New candle and floral shop Ember & Rose Designs opens this fall in the Grand Central District

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New candle and floral shop Ember & Rose Designs opens this fall in the Grand Central District

A new candle and floral shop centered around handcrafted goods and interactive experiences is coming to the Grand Central District.

Ember & Rose Designs, founded by Brandon Sexton and Mellisa Miyoshi, is opening its first brick-and-mortar location at 1916 Central Avenue. The space was previously occupied by SaltLight Art, which is relocating next door.

The business launched less than a year ago, with Sexton and Miyoshi producing candles and floral arrangements out of their home in Tampa.

Demand quickly outgrew the residential setup, leading the pair to relocate both their home and business to St. Pete.

“We love the locals and want to bring something special to this community,” Miyoshi said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. She also credited SaltLight Art owner Mary Long with helping guide them through the process of opening the storefront.

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National yoga franchise CorePower Yoga to take over former bank building in the EDGE District

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National yoga franchise CorePower Yoga to take over former bank building in the EDGE District

CorePower Yoga, touted as the largest yoga studio brand in the U.S., is opening its first Tampa Bay location in St. Pete.

The company, which offers a range of yoga classes and instructor certification classes, has signed a lease at 965 Central Avenue in the EDGE District.

CorePower Yoga is expected to open its new studio in 2027.

The building, originally constructed in 1926, is currently vacant and was previously occupied by Flagship Bank, which relocated to 3303 4th Street North in 2025 after four years on Central Avenue.

The 4,200-square-foot building is part of a cluster of properties recently sold to Dallas-based investment firm 90Ten.

CorePower Yoga was founded by avid outdoorsman Trevor Tice, who turned to yoga for rehabilitation after suffering a serious rock-climbing injury in Colorado. Inspired by his recovery journey, he opened the first CorePower Yoga studio in Denver in 2002.

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21-story luxury condo tower approved for former Fit2Run site in downtown St. Pete

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21-story luxury condo tower approved for former Fit2Run site in downtown St. Pete

Plans to build a 14-story hotel on a prominent half-acre site in downtown St. Pete have been replaced with a new proposal for a 21-story luxury condominium tower.

The city’s Development Review Services Division this week administratively approved a $60 million condominium project for a 0.53-acre site at 232 and 256 2nd Street North, located across the street from the Sundial shopping center and AMC movie theater.

Proposed by Kolter Group, one of the city’s most prominent high-rise developers, the new tower will feature 62 residences, 7,600 square feet of commercial space for a private membership club, and a 133-space parking garage, more than double the 62 spaces required by code.

Kolter Group bought the property for $7.5 million in late 2021.

The site previously contained a surface parking lot and a nearly 90-year-old building that housed Fit2Run, the running specialty store that relocated to a larger storefront at 801 Central Avenue in 2024.

The Fit2Run building was demolished in March.

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Boho-chic women's boutique SaltLight Art expands in the Grand Central District

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Boho-chic women's boutique SaltLight Art expands in the Grand Central District

After three years in downtown St. Petersburg, SaltLight Art boutique has found a new home - just one door down from its original location.

SaltLight Art, a women’s boho-chic boutique offering apparel and handcrafted artisanal goods, is relocating from its 1,000-square-foot storefront to 1916 Central Avenue Suite B.

The new location, which is more than double the space of the current shop, previously housed the Chillum Mushroom and Hemp Dispensary before it closed in late April.

“When they closed, we saw this as a great opportunity to hop right over into this larger space and get a larger square footage without leaving our block and our neighborhood,” owner Mary Long, who co-owns SaltLight Art with her husband, William, said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising.

Long, who received the keys earlier this month, expects to open the shop by the end of May.

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Buttermilk Eatery to replace Urban Brew & BBQ in the Grand Central District

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Buttermilk Eatery to replace Urban Brew & BBQ in the Grand Central District

A popular local restaurant known for its oversized breakfast platters and robot food runners is heading to the Grand Central District this summer.

Buttermilk Eatery will open at 2601 Central Avenue, taking over the former Urban Brew & BBQ space, which closed last September after 12 years in business.

The new restaurant will feature approximately 1,400 square feet of indoor space alongside an expansive 3,000-square-foot covered patio on Central Avenue.

Locally owned and privately operated, Buttermilk Eatery currently has two other locations: one in north St. Pete that opened in early 2023 and another in Pinellas Park that followed in 2024. 

“We’re excited to keep growing locally and bring Buttermilk to the Grand Central District,” said one of Buttermilk’s owners in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “This neighborhood has a lot of energy, and we think the concept fits really well here.”

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14-story ClearView luxury apartment tower opens at Echelon City Center in north St. Pete

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14-story ClearView luxury apartment tower opens at Echelon City Center in north St. Pete

ClearView at Echelon City Center, a new 14-story luxury apartment tower in north St. Pete, has started welcoming its first residents.

The 363-unit development is located at 101 Main Street North at the southeast corner of Carillon Parkway and Main Street, in Echelon City Center at Carillon Business Park, less than 15 minutes from both downtown St. Pete and downtown Tampa.

Developed by St. Pete-based Echelon and Tampa-based Third Lake Partners, and built by KAST Construction, ClearView is the latest mixed-use addition to Echelon City Center, a 20.5-acre master-planned development which at full build out is expected to include up to 2,300 residential units, 150,000 square feet of retail space, office space, and a hotel.

Carillon Business Park is one of the Tampa Bay area’s largest employment hubs, known for its concentration of corporate offices. Some of the largest employers include Raymond James Financial, Franklin Templeton Investments, Catalina Marketing, Transamerica, and several defense and aerospace companies such as General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, and L3Harris.

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Nashville-inspired restaurant, bar and live music venue opens on North Redington Beach

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Nashville-inspired restaurant, bar and live music venue opens on North Redington Beach

North Redington Beach has a new, Nashville-approved honky tonk. 

Located at 16905 Gulf Boulevard on North Redington Beach, Music City Beach Bar & Bites soft opened on April 24th, and has been quietly serving customers since. 

Sports bar Red's on the Boulevard previously occupied the space, which shares a plaza with The Frog Pond, a popular breakfast spot that’s been open since1982. 

The roughly 2,000 square-foot hospitality concept functions as a bar, restaurant, and live music venue all under one roof. 

There’s a stage for live performances adjacent to the entrance, and large windows that face the waterfront. 

The space is a throwback with walls adorned with wood paneling and several TVs showing sports.

Its walls are covered with Nashville-themed artwork, framed vinyl records, guitars, music memorabilia, and beach-themed decor. 

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Inside The Dalí Museum’s planned $65 million expansion in downtown St. Pete

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Inside The Dalí Museum’s planned $65 million expansion in downtown St. Pete

A new exhibit at The Dalí Museum is giving visitors a preview of the museum’s planned $65 million expansion in downtown St. Pete.

Now on display is a 3D model and video tour of the proposed addition, which would bring approximately 35,000 square feet of flexible gallery space designed for immersive exhibitions that blend art and technology.

Construction is expected to begin this fall on the south side of the museum between the existing building and Dali Boulevard, with the expansion anticipated to open in September 2028.

Funding for the expansion will come from a combination of private donations, corporate sponsorships, grants, and a portion of Pinellas County Government tourist development tax revenue, also known as hotel bed taxes.

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Controversial Tierra Verde Marina redevelopment narrowly approved after heated debate

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Controversial Tierra Verde Marina redevelopment narrowly approved after heated debate

St. Petersburg’s Development Review Commission voted Wednesday night to approve a controversial redevelopment of the Tierra Verde Marina after hours of public comment and debate over traffic, hurricane safety, environmental impacts, and compatibility with the surrounding island community.

The approval narrowly passed with a 4-3 vote. Commissioners Charles Flynt, Sam Blatt, and Sarah Jane Vatelot voted against the project. Kevin Reali, Joseph Griner, Will Conroy, and David Hugglestone voted in favor.

Along with the approval, the DRC passed two conditions of approval. Commissioners unanimously voted to require a thorough noise study and limit noise levels to 60 decibels. They also approved operating hours for the marina and pool from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends.

Today, the marina features 64 wet slips, 314 high-and-dry racks within a 58,000-square-foot indoor storage complex, a 24,000-square-foot shopping center, and a gas station.

The approved proposal would demolish the existing shopping center and gas station and redevelop the seven-acre marina property at 100 Pinellas Bayway South with two additional 72-foot dry-storage rack buildings, a public restaurant and rooftop bar, retail space, marina offices, and a private pool area for marina members.

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The Beachcomber hotel and Jimmy B’s Beach Bar on St. Pete Beach sell for $31.5 million

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The Beachcomber hotel and Jimmy B’s Beach Bar on St. Pete Beach sell for $31.5 million

An iconic waterfront hotel on St. Pete Beach, which has operated for more than 50 years, now has new owners.

The Beachcomber Hotel, located at 6200 Gulf Boulevard, has been purchased by South Carolina-based OTO Development for $31.5 million.

The seller, Miami-based Gencom, acquired the hotel in 2018 for $24 million.

The 102-room Beachcomber is one of the most recognizable hotels on St. Pete Beach, known for its laid-back “Old Florida” vibe and Jimmy B’s Beach Bar, a popular live music venue that has become a staple for both tourists and locals.

OTO Development, a hospitality company that develops, owns, renovates and manages hotels across the United States, has not publicly detailed its long-term plans for the property.

“This is an exciting addition to OTO’s growing portfolio in the Tampa-St. Pete market,” said CEO Rob Rain in a press release. “The Beachcomber complements our nearby properties, positioning us to meet continued demand from the millions of tourists who visit St. Pete Beach each year.” 

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