February 26, 2026

11 affordable townhomes completed as Habitat for Humanity wraps up The Grove in South St. Pete

February 26, 2026/ Veronica Brezina

Earlier this month, Habitat for Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside celebrated the completion of The Grove, an 11-unit affordable townhome community at 1805 18th Avenue South in south St. Pete.

The project, located three blocks east of Tangerine Plaza, was made possible after the City of St. Petersburg donated the property to Habitat in 2024.

“The Grove will be a community where children play safely, families thrive, and neighbors genuinely support one another,” said Mike Sutton, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside, as he handed keys to seven new homeowners during the dedication ceremony.

The new homeowners include a Pinellas County Schools educator, a James B. Sanderlin Neighborhood Family Center specialist and ordained minister, a Cannes Community Health employee, a JPMorgan Chase HR specialist, a Miller Electric apprentice electrician, and two Avera Health professionals.

The remaining families are expected to receive their keys in the coming months.

St. Petersburg City Councilmember Corey Givens Jr., who grew up near the site, spoke about the transformation he has witnessed firsthand.

February 25, 2026

Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine opens in the EDGE District of downtown St. Pete

February 25, 2026/ Kyla Fields

One of Central Florida’s most well-known Turkish restaurants has officially arrived in downtown St. Pete.

Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine is now open at 1246 Central Avenue on the ground floor of EDGE Collective, bringing Anatolian flavors and an Istanbul-inspired vibe to the EDGE District.

Dinner service is currently offered from 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 4 to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, with the lunch hours to be added in the future.

The 5,200 square foot restaurant takes over the space formerly home to Furnish Me Vintage, a longtime furniture and home decor shop that closed in 2019.

On the south side of the building, Amorino Gelato has plans to debut in March or April.

February 25, 2026

Four Seasons could be coming to downtown St. Pete

February 25, 2026/ Brian Zucker

First came the announcement of Roche Bobois-branded residences. Then the Waldorf Astoria Residences. Could Four Seasons be next for downtown St. Pete?

According to sources familiar with the discussions, a development group has begun evaluating potential sites in downtown St. Pete for a possible Four Seasons-branded project.

Importantly, Four Seasons itself is not out scouting land. Rather, a developer is studying sites and conducting preliminary feasibility work for a potential project affiliated with the global luxury hospitality company.

The effort remains highly exploratory. No site is under contract. No formal plans have been filed with the City of St. Petersburg. Key details including height, unit count, design, and pricing have not been determined.

Sources say the developer’s early focus has centered on sites near Beach Drive, particularly those with strong water views, and that the developer recently submitted offers to purchase every unit in a Beach Drive condo tower as part of a potential redevelopment strategy.

February 24, 2026

Hilton Bayfront in downtown St. Pete to be sold to prominent developer for $96 million

February 24, 2026/ Anthony Close

In a deal that could reshape downtown St. Petersburg’s skyline in the years ahead, Delray Beach-based Kolter Group is under contract to purchase the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront on the downtown waterfront.

The 15-story hotel, which offers sweeping views of Tampa Bay, is expected to remain open for now. Long term, however, the three-acre site carries significant redevelopment potential.

Located at 333 1st Street South, the property sits across from Al Lang Stadium, The Dalí Museum, and the Mahaffey Theater, and just steps from Central Avenue and Beach Drive.

The hotel was originally built in 1972 and renovated in 2014. It includes 333 guest rooms, 33 meeting rooms, and approximately 47,710 square feet of event space.

According to a February 20th, 2026 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the owners of the Hilton Bayfront, Ashford Hospitality Trust subsidiaries St. Petersburg Florida Hotel Limited Partnership and Ashford TRS Lessee II LLC, entered into a purchase and sale agreement on December 12th, 2025 to sell the property to Kolter Group Acquisitions LLC for $96 million.

February 23, 2026

St. Pete plans to close sidewalk gaps and connect neighborhoods with new master plan

February 23, 2026/ Veronica Brezina

Have you noticed how some sidewalks in St. Pete abruptly end while others are missing altogether? The City of St. Petersburg is looking to change that.

St. Pete is developing a Sidewalk Master Plan to evaluate the city’s existing sidewalk and curb ramp network within the public right-of-way.

The process will involve identifying gaps through a GIS-based inventory system and improving accessibility for residents with disabilities.

“For years, we’ve been building sidewalks on the sides of arterial roads, and that’s essentially complete,” Evan Mory, the city’s Transportation and Parking Management Director, said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “If there are gaps in those areas, it’s usually due to right-of-way issues or other factors that don’t make it feasible.”

The city is now shifting its focus toward expanding sidewalk connectivity in other parts of St. Pete and enhancing overall mobility.

February 23, 2026

Hot Spot Diner takes over former First Watch space in West St. Pete

February 23, 2026/ Kyla Fields

A new family-owned diner has opened in west St. Pete, bringing traditional breakfast and lunch fare to the former First Watch space on Tyrone Boulevard.

Hot Spot Diner quietly debuted earlier this month at 4045 Tyrone Boulevard and is now open daily from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Owner John Hazakis, a longtime diner operator based out of the Northeast, took over the space at the end of 2025.

He says he has opened eight diners over the last 40 years and recently relocated to St. Pete to be closer to family.

There is a large concentration of diners in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, which is typically referred to as “the diner capital of the country.”

These small, family-operated restaurants are known for their straightforward American food and affordable price points, two qualities that Hazakis is bringing to his newest diner in St. Pete.

February 20, 2026

Downtown St. Pete’s Albert Whitted Airport could see future air taxi service

February 20, 2026/ Veronica Brezina

Would you trade bridge traffic for a 10-minute flight across Tampa Bay?

That scenario may not be as far off as it sounds. Companies around the world are racing to launch electric “air taxis,” and St. Pete could eventually be part of that conversation.

More than a century after the world’s first commercial airline flight lifted off from the downtown waterfront, city leaders are exploring how the next evolution of aviation could take shape at Albert Whitted Airport in downtown St. Pete.

After nine months of meetings, the City of St. Pete’s Advanced Air Mobility Task Force released its final recommendations on how the city can prepare for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), which is the use of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft known as eVTOLs, or “air taxis”.

Think of it as Uber or Lyft, but in the air.

Unlike traditional helicopters, eVTOLs are battery-powered, quieter, and designed for lower operating costs.

According to the task force report, most leading AAM aircraft under development will carry between two and six passengers, fly between 60 and 200 miles, and operate at altitudes between 500 and 3,000 feet.

The first eVTOL aircraft are expected to receive FAA certification within the next one to two years.

February 19, 2026

State of the City highlights affordable housing gains and major infrastructure plans for St. Pete

February 19, 2026/ Veronica Brezina

Strengthening infrastructure, accelerating hurricane recovery, expanding affordable housing, and advancing the long-awaited redevelopment of the Historic Gas Plant District were among the major themes of Mayor Ken Welch’s 2026 State of the City address.

“Storms do not define St. Petersburg. How we recover defines who we are,” Welch said Wednesday at The Palladium in downtown St. Pete, describing 2025 as a year of recovery following Hurricanes Helene and Milton and 2026 as a year focused on resilience, equity, and forward progress.

Welch framed the city’s work around his Five Pillars for Progress: Housing Opportunities for All; Neighborhood Health & Safety; Environment, Infrastructure & Resilience; Equitable Development, The Arts & Business Opportunities; and Education & Youth Opportunities.

February 18, 2026

Go Greek Yogurt to open at Sundial in downtown St. Pete this summer

February 18, 2026/ Veronica Brezina

Go Greek Yogurt is bringing its European-style yogurt concept to downtown St. Pete this summer.

The California-based brand will open its first Tampa Bay location in July on the ground floor of the Sundial shopping center at 153 2nd Avenue North, next to Jackie Z Style Co.

The St. Pete café follows the company’s recent expansion into Florida with two Miami locations that opened last year.

Founded in 2012 by David Subotic, Tanja Subotic and Jonathan Williams, Go Greek Yogurt was created with a simple mission: introduce authentic, European-style Greek yogurt to the American market.

Unlike traditional frozen yogurt shops that lean heavily on sugary flavors, Go Greek Yogurt focuses on strained Greek yogurt that is high in protein and probiotics, offering what the company describes as a more wholesome indulgence.

February 18, 2026

Paddy Fest returns to Williams Park in March with three days of Irish music, dance, food, and family fun

February 18, 2026/ Kyla Fields

St. Pete’s fourth annual celebration of all things Irish is coming back to downtown St. Pete. And this year, it’s bigger than ever.

Paddy Fest St. Pete returns to Williams Park March 13th – 15th, turning the heart of downtown into a three-day Irish music and cultural festival packed with live bands, traditional dance, food trucks, family activities, and plenty of Guinness.

Now in its fourth year, the festival has evolved into a full-scale Irish music festival with what organizer Pete Boland calls “concert-level production quality.”

“We really upped the caliber of the performances this year,” Boland says. “Our number one priority is attendee experience. We’re going to try to wow every person who walks through those gates.”

And the lineup backs that up.

Headliners include traditional Irish music legend Derek Warfield & The Young Wolfe Tones along with national Celtic rock favorites Seven Nations and the high-energy family act The Byrne Brothers.