Aerial St. Pete: Construction progresses on five major developments in the Sunshine City
/The latest edition of Aerial St. Pete highlights five major real estate projects under construction in the St. Petersburg.
Aerial St. Pete is a recurring column by St. Pete Rising that features exclusive aerial photography documenting the city’s rapid development. To capture these images, we’ve partnered with AB3 Visuals.
This month’s update showcases construction progress on the expansion of the historic Cordova Inn, the Bernie McCade Second District Court of Appeals Courthouse, Orlando Health Institute Square, Waterways Apartments & Marina, and The Henry at Whitney Village.
Cordova Inn Expansion
253 2nd Avenue North
The owners of the historic Cordova Inn boutique hotel, New Hotel Collection and TDZ Capital Partners, are expanding the historic hotel at 253 2nd Avenue North in downtown St. Pete.
The expansion was announced in 2021, with Reno Boyd Building Co. breaking ground in 2023. The project is slated for completion in January 2026.
The five-story expansion will more than triple the number of available rooms from 32 to 97 while also adding a restaurant to the first floor and a bar to the rooftop.
Tim Clemmons and Greg Glenn of PLACE Architecture are spearheading the design of the expansion with Neoclassical Revival elements, paying homage to the history of the building, which was built in 1921 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.
Second District Court of Appeals Courthouse
525 Mirror Lake Drive
Construction on the Bernie McCabe Second District Court of Appeals is on track for completion in October, with a public opening planned for December.
The $59 million courthouse is being built at 525 Mirror Lake Drive in downtown St. Pete near the Pinellas County Clerk of Court, St. Petersburg City Hall, and various other government buildings.
The three-story, 53,000 square-foot building will have 15 judicial chambers, one courtroom, and workspaces for 95 full-time employees.
The courthouse is named the Bernie McCabe Second District Court of Appeal Courthouse after the late State Attorney for Florida’s Sixth Judicial Circuit which represents Pinellas and Pasco County.
Orlando-based DLR Group is the Architect of Record and St. Pete-based Wannemacher Jensen Architects is the Associate Architect for the courthouse. Skanska USA is the general contractor for the project.
Orlando Health Institute Square
750 5th Avenue South
Construction is nearing completion on Institute Square, a major expansion of Orlando Health Bayfront Hospital, further solidifying the hospital’s role in the Innovation District.
The project marks the first major facilities expansion since Orlando Health acquired Bayfront in 2020.
Located immediately north of the hospital, at 750 5th Avenue South, Institute Square will feature three key buildings:
Orlando Health Medical Pavilion – A four-story, 120,000-square-foot medical office building partnering with Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute and All Florida Orthopaedic Associates.
Orlando Health Women’s Pavilion – A three-story, 60,000-square-foot facility offering comprehensive women’s care in partnership with Women’s Care.
Imaging Center & Parking Deck – A 9,500-square-foot imaging center within a multi-level parking garage, providing outpatient imaging and diagnostics.
Turner Construction Company broke ground in late 2023 and the facility is expected to open in November.
Waterways Apartments & Marina
12000 Gandy Boulevard North
Miami-based Key International is developing Waterways Apartments and Marina at 12000 Gandy Boulevard North, located near the entrance to the Gandy Bridge.
Plans call for 470 apartments on 39 acres of north St. Pete waterfront, with completion expected in 2027.
The development was approved in 2022 and site work began in late 2024. Vertical construction began last month.
The community will include six, four-story apartment buildings and nine blocks of two-story rental townhomes.
Additionally, an 8,000-square-foot yet-to-be-revealed waterfront restaurant will sit adjacent to a marina with 130 wet slips and 20 dry stack slips. The marina will be primarily used by residents and feature a small bait shop.
There will also be a public boardwalk lined with exercise paths and a kayak launch.
The development team includes Miami-based MSA Architects, Brandon-based Central Site Development, and Miami-based Strategic Group.
The Henry at Whitney Village
3200 1st Avenue South
Construction is underway on a 325-unit apartment community that will anchor a new live-work-play neighborhood in St. Pete’s Grand Central District.
The mixed-use project will occupy 4.5 acres on the east side of the Jim & Heather Gills YMCA at 3200 1st Avenue South.
Groundbreaking took place in May, with completion expected in March 2027 and pre-leasing scheduled to begin in December 2026.
As first reported by St. Pete Rising, the five-story apartment building, named The Henry at Whitney Village, is part of a larger development, which will include a 32,000-square-foot pedestrian-only retail village and a 600-space parking garage for residents and visitors.
South Carolina-based multifamily developer Greystar Real Estate Partners purchased the property from the neighboring YMCA in February for $12 million.
The 25-year-old, 55,000-square-foot YMCA will undergo a major renovation funded by proceeds from the sale of the athletic field property.
Greystar will partner with California-based real estate investment and management group Griffin Capital to develop the apartment community and St. Pete-based investment firm Blake Investment Partners to develop the retail village, which has yet to break ground.
