Yesterday, St. Petersburg’s Development Review Commission approved the site plan for a 21-story, 200-unit apartment building proposed for 699 1st Avenue North, on the southwest edge of the Mirror Lake neighborhood in downtown St. Pete.

The developer, Gravel Road Partners, also plans for the building to have 10,843 square feet of commercial space and a 264-space parking garage.

First reported by St. Pete Rising in December, the development site is currently occupied by a vacant office building, a vacant triplex, and a surface parking lot.  

According to Pinellas County records, the properties were sold to SPGRP II LLC, an entity controlled by Gravel Road Partners, in March 2022 for $6.4 million. 

The Development Review Commission reviewed two requests made by the developers. The first request was to vacate a 20-foot-wide alley that divides the property. The second request was to approve the site plan application. Both requests were approved.

The building was deliberately designed to promote ground floor activation while increasing open area and pedestrian access to appease neighbors, specifically the Unitarian Universalist Church of St. Petersburg, concerned with the building’s scale.

The building includes a large setback that will feature a public plaza that could include art installations and a covered area for shade. 

“The resulting setback provides an even further separation between the project and the church than the existing approximately 30 feet, which is provided by Arlington Avenue North, and significantly exceeds what is required by code,” according to the Community Redevelopment Agency application submitted by the developer.

“With the building having a double height (22 feet) ground floor, this additional open space provides a unique feature that will significantly reduce the mass of the building at ground level. The plaza runs from Arlington Avenue North all the way to 1st Avenue North, providing a complete mid-block pedestrian connection between these roadways,” states the application.

The developers requested several Floor Area Ratio (FAR) bonuses to allow for increased density.

The 0.57-acre property is zoned Downtown Center-1 (DC-1) which allows for a base FAR of 3.0 and a maximum FAR of 7.0 under the streamlined approval process. According to the submitted application, the development will reach a height of 235 feet with an FAR of 7.0.

To achieve an FAR of 7.0, the developers will receive a 4.0 FAR density bonus by contributing to the city’s Housing Capital Improvements Projects (HCIP) trust fund to aid in the city’s workforce housing efforts, purchasing transfer of development rights (TDRs) from a locally designated landmark or landmark site with available TDRs, and contributing to the city’s streetscaping fund. Other FAR bonuses could include LEED certification.

A construction timeline for the development has not been announced. 

Gravel Road Partners is led by founding partners Michael Burke, Tyler Herbert, and Thomas Toepke, who, according to the website, collectively have more than 50 years worth of experience in commercial real estate.  

On its website, Gravel Road Partners says that it believes in “profit with purpose.”

“We believe strongly in community integration and partnerships to affect positive change,” states the company’s website. “We build lasting relationships with local municipalities and seek input and participation of surrounding neighborhood stakeholders. Ultimately, we look to establish alignment between our investment objectives, our customers, and local communities.” 

ODP Architects, based in Hollywood, Florida, is listed as the architectural firm for the project. St. Petersburg-based Booth Design Group is the landscape architect. 

Last year, Gravel Road Partners acquired a two-acre property at 4201 6th Street South for $1.7 million. Plans for that site, which was formerly home to The Old Landmark Cathedral of God, have not been announced.