24-unit apartment building proposed for 3rd Avenue South in downtown St. Pete
/Rendering: 3rd Avenue South apartments, from Brad Campbell
Construction will soon begin on a 24-unit multi-family building at the southwest corner of 3rd Avenue South and 7th Street in downtown St. Pete. Last week, St. Pete’s Community Redevelopment Agency unanimously approved the three-story building which is being developed by Brad Campbell. Campbell is also developing a similar project at 357 5th Street South which will contain 25 units and ground floor retail space.
The development will front 3rd Avenue South across from the Palm Grove Inn in downtown St. Pete. Image from Google Earth.
Like the development at 357 5th Street South, which is currently under construction, Campbell’s latest project will utilize recent changes to the City’s Land Development Regulations that eliminated the mandatory minimum parking requirements for multi-family developments in downtown.
Under the new regulations, residential units under 750 square feet are not required to have onsite parking. And since all units in the 3rd Avenue South building will be under 750 square feet, parking is not required, resulting in a more affordable rental rate compared to other buildings with structured parking.
Walk Score calls the location a “Walker’s Paradise,” awarding it a Walk Score of 92 while noting that daily errands do not require a car. The location is also listed as a “Biker’s Paradise” with a Bike Score of 92.
An elevation of the project as seen from 3rd Avenue South, from BSB Design.
“I am very excited to take a piece of property that has been vacant for so long and build a property that will create housing and add value to the community,” says Campbell, who purchased the lot for $600,000 in April 2020.
The ground floor of the building will contain two residential lobbies and eight residential units while the second and third floors will also contain eight units. The primary entrance for the building will be along 3rd Avenue South in downtown St. Petersburg, FL. The units will be market-rate apartments.
The proposed architecture of the building, which was designed by BSB Design, is traditional vernacular with finished brick along the ground floor and stucco on the two upper floors.
The project will occupy a long time vacant lot at the southwest corner of 3rd Avenue South and 7th Street. Image from Google Street View.
“I’m very excited for this development,” said St. Pete City Councilmember Robert Blackmon during the hearing. “This is exactly what you want with infill development. It’s not tearing down anything historic and it’s contributing to the neighborhood. This lot has been vacant for far too long and I’m excited about the development.”
Construction will begin this year and the aim is to complete the project in 2022. Construction costs are expected to be $1.65 million.
