This is the third quarter 2020 update of St. Pete Rising’s Aerial St. Pete series. Aerial St. Pete is a quarterly column we launched last year which features exclusive aerial photography of projects under construction in St. Petersburg, FL. To accomplish this we have teamed up with Anthony Bove at AB3 Visuals.

In this update we’re taking a look at construction in the Skyway Marina District. The Skyway Marina District was founded in October 2013 and is located along 34th Street South between 30th Avenue South and 54th Street South. The district has undergone a series of changes in recent years including new place making signs and a renewed focus on bringing new businesses and residents to the area.

And these efforts are paying off! There are currently over 900 rental units planned for the district and of those, 850 are currently under construction. To put it another way, there are currently more residential units under construction in the Skyway Marina District than any other area of St. Pete.  

These new units are concentrated in three projects – Sur Club, the Addison Skyway Marina, and Marina Walk.

Sur Club 
3301 32nd Avenue South

Sur Club is a 296-unit apartment development under construction on the site of a once-proposed Home Depot store. It is being developed by Phillips Development & Realty and is expected to open in late 2021. 

According to the developer’s website, the inspiration for Sur Club came from founder Don Phillips’ travel to resorts across the nation as well as the property’s location near some of America’s best beaches. The property will feature sand volleyball courts, a lush resort-style pool, and lazy river as well as a structured parking garage.

Once the multifamily property is complete, Phillips Development hopes to build two retail out parcel buildings fronting 34th Street South. The hope is that the residential growth in the Skyway Marina District fuels demand for new retail and restaurants in the neighborhood.

The Addison Skyway Marina
3951 34th Street South

Just a few blocks down the street is another property under construction. The Addison Skyway Marina is a 308-unit apartment community being developed by ContraVest at 3951 34th St South. Before being razed, the site was previously home to a K-Mart store. ContraVest purchased the site in July 2019. 

Unlike Sur Club, the Addison will be a garden-style property with surface parking instead of a large parking garage. The site will feature a total of five buildings, the largest of which will surround an amenity rich pool area and an 8,500 square foot clubhouse.

The Addison is expected to be completed in 2021 and will have studios through three-bedroom units. ContraVest has also carved out a 1.2 acre portion of the site for future retail space. That land is currently on the market.

Marina Walk 
4601 34th Street South

About a third of a mile south of the Addison is yet another apartment project in the works. Located at 4601 34th Street South, Marina Walk is under construction at the site of the former Flamingo Resort. 

At eight stories it’s the tallest building being developed in the Skyway Marina District and will have 245 rental units. The property will have a Sky Lounge on the 7th and 8th floors with views of Boca Ciega Bay. The building is being constructed in a U-shape which will surround a tropical pool area. 

Marina Walk gets its name from being directly adjacent to Maximo Marina. Like Sur Club, Marina Walk will have a structured parking garage. Construction on the property is expected to be completed in 2021. 

Sur Club, the Addison Skyway Marina, and Marina Walk are all expected to wrap up sometime in 2021 and new residents will begin moving in shortly thereafter. It’s likely that these new residents will fuel demand for additional retail and restaurants in the district. So expect more news coming from the Skyway Marina District in the future!

On the horizon, the Florida Department of Transportation and Forward Pinellas are working on repaving and redesigning 34th Street South with enhancements like wider sidewalks, bus lanes, and pedestrian crossings. This project will improve the connectivity of the district. Construction is expected to begin in 2022.