619-unit Alton Skyway apartments approved for SPC’s Allstate Campus in the Skyway Marina District
/619-unit apartment community Alton Skyway was recently approved by St. Pete’s Development Review Commission | kolter multifamily
Despite facing opposition from area developers and others, a 17.25-acre property in south St. Pete is expected to become a new 619-unit apartment community.
On Wednesday, the St. Petersburg Development Review Commission ultimately approved a site plan from Delray Beach–based Kolter Multifamily to build Alton Skyway, a luxury garden-style apartment development at 3200 34th Street South.
The approval passed with a 5-1 vote, with DRC member Joseph Griner casting the lone opposing vote.
The property, owned by St. Petersburg College, includes several educational buildings that will be demolished to make way for Alton Skyway, a two-phase development featuring eight five-story buildings and neighborhood-scale retail.
Phase one would deliver 342 apartments across four buildings on the southern half of the site, while phase two would add the remaining 277 units in four additional buildings on the northern half of the property.
The development will offer one, two, and three-bedroom apartments ranging from approximately 618 to 1,322 square feet. All units will feature balconies.
The site plan for Alton skyway depicts eight residential buildings and up to 5,000 square feet of commerical space | kolter multifamily
At the center of the community, plans show a large stormwater pond with a trail running between the two phases of development. Two pools will face the pond, and additional amenities include a dog park and an indoor clubhouse.
A one-acre parcel at the southwest corner of the property is planned for up to 5,000 square feet of commercial space, which will be reviewed separately.
Kolter Managing Director Jeff Kruse said the team is actively marketing the parcel, but has not secured a user.
Attorney Elise Batsel of Stearns Weaver Miller, representing Kolter, said the multi-family development is a permitted use within the Retail Center (RC-1) Zoning District.
Although the development is permitted by right with its zoning, DRC members questioned if the character of the project aligned with the urban design standards set out in Skyway Marina Master Plan, which was adopted in 2014.
Batsel argued that the district master plan was simply a guiding visioning document but does not legally establish requirements.
Alton skyway will be developed on a 17.25-acre site currently home to the St. Petersburg College Allstate Campus | Google Maps
“There have been zero efforts to codify the Skyway Marina plan. Whatever the plan is based on, it is outdated. The community had over a decade to take steps,” Batsel said, later reminding the members that local governments can’t impose new regulations and must review projects based on land development codes.
The multifamily buildings will reach 72 feet, the maximum height permitted under the zoning. Designed by Dwell Design Studio, the contemporary-style buildings will have a layered facade to reduce massing and create a more pedestrian-scaled design.
DRC member Tim Clemmons, a principal of St. Pete-based Place Architecture, shared disappointment that Kolter was not fully embracing the intent of the master plan.
In the same breath, he said the design of the buildings, water feature and amenities created a nice “internal, organized scheme,” but “not a community scheme.”
Alton Skyway would have 883 vehicle parking spaces on the property at full buildout, exceeding the minimum requirement of 775 spaces.
alton skyway wll offer one, two and three-bedroom apartments | kolter multifamily
Chris Isaacson, a board member of the Skyway Marina District, said the nearly 900 surface parking spaces contradict the master plan, which calls for structured parking.
To shield the “sea of parking,” the team included one-story bike storage areas. There is also an expansive sidewalk network connecting pedestrians on the main streets to the community, which will not be gated.
When asked if the layout could be oriented toward 34th Street, Kruse said the team evaluated other design iterations, but these posed challenges in maintaining the sidewalks.
In addition to addressing questions and concerns from DRC members, the project faced strong opposition from developer Frank Guerra of Altis Cardinal.
Guerra is the developer behind Sky Town, a 34.3-acre development just west of Alton Skyway.
Sky Town, currently under construction, will deliver 2,084 apartments, 69,000 square feet of neighborhood retail anchored by a recently-opened Sprouts Farmers Market, and 120,000 square feet of self-storage — making it the largest mixed-use project in the district.
Sky Town’s anchor retail tenant, specialty grocery store sprouts, opened last year at 3411 32nd Avenue South | Altis Cardinal
Speaking as a registered opponent, Guerra argued that the retail component of Alton Skyway was an afterthought and may not be developed in the future; thus, the project wouldn’t be considered mixed-use and isn’t compatible with the district plan.
“We see the DRC as the gatekeeper of project approval,” Guerra said. “In light of all applicable criteria, we disagree with the applicant’s counsel about the applicability of the Skyway Marina plan. We do think it’s applicable. It wouldn’t have been adopted by the city council and wouldn’t have been followed by all other developers of market-rate multifamily.”
He also stated the team did not truly reach out to stakeholders and how his project, Sky Town, complies with the plan, and continuously engaged and worked with community members, ultimately adding more retail to Sky Town.
“As the owner of the largest property in the Skyway Marina District, we’ve had no meaningful dialogue [with Kolter],” Guerra said.
Prominent local developer Jack Dougherty of Allied Group Holdings, who led the development of the Marina Walk Apartment Homes and other projects, was also in opposition, but was not physically present at the time of the discussion.
An aerial of Marina Club Apartments | Marina Club Apartments
City staff recommended approval of the Alton Skyway site plan with special conditions, including the buildings meeting Skyway Marina District design guidelines, providing an on-site sidewalk network between the buildings, and preserving existing trees.
Kolter has been under contract since October 2024 to purchase the Alton Skyway site for $26 million. With site plan approval in hand, the transaction is expected to close between September and December 2026.
The project team includes Dix.Hite + Partners, as the landscape architect, and Kimley Horn, as the civil engineer.
While Alton Skyway is being developed by Kolter Multifamily, the Kolter Group’s other development arm, Kolter Urban, is best known in St. Pete for its downtown condominium towers, including ONE St. Petersburg, Saltaire, and Art House. Kolter is also under contract to purchase the Hilton St. Petersburg Bayfront hotel in downtown St. Pete.
Kolter Urban is also behind Corey Landing, a proposed mixed-use waterfront project in St. Pete Beach that will include 133 luxury condominiums, 11,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, a new public park, and a dock.
