The Grand Central District is really heating up. On the eastern edge of the neighborhood, at the corner of 16th Street and Central Avenue, four large developments are about to wrap up construction and bring an additional 132 hotel rooms and 700 rental units to market — Tru by Hilton, Artistry St. Pete, 1701 Central, and Vantage.

On the western end of The Grand Central District, around 30th Street and Central Avneue, two apartment communities have been recently proposed — Gallery 3100 and a project tentatively titled “2800 Central Ave”. Those developments would add 200 apartments to the neighborhood.

Other major developments under construction in the district include the Grand Central Brewhouse at 2324 Central Avenue and Six Point Row, a 19-unit townhome community currently rising at 2611 1st Avenue North.

After seeing the recent activity in the district, Modern Tampa Bay Homes is ready to throw their hat in the ring. The St Petersburg-based developer and builder has proposed the eclectic, design-centric Art District Lofts - better known as AD Lofts.

The AD Lofts consist of seven three-story townhomes above 5,000 square feet of retail located at 2250 Central Avenue, adjacent to The Dog Bar. Each spacious three-bedroom 3.5-bath home will include a private elevator, a two-car garage, 10-foot ceilings, and a 22-foot high sky-lit gallery space with oversized windows. Units will also contain two private balconies and smart home features including thermostat, door entry, and low voltage connections in all bedroom and living areas. 

The homes will be built with modern features and finishes. For example, the living room is accentuated by a dramatic architectural floating staircase with powder coated metal rod rails. The large, open-concept second floor seamlessly connects the kitchen, dining, and family room.

All seven units will contain around 2,000 square feet of A/C area, which doesn’t include the balconies or garage. Pricing for the townhomes start in the low 700’s.

AD Lofts is being brought to the Grand Central District by an all-local team. Modern Tampa Bay Homes, helmed by CEO Richard McGinnis, is developing and building the project. McGinnis has been involved in dozens of multi-million dollar projects across the nation, and is proud to bring AD Lofts to St Pete’s blossoming art and culture community.

St. Petersburg-based Clear ph Design was responsible for the branding, architectural and interior renderings, website, and marketing materials for AD Lofts and Bseen Solutions, a digital marketing agency, is behind the marketing strategy. The project architect is Renker Eich Parks Architects and architectural design is being provided by Urban Order.

Barkett Realty is the representing brokerage for AD Lofts. Lisa Story, who’s responsible for residential sales, can be reached at story@barkettrealty.com. Lisa Ulrich is handling the commercial leasing and can be contacted at lisa@barkettrealty.com.

AD Lofts is expected to break ground at 2250 Central Avenue in early 2020 with a completion date of early 2021. Visit the project’s website or follow the project on Instagram and Facebook to stay up to date.

And if AD Lofts is successful, Modern Tampa Bay Homes has already begun eyeing their next project, another mixed-use development of similar scope and scale to AD Lofts at 2706 Central Avenue across from Baba on Central and Bandit Coffee.