Revised plans proposed for retail village and five-story apartment building in the Grand Central District

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Revised plans proposed for retail village and five-story apartment building in the Grand Central District

The development group behind a new live-work-play neighborhood in St. Pete’s Grand Central District is tweaking plans.

The previously approved mixed-use project called Whitney Village is currently under construction on 4.5 acres on the east side of the Jim & Heather Gills YMCA at 3200 1st Avenue South.

The pedestrian-centered development, featuring a retail village with 32,000 square feet of retail space and a 600-space parking garage, may now have a total of 385 apartments across the property.

Plans for a mixed-use redevelopment featuring hundreds of apartments and a retail village in St. Petersburg’s Grand Central District are being modified as construction continues on the project’s first phase.

When Whitney Village was first announced in 2024, plans called for 380 apartments, a 32,000-square-foot retail village, and a 600-space parking garage at 3200 1st Avenue South, directly east of the existing Jim & Heather Gills YMCA.

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Chipotle to replace Krispy Kreme on 4th Street North in St. Pete

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Chipotle to replace Krispy Kreme on 4th Street North in St. Pete

After more than a decade of serving hot doughnuts on 4th Street, St. Petersburg’s only Krispy Kreme location is set to close.

Chipotle Mexican Grill, the fast-casual chain known for burritos and bowls, will replace the Krispy Kreme at 9100 4th Street North.

According to a newly filed application with the Southwest Florida Water Management District, remodeling work on the 2,430-square-foot building is expected to begin in March and be completed by September.

The project is being led by Mississippi-based Streamline Development Partners, a commercial real estate group that has developed multiple Chipotle locations nationwide. The firm is working alongside Vero Beach-based design and engineering company Quick Concepts Group LLC.

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Nearly $100 million invested as developer continues buying spree along Salt Creek in south St. Pete

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Nearly $100 million invested as developer continues buying spree along Salt Creek in south St. Pete

Clearwater-based real estate firm Prometheus Partners has acquired another property along Salt Creek, pushing its total investment in the area to nearly $100 million over the past year and a half.

Prometheus purchased a 4.63-acre property at 263 13th Avenue South for $28.215 million from Bayboro Partners LTD on December 31st.

The site is home to Bayboro Station, an 80,991-square-foot, three-story office building originally constructed in 1924 as one of St. Petersburg’s first power plants, and an adjacent surface parking lot.

Today, the building houses several tenants, including Pinstripe Marketing, Carbon Design & Architecture, and the Southeast regional headquarters of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries.

With this latest purchase, Prometheus has now spent more than $93.8 million acquiring nearly 23 acres in the Salt Creek area, making it one of the largest private landholders in the neighborhood.

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Historically St. Pete: The remarkable history of the 100-year-old Vinoy Hotel that nearly never was

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Historically St. Pete: The remarkable history of the 100-year-old Vinoy Hotel that nearly never was

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 celebrate the 100th anniversary of the opening of The Vinoy, which debuted on New Year’s Eve 1925. What began with a party, a bet, and a game of golf became a 375-room hotel completed in just under 10 months.

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St. Pete Rising’s top stories of 2025 captured a changing city navigating growth and nostalgia

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St. Pete Rising’s top stories of 2025 captured a changing city navigating growth and nostalgia

In 2025, St. Petersburg gave us plenty to talk about and, judging by the clicks, you were paying close attention.

From splashy redevelopment proposals and high-stakes Rays drama to beloved dive bars, beachfront icons, and even a dinosaur perched above downtown, readers gravitated toward stories that captured a city changing in real time.

The most-read articles of the year were not just about shiny renderings or breaking news. They focused on the follow-up questions, the fine print, and how big ideas actually play out on the ground.

Whether tracking the future of the Tropicana Field site, examining housing policy shifts, or following the next chapter of long-standing local institutions, these stories reflected the curiosity and healthy skepticism of St. Pete Rising readers.

Below are the 10 most-read St. Pete Rising articles of 2025.

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A 75-year-old church in St. Pete’s Euclid St. Paul’s neighborhood will be converted into apartments

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A 75-year-old church in St. Pete’s Euclid St. Paul’s neighborhood will be converted into apartments

After decades of Sunday services, a 75-year-old church on the southern edge of the Euclid St. Paul’s neighborhood is preparing to take on a new role in the neighborhood by becoming housing for local residents.

The former Pinellas Vietnamese Church of the Nazarene, located at 1225 9th Avenue North, will be adaptively reused into 20 workforce housing apartments.

The project is being led by local property owners and real estate investors Joshua and Danielle Neitz, who purchased the church and its adjacent parking lot for $1.325 million in February.

“My wife was a teacher for many years, and all of our friends were middle-class people trying to earn a living and stay in the area,” Joshua Neitz said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “We need more options to make life a little more affordable for residents.”

In October, the church was added to the St. Petersburg Register of Historic Places, protecting the building from demolition while allowing for adaptive reuse under the city’s code.

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Vietnamese coffee shop Say Coffee House planned for the Grand Central District

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Vietnamese coffee shop Say Coffee House planned for the Grand Central District

Known for TikTok-worthy slow-dripped brews topped with colorful cold foams and inventive add-ins, Vietnamese coffee shops have been popping up in major U.S. cities like New York, Portland, and Los Angeles.

Now, it’s St. Pete’s turn.

Last week, a banner appeared in the window of 2414 Central Avenue in the Grand Central District announcing Say Coffee House, set to open in March in the space formerly occupied by the Crisp Waffle Company.

The name “Say” translates to “obsessed” in Vietnamese.

“It means you drink it so much that you’re obsessed with it,” said owner Haley Huynh in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “That’s why we chose the name.”

Vietnamese coffee is traditionally brewed using a small metal drip filter called a phin, producing a bold, slow-dripped coffee.

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619-unit Alton Skyway apartment community planned for SPC’s Allstate Campus in the Skyway Marina District

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619-unit Alton Skyway apartment community planned for SPC’s Allstate Campus in the Skyway Marina District

For the first time, detailed plans have been filed showing what will replace St. Petersburg College’s former Allstate Campus in the Skyway Marina District.

Delray Beach–based Kolter Multifamily has submitted a site plan review application to the City of St. Pete for Alton Skyway, a luxury garden-style apartment development proposed for the 17.25-acre property at 3200 34th Street South.

The plans call for 619 apartments across eight five-story buildings and neighborhood-scale retail.

According to the application, which is scheduled to be reviewed by the city’s Development Review Commission in February, Alton Skyway would be constructed in two phases.

Phase one would deliver 342 apartments across four buildings on the southern half of the site, along with 484 parking spaces.

Phase two would add the remaining 277 units in four additional buildings and 399 parking spaces.

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St. Pete approves additional funding for $33 million Shore Acres flood mitigation project

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St. Pete approves additional funding for $33 million Shore Acres flood mitigation project

The City of St. Petersburg is adding another $1 million to its Shore Acres Flood Mitigation Project, a major infrastructure effort aimed at reducing severe flooding in one of the city’s most vulnerable neighborhoods.

City Council approved the funding on December 11th through a grant agreement between the City and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP).

The project will upgrade stormwater infrastructure along approximately 10 miles of roadway near Connecticut Avenue, the lowest and most flood prone area of Shore Acres.

The project now carries an estimated total cost of $33 million. About $7.9 million is funded through an FDEP grant awarded in 2023, with an additional $1 million provided through a separate FDEP grant. The City of St. Petersburg will fund the remaining cost.

During Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024, more than 80% of homes in Shore Acres flooded.

While much of the damage was caused by storm surge, the neighborhood also regularly floods during high tide and heavy rainfall, even without major storms.

City officials say the project is necessary because Shore Acres sits just one to two feet above mean sea level, limiting the effectiveness of traditional gravity based stormwater systems.

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Three-story Mad Beach Inn proposed for Gulf Boulevard in Madeira Beach

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Three-story Mad Beach Inn proposed for Gulf Boulevard in Madeira Beach

A flood-damaged retail building is set to be demolished, making way for a new three-story mixed-use boutique hotel in Madeira Beach.

The existing one-story structure at 15227 Gulf Boulevard, vacant since sustaining severe damage during Hurricane Helene in 2024, is slated for demolition in the coming weeks.

In its place, developers plan to construct Mad Beach Inn, a Key West–inspired boutique hotel featuring 11 guest rooms and a ground-floor café, Perky Bean Cafe.

The project will provide at least 11 on-site parking spaces, meeting city requirements.

The 0.22-acre site sits just behind a shopping plaza formerly anchored by a Winn-Dixie, which is being redeveloped into an Aldi, and a short walk from Archibald Beach Park.

Construction is expected to begin early next year, with completion targeted for summer 2027.

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