborhood, blending creativity, community, and craftsmanship under one roof.

Located at 1506 54th Avenue North, the freshly opened space brings together two local floral powerhouses, Arms of Persephone and The Roaming Petal, offering everything from handcrafted bouquets to immersive floral workshops.

The collaboration marks the first time the two longtime florists, Regan Smith of Arms of Persephone and Erica Holland of The Roaming Petal, have shared a physical space.

Though they’ve referred clients to one another for years, their new studio merges retail, workshops, and events into a single destination for flower lovers across Tampa Bay.

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Habitat for Humanity to build 100 affordable homes on former church site in Largo

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Habitat for Humanity to build 100 affordable homes on former church site in Largo

An eight-acre property in Largo once home to the American Collegiate Academy will soon be redeveloped into an affordable housing community.

Earlier this month, Habitat for Humanity of Tampa Bay Gulfside purchased the site at 833 Wyatt Street for $4.75 million, with plans to construct 100 affordable townhomes.

The seller, American Collegiate Academy, purchased the site from the First Assembly of God of Clearwater for $2 million in 2019.

The property, which currently features 17 classrooms and a 900-seat auditorium, will be demolished to make way for the project.

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