Century-old house makes historic move to clear way for boutique condo tower in downtown St. Pete
/The Historic Bay Gables house at its new location on the corner of 8th Avenue North and Dartmoor Street near Round Lake | Historic Uptown Neighborhood
It’s not every day that you get to witness a century-old two-story house rolling down the street. But if you were lucky enough to be just north of downtown St. Pete on Saturday night, that’s exactly what you saw.
The home, known as the Bay Gables house, was uprooted from its original location at 136 4th Avenue Northeast, placed on a trailer, and transported 0.6 miles to its new location on the corner of 8th Avenue North and Dartmoor Street near Round Lake.
The house was moved to make way for the construction of The Nolen, a 23-story 31-unit condo tower, that will be breaking ground soon.
As part of City approval for The Nolen, the developers agreed to move the historic home
“The relocation of this historic home was a significant operation coordinating six major utility companies as well as the City of St. Petersburg and Florida Department of Transportation,” said DDA Development principal Bowen Arnold.
“We’re tremendously impressed with the professionalism of everyone involved in this project. There was exceptional care put into the preservation of the house, as well as avoiding disruption to the neighborhood. It was an impressive effort,” added Arnold.
Built in 1912, the Bay Gables house is a great example of middle-class housing in St. Petersburg at the turn of the century. The home was designed in the Vernacular style as a single-family residence; however, the house was altered in 1928 to incorporate Queen Anne and Colonial Revival style detailing.
The historic Bay Gables house was moved 0.6 miles on Saturday night from its original location at 136 4th Avenue Northeast to a vacant lot on the corner of 8th Avenue North and Dartmoor Street near Round Lake
Reflecting the significance and importance of the tourist industry in St. Petersburg during the first half of the 21st Century, the Bay Gables house was originally used as a boarding house for tourists.
In January 1994, the city added the home to the St. Petersburg Register of Historic Places.
Most recently, the house operated as Watergarden Inn at the Bay, a bed and breakfast. Before that, an upscale French restaurant called Chateau France occupied the historic home.
The Nolen, a 23-story 31-unit boutique condominium tower, will break ground in the coming weeks at 136 4th Avenue Northeast
The house’s move is emblematic of St. Pete’s continued transformation from a sleepy retirement community to an active, bustling city filled with trendy restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and boutiques.
In the coming weeks, The Nolen will break ground on the now-vacant site at 136 4th Avenue Northeast. Once complete, the tower will stand 288 feet tall.
In addition to residential units, the base of The Nolen will feature a three-story parking structure along with a residential lobby and 1,260 square feet of ground-floor retail space. In total there will be 63 parking spaces and 33 long-term bicycle spaces in the building. Ingress and egress of the parking garage will be off Rowland Court, a private street.
The fourth floor will have an amenity and pool deck. Floors 5 through 16 will contain two 2,150 square foot residential units each while floors 17 through 23 will each have one 3,400 square foot unit.
The ground floor of The Nolen will feature a residential lobby and 1,260 square feet of ground-floor retail space
“The Nolen has garnered strong interest due to its exclusivity with only 2 residences per floor, high-end finishes, and robust amenity features,” said David Moyer of Smith & Associates Real Estate. “We are over 65% sold in advance of the commencement of construction, and only 2 full-floor residences remain.”
The project team for The Nolen includes DDA Development, Backstreets Capital, PLACE Architecture, Melissa Kelly Design Studio, and Smith & Associates Real Estate.
Construction is expected to take 20 months with completion in mid-2024.
For additional details on The Nolen, request more information below.
