133-unit luxury condo project Corey Landing approved for St. Pete Beach

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133-unit luxury condo project Corey Landing approved for St. Pete Beach

The long-anticipated redevelopment of the east end of Corey Avenue in St. Pete Beach is officially moving forward.

On Tuesday evening, City Commission unanimously approved revised plans for Corey Landing, a mixed-use development led by Kolter Urban which features two eight story buildings with 133 luxury condominiums, 11,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space within a freestanding building, and a new public park.

In 2022, the city approved a separate proposal from Ram Realty Advisors, also called Corey Landing.

Ram, which exited the project in 2023, had planned a 243-unit apartment complex with more than 17,000 square feet of retail, a restaurant, office space, and a 39-slip marina.

Kolter Urban acquired the property the following year for $9.85 million and expanded the site to include two adjacent parcels not part of Ram’s plan: the former Charlie’s Transmissions property at 75 Corey Avenue and the shuttered Blue Parrott restaurant at 85 Corey Circle. Both structures have since been demolished.

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New 52,000-square-foot expansion proposed for St. Pete’s Maritime and Defense Technology Hub

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New 52,000-square-foot expansion proposed for St. Pete’s Maritime and Defense Technology Hub

More marine-based startups and private defense firms may soon find a new home along St. Pete’s waterfront.

City and business leaders are spearheading an effort to expand the Maritime and Defense Technology Hub, known locally as The Hub, which opened in 2022 at 450 8th Avenue SE in a city-owned building at the Port of St. Petersburg, just south of Albert Whitted Airport.

The Hub has quickly become a cornerstone for marine science, defense, and technology innovation, now fully occupied by companies such as Saildrone, which deploys autonomous ocean vehicles from St. Pete to map and monitor Florida’s coastal waters, and Pole Star Defense, which uses maritime intelligence technology to track and prevent threats at sea.

Plans for a second facility, dubbed Hub 2.0, call for developing the surface parking lot directly west of the current Hub into a 52,000-square-foot research and collaboration center.

The expansion would provide a home for additional startups, government partners, and academic institutions focused on marine technology, coastal resiliency, and defense innovation.

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Aldi supermarket sets opening date for new store on Dr. MLK Jr. Street North in St. Petersburg

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Aldi supermarket sets opening date for new store on Dr. MLK Jr. Street North in St. Petersburg

After months of anticipation, Aldi has officially announced the opening date for the new St. Petersburg store. The German-based discount grocer will welcome customers to its fourth St. Pete location on Thursday, November 6 at 8:45 a.m.

St. Pete Rising first reported that the Winn-Dixie at 3327 Dr. MLK Jr. Street North would be converted into an Aldi following the company’s acquisition of Southeastern Grocers, the parent company of Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket.

The store will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and will feature fresh, organic produce delivered daily, an extensive cheese and wine selection, and food options for a variety of lifestyles, including gluten-free and plant-based.

Shoppers will also have access to curbside pickup and grocery delivery.

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Bojangles opens next week in Pinellas Park

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Bojangles opens next week in Pinellas Park

Bojangles, the beloved Southern chain known for its fried chicken, biscuits, and sweet tea, will officially open its new Pinellas Park restaurant next Tuesday, November 4, at 5:30 a.m.

The opening marks the brand’s return to the area, where it last operated four decades ago.

Located at 7930 U.S. Highway 19 North, the new 2,414-square-foot Bojangles replaces a former Burger King on an outparcel of a retail plaza anchored by Ashley Furniture, across from Walmart Supercenter.

The site features a single-lane drive-thru.

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$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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