October 01, 2025

Local boating company Hubbard's Marina selected as new operator of Cross Bay Ferry

October 01, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

A longtime local boating business may bring back the popular ferry service connecting downtown St. Petersburg and downtown Tampa, with more frequent trips and year-round service.

The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) has recommended Hubbard’s Marina, a nearly century-old Madeira Beach-based business, to relaunch and manage the Cross Bay Ferry, which first launched in 2016. If approved, service could resume as early as 2026, ahead of the peak spring break season.

Hubbard’s Marina, which would operate the service as the Tampa Bay Ferry, was one of four respondents to PSTA’s Request for Proposals (RFP) issued on August 5th.

Founded in 1928 by Captain Wilson Hubbard as a bait-and-tackle shop, Hubbard’s Marina has grown into a major fishing and boating business. The family-owned company moved to John’s Pass on Maderia Beach in 1976, where it now offers deep-sea fishing, sightseeing tours, and operates a maintenance and manufacturing facility in Gulfport.

September 30, 2025

It’s official: The Tampa Bay Rays have been sold to Jacksonville billionaire

September 30, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

It’s official. The Tampa Bay Rays have been sold.

An ownership group led by 44-year-old billionaire Patrick Zalupski, CEO of Jacksonville-based Dream Finders Homes, has finalized the $1.7 billion purchase of the Major League Baseball franchise from longtime owner Stu Sternberg.

The transaction closed Tuesday following unanimous MLB approval last week.

“It’s an incredible honor to become the stewards of the Tampa Bay Rays, a franchise with a proud history and a bright future,” said Zalupski in a statement. “We are especially privileged to have been chosen by Stu Sternberg as his successors, and we’re all energized by the responsibility to serve Rays fans everywhere and this great game.

Commissioner Rob Manfred added, “Major League Baseball is pleased to welcome Patrick and his partners to the ownership ranks. Their collective experience and passion for the game will serve the Rays well as they enter this exciting new chapter."

September 30, 2025

Celebrity Chef Geoffrey Zakarian to open new restaurant at The Central in downtown St. Pete

September 30, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

Internationally recognized chef and TV personality Geoffrey Zakarian will introduce a new restaurant concept at The Central, a new mixed-use development under construction in St. Petersburg’s EDGE District.

Zakarian, known for his modern American cuisine, more than 25 years of leading top kitchens across the country, and appearances on competitive cooking shows, announced on Tuesday the flagship restaurant will be located in the 168-room Central Hotel within the 2.1-acre development at 1301 Central Avenue. The Central Hotel will be part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection.

“St. Petersburg is a city brimming with energy and creativity, and we are thrilled to create a dining experience that captures that spirit,” Zakarian said in a statement.

September 29, 2025

17-unit townhome-style apartment community breaks ground on 1st Avenue South

September 29, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

New modern residences are rising on a vacant property on 1st Avenue South near 34th Street in St. Petersburg.

Northern Trust Builders broke ground earlier this month on a $4.7 million project that will bring 17 townhome-style apartments across two three-story buildings to the site.

The development is led by Tampa-based Zhukovskyi Development, headed by Tony Zhukovskyi, and designed by local architect Pete Alfonso Jr.

The first building, at 3655 1st Avenue South, will have nine units. The second, at 3651 1st Avenue South, will include eight.

Zhukovskyi bought the property last August for $255,000.

September 29, 2025

12-story luxury condo tower to rise in St. Pete’s 67-acre Marina Bay waterfront community

September 29, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

A new luxury condominium tower will be developed on the Pinellas Bayway, marking the final major development within Marina Bay, a 67-acre gated waterfront community adjacent to Eckerd College and southwest of the Skyway Marina District in St. Petersburg.

Marina Bay developer Reza Yazdani plans to submit plans in early October to the City of St. Pete for the Marina Bay Residence, a 12-story condominium tower featuring panoramic views of Boca Ciega Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.

The $120 million project will include 96 residential units, two levels of parking, and a suite of upscale amenities.

Since acquiring the initial Marina Bay property from Eckerd College in 2003, Yazdani has transformed the site into a premier coastal residential enclave featuring a deep-water marina and 187 homes, including single-family residences, villas, and condominiums located along almost 2,000 feet of the Intracoastal Waterway.

September 25, 2025

Local developer to build 26 new townhomes in Largo

September 25, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

Local real estate development firm Heron Properties is planning four new townhome communities that will bring a total of 26 new residences to Largo.

The company is currently developing other projects in the area, with the 10-unit Junction Townhomes underway in St. Petersburg’s Central Oak Park neighborhood and The Station, a 25,000-square-foot mixed-use development planned in Largo.

“From an urban infill perspective, downtown Largo offers the same authentic character we value in St. Petersburg’s Central Oak Park neighborhood - original brick streets with granite curbs, nearly century-old craftsman bungalows, and mature oak trees that define the streetscape,” Heron Properties Principal Grace Johnson said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising.

Johnson moved to Tampa Bay from Seattle nearly five years ago, simultaneously relocating the boutique development company’s office to Largo.

“We are introducing versatile housing choices that reflect the modern, walkable, and community-focused future of Largo. The area is attracting a mix of tourists and residents, and benefits from heavy public investment, with a strong emphasis on modern infrastructure and walkability,” she said.

September 25, 2025

Financial technology company Velera sells former PSCU headquarters in Carillon for $19 million

September 25, 2025/ Brian Zucker

A financial technology company with nearly 50 years in St. Pete has sold its corporate headquarters.

Velera, formerly known as PSCU, has sold its 12.4-acre campus at 560 and 580 Carillon Parkway in the Carillon office park to Tampa-based Greenleaf Capital, the real estate arm of publicly traded HCI Group Inc.

Greenleaf Capital paid $19 million for the two-office building campus, which contain 179,779 square feet.

Anthony Saravanos, President of Greenleaf Capital, said the firm plans to make smart improvements to the property that will help secure the ideal tenant.

“We’re not looking to change uses or tear it down for multifamily,” he told St. Pete Rising. “We’re hoping to attract a full campus-type user, a corporate headquarters relocation.”

September 24, 2025

Historically St. Pete: The 100-year-old cafeteria craze that reshaped dining in St. Pete

September 24, 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 look back at the rise of cafeteria culture that swept through the Sunshine City in the 1910s and 1920s.

September 23, 2025

Publix plans bigger store at Gateway Market Center on 9th Street North in St. Pete

September 23, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

One of St. Petersburg’s largest shopping centers is preparing for a major upgrade.

Gateway Market Center, located six miles north of downtown at 7751-8229 9th Street North, will soon break ground on a new Publix supermarket as part of a broader redevelopment effort led by InvenTrust Properties Inc.

The Illinois-based real estate investment trust, which owns and manages open-air shopping centers nationwide, plans to demolish the 60,450-square-foot Bealls, which recently closed, and replace it with a new 54,964-square-foot Publix, according to plans obtained by St. Pete Rising.

The store will be built adjacent to the existing 37,888-square-foot Publix, which has anchored the site for more than two decades.

The current Publix is expected to stay open during construction to avoid disrupting service, with operations likely shifting to the larger store once it is complete.

September 22, 2025

St. Pete’s largest indoor Halloween market debuts next month with 50+ vendors, Labubu tattoos, and spooky lattes

September 22, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

Spooky season is creeping in early this year, and St. Pete is about to get its biggest dose of Halloween spirit yet.

On Saturday, October 11th, the debut of the Spooky Island Market will transform Coastal Creative in the Grand Central District into a tropical-meets-haunted bazaar unlike anything the Sunshine City has ever seen.

From noon to 5 p.m., more than 50 local vendors will take over the venue at 2201 1st Avenue South, creating an eerie indoor gathering inspired by the haunted resort from the 2002 Scooby-Doo movie.

Guests can expect a pumpkin patch, oddities, spooky photo ops, Halloween-inspired installations, and plenty of exclusive treats designed to give you goosebumps.