13-story apartment-hotel building planned for Grand Central District will now include affordable housing
/the Residences at 1663 will bring a mix of apartments, short-term rentals and affordable housing to the grand central district | BendinRoad Development
An updated plan for a proposed 13-story, 120-unit residential project in the Grand Central District would reserve 48 apartments for affordable housing.
Tampa-based BendinRoad Development is seeking $4.8 million in federal disaster-recovery funding through the City of St. Petersburg for Residences at 1663, planned at 1663 1st Avenue South.
City staff has recommended the request for approval, and City Council will vote on it October 1st.
The site is currently home to a vacant commercial building that was previously occupied by Sunshine Kitty Catfe, which closed three years ago, and the Dolman Law Group.
Plans, which were approved in 2025, call for a 13-story building with 60 apartments and 60 short-term rental units that could be rented nightly, weekly, or monthly.
While the building’s design and layout remain unchanged, the developer delayed its original construction timeline to pursue the affordable housing funding.
A groundbreaking is now planned for early 2027.
“We had been told that the city was going to have funds through this program in 2026, so we planned for that timing,” BendinRoad Development founder Craig Bazarsky said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising.
Residences at 1663 will feature a range of smaller studios and one- and two-bedroom layouts | BendinRoad development
BendinRoad was one of six development teams recommended to receive a portion of the federal funding, which the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded to St. Petersburg through its Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery program.
Congress appropriated the funding following Hurricanes Idalia in 2023 and Helene in 2024.
HUD awarded St. Petersburg $159.884 million for long-term recovery work, including housing, infrastructure, economic revitalization, and mitigation.
The city set aside $48 million of that funding for affordable rental housing.
If approved for the funding, BendinRoad will reserve 48 of the project’s 60 apartments for households earning up to 80% of Area Median Income (AMI).
Under the current 2026 limits for Pinellas County, apartments restricted at 80% of AMI can rent for up to $1,606 per month for a studio, $1,720 for a one-bedroom, and $2,064 for a two-bedroom. The limits are updated annually, and the project’s actual rents could be lower.
For a single-person household, 80% of AMI is currently $64,250 per year. The limit is $73,400 for a two-person household and $82,600 for a three-person household, according to the City of St. Petersburg’s 2026 income limits.
The building will include studios, one-bedroom apartments, and two-bedroom apartments, all under 750 square feet.
construction on the Residences at 1663 will commence in early 2027 | st. pete rising
The unit sizes allow the project to move forward without any required parking, however BendinRoad still plans to provide 12 on-site parking spaces.
Bazarsky said they will also arrange an optional off-site parking option for residents who need it, although no agreement is in place yet.
“We’ve done this concept before and have the same type of building in downtown Tampa with short- and long-term rentals and affordable units,” Bazarsky said, referencing The Residences at 801 Whiting.
The eight-story, 104-unit Tampa building was completed in October 2025.
“You typically see this mix and limited parking in a bigger urban downtown, but I think St. Pete is ready for these non-traditional apartment buildings because so many people are moving here and there’s a need for workforce and affordable housing,” Bazarsky said.
“With smaller units, you are paying less and can afford to live here. Downtown is really your living room. It’s so walkable, there are coffee shops, and there’s something to do. You just have to be willing to sacrifice the square footage for affordability.”
Bazarsky said he expects traveling nurses, visiting medical professionals, and other extended-stay guests to use the short-term rental units.
The revised financing plan does not alter the previously approved 165-foot building design. The tower will rise above a four-story base before stepping back along its north side.
The first floor will include a lobby shared by residents and short-term guests, a club room, 12 surface parking spaces, and bicycle parking.
Floors two through five will contain 54 short-term rental units. The sixth floor will include six short-term rental units and six apartments, while floors seven through twelve will contain 54 apartments.
An amenity deck on the 13th floor will include a pool, fitness area, and co-working space. It will be available to both apartment residents and short-term rental guests.
Kimley-Horn is serving as the project’s civil engineer and landscape architect, while Jacksonville-based Bold Line Design is the architect. Nicholas & Associates is the general contractor.
Last Thursday, BendinRoad submitted a stormwater application to the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Building plans are expected to be submitted to the City of St. Pete for permitting soon.
Bazarsky said the developer hopes to break ground in the first quarter of 2027. With an estimated 18-month construction timeline, Residences at 1663 could be completed by summer 2028.
Landings Real Estate Group, which manages the developer’s Tampa property, will manage and market the St. Pete building.
“Hopefully this is just the first of several,” Bazarsky said. “We’d love to build more of this type of building in other parts of St. Pete.”
An amenity deck on the 13th floor will include a co-working space, a fitness area, and a pool | BendinRoad development
