November 19, 2025

Central Gyro to bring authentic Greek food to Central Avenue next year

November 19, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

After seven years of serving New York–style pies and Italian comfort food on the 500 block of Central Avenue, Tony’s Pizza owner Vjollca Dervishi is preparing to launch a brand-new concept, one she says will bring an authentic taste of Greece to downtown St. Pete.

Set to open early next year at 653 Central Avenue, Central Gyro will move into the space currently occupied by DalMoros Fresh Pasta To Go, which is relocating to a larger space a few doors down at 683 Central Avenue.

For Dervishi, the new restaurant is the realization of an idea she’s carried with her since opening Tony’s in 2018.

“It’s the right time,” she told St. Pete Rising, explaining that she learned about the opportunity directly from the building owner.

“It’ll be a very authentic Greek experience, unlike anything around downtown St. Pete. You can expect to find the same foods that are sold in Greece.”

November 18, 2025

Beloved downtown diner expands with new location on Pasadena Avenue

November 18, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

Central Diner, the downtown St. Pete staple known for its no-frills breakfasts, oversized portions, and loyal following, has quietly expanded west.

The longtime neighborhood favorite, at 530 Central Avenue, has opened a second location at 2525 Pasadena Avenue South in the Village Plaza in South Pasadena.

The expansion is a big step for a spot that has been part of St. Pete’s food scene for almost fifty years.

Central Diner began in 1975 as Central Coffee Shoppe, opened by John and Chris Mangels.

Over the years it became a go-to eatery for downtown workers, long-time residents, and anyone craving a dependable plate of pancakes or corned beef hash.

Their daughters, Michelle, Cassie, and Nicole, took over the restaurant in 2004 and continued running it until 2018.

November 17, 2025

Revised plans advance for 13-story affordable housing tower in downtown St. Pete

November 17, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

A long-awaited residential redevelopment on the west side of Mirror Lake in downtown St. Pete is finally making progress, more than two years after the project was first awarded.

Pinellas County Schools’ 1.36-acre property, located at 296 Mirror Lake Drive and home to the 101-year-old Tomlinson building, is now one step closer to being redeveloped as the development team has submitted plans to the city for site plan approval.

What was once planned as a mix of affordable and market-rate apartments will now be an entirely affordable community, with priority given to Pinellas County Schools faculty and staff.

All 202 units in the updated plan will be income-restricted, with some reserved for households earning up to 60% of Area Median Income (AMI) and the rest at 110% AMI.

The Tomlinson building was originally built in 1924 as St. Petersburg Junior High School. It later became the Edwin H. Tomlinson Vocational School before transitioning into the Tomlinson Adult Learning Center in 1978.

November 14, 2025

Mayor Welch extends proposal deadline for 86-acre Historic Gas Plant redevelopment in downtown St. Pete

November 14, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

Starting in the new year, the City of St. Pete will officially restart the clock for developers to submit proposals to redevelop the 86-acre Historic Gas Plant District in downtown St. Pete, marking the third time the city has sought bids for the site since 2020.

Mayor Ken Welch had initially planned to open a 30-day submission window in mid-November, but after receiving pushback from major developers, including Kolter Urban and Red Apple Group, as well as concerns from City Council, Welch agreed to delay the start until January 4th, 2026.

Proposals will now be due February 3rd, giving developers a total of 105 days since the city’s October 21st announcement.

The latest bid solicitation was triggered when the city received an unsolicited $6.8 billion proposal from Casey Ellison of Ellison Companies, Cathie Wood of ARK Invest, and Jonathan Graham of Horus Construction.

November 14, 2025

$18.3 million approved for new storm-resilient operations building at Southwest Water Reclamation Facility

November 14, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

The City of St. Pete is moving forward with more than $19 million in major infrastructure upgrades that will strengthen the city’s resilience to hurricanes and improve the reliability of core public works systems.

City Council approved the investment during its November 6th meeting, advancing two projects that target stormwater improvements and long-needed updates at the Southwest Water Reclamation Facility at 3800 54th Avenue South next to Eckerd College.

“These projects support improvements to some of our most critical public works systems and facilities that impact residents’ day-to-day lives,” said Mayor Ken Welch in a prepared statement.

The largest portion of the investment is an $18.3 million Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) proposal for Ajax Building Company.

November 13, 2025

Former Hippie Shack and Sea Hags building set to be demolished and redeveloped on St. Pete Beach

November 13, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

The restaurant building at Blind Pass Marina on St. Pete Beach is set to be demolished.

The structure, most recently home to the short-lived Hippie Shack and Sea Hags before that, suffered significant storm damage during last year’s hurricanes and will be torn down to make way for a new outdoor dining destination.

Property owners Ping Pong Partners, a company formed by developer Steve Gianfilippo, have submitted a Conditional Use Permit to the City of St. Pete Beach outlining plans for a complete transformation of the site at 9555 Blind Pass Road.

Gianfilippo is known locally for creating two popular co-working and event spaces: Station House in downtown St. Petersburg and Hyde House Public Studio in Tampa’s Hyde Park Village.

November 12, 2025

City revives $148 million plan to modernize downtown St. Pete marina

November 12, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

The City of St. Pete is once again seeking a contractor to repair and redevelop the aging St. Petersburg Municipal Marina along the downtown waterfront.

Through a new Request for Qualifications (RFQ), the city is soliciting experienced design-build firms to oversee a modernization of the 640-slip facility.

The RFQ comes just months after the city terminated negotiations with Safe Harbor Marinas, which had been selected in late 2023 to lead the project.

The new plan represents a major shift in approach with the city will now retaining full ownership and control of the marina, rather than leasing the marina to a private operator.

The City has established a $148 million construction budget for planning and delivering the project.

According to the RFQ, the selected group will manage the design and construction of a 100% floating dock system, as well as a new ship store, new bathhouses, administrative offices, dock houses, maintenance facilities, fueling facilities, seawalls, utilities, and a bridge connecting Demens Landing.

November 12, 2025

Green Light Cinema expanding with new restaurant and bar in downtown St. Pete

November 12, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

Green Light Cinema, St. Pete’s only independent art house theater, is expanding by opening a restaurant and bar next door.

Owners Mike and Sue Hazlett are converting the neighboring space at 225 2nd Avenue North into Green Light Lounge and Kitchen, a 3,300-square-foot venue where guests can grab a bite, have a drink, and enjoy live entertainment before or after catching a film.

The space was previously home to Main Grove and before that Hops 2.0.

“People often leave a screening asking where they should go next,” Hazlett explains. “Now, the answer is right next door. You can come early, have dinner or a drink, see a show, and not spend a fortune.”

The expansion builds on the Hazletts’ vision for Green Light Cinema, which they opened in 2020 to fill what they saw as a gap in downtown St. Pete’s cultural offerings.

November 11, 2025

Postcard Inn permanently closes on St. Pete Beach, will reopen as The Luce, a Marriott Tribute Portfolio Hotel

November 11, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

After decades as a popular St. Pete Beach destination, the Postcard Inn has officially closed its doors for good.

The hotel at 6300 Gulf Boulevard, which has remained vacant since last year’s back-to-back hurricanes, will soon be renovated into The Luce, a Marriott Tribute Portfolio hotel scheduled to open next year.

The change marks the end of an era for the resort, originally built in 1957 as the Colonial Gateway Inn and reimagined as the Postcard Inn in 2009.

In 2024, the hotel’s owners proposed an 87-room expansion to the Postcard Inn, but those plans were ultimately abandoned after Hurricanes Helene and Milton caused significant damage.

The LCP Group, which purchased the property in March 2022 for $83 million, is overseeing a full renovation of the nine-acre beachfront resort, working alongside management firm Crescent Hotels & Resorts.

November 10, 2025

Beef O’Brady’s to replace Applebee's on 66th Street in west St. Pete

November 10, 2025/ Brian Zucker

A new Beef O’Brady’s restaurant is coming to west St. Pete.

The restaurant and sports bar will open at 2901 66th Street North, taking over the former Applebee’s building that closed abruptly in May, according to plans obtained by St. Pete Rising.

It will become St. Pete’s second Beef O’Brady’s, joining the location at 4775 34th Street South in the Skyway Marina District. The only other Pinellas County location is in Oldsmar.

The new restaurant will accommodate 182 guests indoors and 49 outdoors, for a total of 231 seats.

Built in 1972, The 5,853-square-foot building was home to various restaurant concepts in the 1990s, including Longshoreman Restaurant, The Knot Garden, and Suki’s before becoming an Applebee’s in the early 2000s.

Although Applebee’s still operates its St. Pete location at 4700 4th Street North, SEC filings show the chain’s total store count declined from 1,578 in 2021 to 1,501 in 2024.