Innovative shipping container apartments coming soon to downtown St. Pete
/Shipping container construction has been on the rise lately. Whether being used for hydroponic farming, a drive-in movie theater, an outdoor market, or housing, there seems to be no limit to what can be done with these steel boxes.
Although the idea of building with repurposed shipping containers was conceived decades ago, the trend didn’t start to gain steam until the mid-2000s. Container homes are generally built off-site, which increases construction speed, and their modular design makes them more efficient and durable. These benefits, along with a smaller floorplan, allow for lower rents when used to create housing.
Path Communities at Booker Creek will be located at the southwest corner of Burlington Avenue and 17th Street North.
Recently, St. Pete-based Path Communities announced plans for a 31-unit micro-apartment project built entirely out of shipping containers. The development, titled Path Communities at Booker Creek, will be located at the southwest corner of Burlington Avenue and 17th Street North.
The 0.37-acre tract of land, which Booker Creek flows through, was purchased in January 2021 for $500,000 by Path Communities co-founders Scott Brien and Brandon Casten.
“It’ll be an oasis in the city,” says Brien. “We’ve designed the whole project where everything will be facing the creek. You’ll feel like you’re in another world even though Central Avenue is just a few blocks away.
All 31 units will be 1-bedroom, 1-bath rentals clocking in at 320 square feet (40’ by 8’). The smaller unit size will allow Path Communities to lease the units for around $1,000/month, which is less than any other new construction rental in downtown St. Pete.
All 31 units at Path Communities at Booker Creek will be 1-bedroom, 1-bath rentals clocking in at 320 square feet (40’ by 8’).
“The living spaces are small, so we want to make sure your biggest amenity is having some outdoor space to enjoy,” says Casten.
At least two-thirds of the units will be classified as workforce or affordable housing and leased based on the renter’s income as a percentage of Area Median Income (AMI).
The only non-residential shipping container will contain laundry services and around 40 secured bike spaces. The project will take advantage of new land development regulations that the City of St. Pete approved in 2019 which do not require on-site parking for residential units of 750 square feet or less.
Although building container homes isn’t the highest and best use for the property, Brien and Casten aren’t solely driven by dollars.
“By right, we could build 64 condos on this site and make an absolute killing,” says Casten. “Especially where the market is right now. But we want to build a community people are proud to live in. We want to prove that you can deliver affordable housing that’s interesting, fun for people to live in, and something they are proud of, and still make a great profit.”
At least two-thirds of the units at Path Communities at Booker Creek will be classified as workforce or affordable housing
Path Communities at Booker Creek has completed the design phase and is currently finishing up the site plan in preparation to submit for permitting. Once the city approves the project, the entire development will be fabricated by Innovar Structures out of Sarasota and delivered to the Burlington Avenue site within six months. Units are expected to begin leasing in the fall.
Looking to the future, Brien and Casten would love to replicate this model in other parts of St. Pete. The duo fell in love with St. Petersburg after recently moving down from the northeast.
“We’ve both had the opportunity to travel a lot in our lives, but there is no place we’d rather be than in St. Pete,” says Casten.
Be sure to check out Path Communities’ website for more information and to sign up for updates.
