January 12, 2026

$25 million AI-focused Science Center breaks ground in west St. Pete

January 12, 2026/ Veronica Brezina

For decades, nearly every kid who grew up in St. Pete remembers taking a field trip to the Science Center in west St. Pete. Now, after more than 10 years of vacancy, the civic landmark is set to be reborn as a tech-forward hub for young minds and local entrepreneurs.

With golden shovels in hand, St. Pete for STEAM, a local team led by The St. Petersburg Group (SPG), joined city officials Friday to celebrate the groundbreaking for the reimagined Science Center property at 7701 22nd Avenue North.

Working with Tampa-based general contractor The Sinclair Group, St. Pete for STEAM plans to begin construction in April on the new 50,000-square-foot, four-story center focused on AI learning and emerging technologies.

“We are living in a time of extraordinary transformation. Intelligence technologies are blooming and reshaping our economy, communities, and daily lives,” Joe Hamilton, publisher of the St. Pete Catalyst and co-founder of The St. Petersburg Group, said during the event.

January 09, 2026

Heritage Oaks, an 80-unit affordable senior apartment community, opens in Largo

January 09, 2026/ Veronica Brezina

The Rainbow Village neighborhood in Largo’s Greater Ridgecrest community marked a major milestone Thursday morning with the ribbon cutting of Heritage Oaks, the first of four phases planned for the Rainbow Village redevelopment.

Officials from the Pinellas County Housing Authority and Newstar Development joined residents and elected leaders to celebrate the opening of the 80-unit affordable senior apartment community at 13060 Washington Drive in Largo.

“I remember looking at the master plan for Rainbow Village from 2007,” said Neil Brickfield, executive director of the Pinellas County Housing Authority, during the ceremony. “Here we are 18 years later, about to cut the ribbon.”

Heritage Oaks replaces 48 aging, block-style duplex and triplex units.

The new three-story apartment building contains 74 one-bed, one-bath units and six two-bed, two-bath units. The community includes 70 parking spaces.

All apartments are reserved for seniors earning up to 60% of the area median income (AMI), with monthly rents starting at $1,507.

January 09, 2026

After hours of debate, 21-story, 370-unit luxury apartment tower wins approval in downtown St. Pete

January 09, 2026/ Veronica Brezina

A cluster of small affordable apartment buildings could soon be demolished to make way for a 21-story, 370-unit luxury apartment tower in downtown St. Petersburg.

After hours of debate, the city’s Development Review Commission voted 6-1 Wednesday evening to approve the project planned for a 1.3-acre site along 5th Avenue North between 4th and 5th Streets.

In addition to 370 apartments, the project, known as The Pelican, would also include 3,819 square feet of ground-floor commercial space and a 485-space parking garage.

St. Pete-based Stadler Development, led by John Stadler and his son Chris, is spearheading the $134 million project, which would share a city block with the Hollander Hotel and Trinity Lutheran Church.

Stadler is under contract to purchase the property from local investor Michael Andoniades, who owns the Hollander Hotel and several other properties throughout the city.

January 08, 2026

Orlando-based Tabla Indian Restaurant to open St. Petersburg location

January 08, 2026/ Veronica Brezina

A new restaurant bringing a modern twist to traditional Indian cuisine is headed to St. Petersburg.

Florida-based restaurant group Tabla, which operates several concepts throughout Central Florida and beyond, plans to open Tabla Modern Indian Cafe at 10324 Roosevelt Boulevard in the north St. Pete’s Ibis Walk plaza. The new concept will replace the closed Indian eatery, Cafe Masala.

Tabla describes itself as a place where “bold, authentic Indian flavors meet modern favorites,” offering traditional Indian, Indo Chinese, and Thai dishes in addition to fun reinterpretations of familiar American comfort foods like a Indian-inspired pizza and burgers.

In 2008, owners Anshu and Nora Jain opened the first Tabla location in Orlando as a fine dining restaurant, but rapidly expanded with additional fast-casual and fine dining locations in the following years.

The Indian restaurant became a franchise in 2024, and now has over ten locations throughout Florida, Texas and Illinois.

An official grand opening date and menu for the St. Petersburg location has not yet been announced.

January 07, 2026

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

January 07, 2026/ Veronica Brezina

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.

January 06, 2026

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

January 06, 2026/ Veronica Brezina

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.

January 05, 2026

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

January 05, 2026/ Veronica Brezina

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.

December 31, 2025

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

December 31, 2025/ Rui Farias

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.

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.

December 31, 2025

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

December 31, 2025/ Brian Zucker

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.

December 30, 2025

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

December 30, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

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.