33-unit apartment building approved for 4th Avenue South in downtown St. Pete
/A vacant 0.2-acre parcel three blocks east of Tropicana Field could be developed into a seven-story, 33-unit apartment building.
Located at 630 4th Avenue South, the property is owned by Yaron Levi of Onyx St. Pete LLC, which, according to SunBiz, has a Valley Stream, NY mailing address.
Onyx St. Pete LLC purchased the site in August 2022 for $1.55 million. A now-cancelled four-unit townhome project, SOMA, was once proposed for the site.
According to site plan documents submitted to the City of St. Petersburg’s Planning and Development Services Department, the $6 million project will include 11 units larger than 750 square feet, 22 units less than 750 square feet, and 16 parking spaces on the ground floor.
According to land development regulations passed in late 2019, residential units in downtown St. Pete that are smaller than 750 square feet do not require onsite parking. As a result, the building has a parking ratio of under 0.5 spaces per unit.
tHE PROPOSED BUILDING WAS APPROVED FOR A 0.2-ACRE LOT ON 4TH AVENUE SOUTH IN DOWNTOWN ST. PETERSBRUG
In addition to parking, the building’s ground floor will have a lobby area, staff office, trash pickup area, and bicycle parking. Each residential unit will also have a bicycle storage area.
Floors two through six will each have six residential units with balconies that face north or south. The top floor will have three residential units, a lounge area, a fitness room, and a partially covered rooftop terrace.
“The building exterior will feature a contemporary, distinct, yet compatible style that will blend compatibly with the surrounding environment,” the developer writes in a narrative that accompanies the site plan approval request.
“The exterior of the building is proposed to have a contemporary stucco facade with different accent finishes that will provide a diversity of style that is compatible with the mixed development styles of the neighborhood.”
A rendering of the proposed building | CITY OF ST. PETERSBURG
Mound Park Way South, a brick street that’s classified as an alley, runs along the south side of the property, and the developer says egress into and out of the parking area will be via the alley, reducing traffic impacts on 4th Avenue South.
The parking structure, according to the narrative, “will be screened in a way that will allow for natural ventilation but won’t allow the cars or their lights to be visible to surrounding property owners or 4th Avenue South.”
According to the narrative, developer Yaron Levi, who goes by "Levi,” has personally reached out to several neighboring residents and received no negative feedback about the project, and he has also mailed letters to neighbors he was unable to contact.
“He showed the site plan and renderings, provided detailed information about the project, answered questions, and generally received full support from all he spoke with,” the document states.
MASSING OF THE PROPOSED BUILDING | CITY OF ST. PETERSBURG
The property is zoned Downtown Center-2 (DC-2) which allows for a base Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 3.0. The building has a proposed FAR of 4.08. The developers will contribute to the city’s Housing Capital Improvements Projects (HCIP) trust fund to aid in the city’s workforce housing efforts in exchange for a 1.08 FAR bonus. Based on the bonus, the developer will contribute $64,800 to the fund.
The project was administratively approved by city staff on December 13th.
No timeline for construction has been announced.
Note: Renderings included in this article are the most recent available and are expected to slightly change. The developer is expected to modify the top floor to provide additional setback.
