Domestic violence nonprofit CASA Pinellas buys former CellarMasters property in the EDGE District

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Local domestic violence nonprofit CASA has purchased the former CellarMasters building in the EDGE District | Google Maps

CASA Pinellas, the county’s certified domestic violence nonprofit, has purchased the former Cellarmasters wine bar and bottle shop at 1005 1st Avenue North in the EDGE District for $1.75 million, creating room to expand its neighboring thrift store and generate additional funding for survivor services.

The 2,190-square-foot building, which CellarMasters vacated after closing in November 2025, sits next to CASA’s 17,000-square-foot building at 1011 1st Avenue North, which houses the nonprofit’s thrift store on the first floor and Family Justice Center on the second.

CASA, which stands for Community Action Stops Abuse, will turn the newly acquired building into a donation-receiving, sorting, and processing center, relocating back-of-house functions now housed within the thrift store.

The move will allow the nonprofit to expand the thrift store’s sales floor by about 20%.

CASA CEO Lariana Forsythe said housewares are the store’s biggest seller and generate its highest margins. The additional sales floor will allow CASA to carry more merchandise, particularly in that category.

The thrift store generates about $1 million annually in unrestricted revenue for CASA, according to Forsythe. The organization estimates the additional retail space could produce roughly $200,000 more each year.

CASA’s thrift shop in the EDGE District will expand following its purchase of an adjacent building | CASA Pinellas

For CASA, unrestricted revenue is particularly valuable because much of its grant funding is restricted to specific programs or expenses.

“Most of the money we get is highly restricted,” Forsythe said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “If somebody needs baby formula and that grant has run out, we can’t buy formula. We’ve got to have cash to buy formula.”

In fiscal year 2024–25, CASA provided $1.31 million in direct assistance to individuals, including more than $1.13 million for housing and utility costs, according to the nonprofit’s most recent Form 990.

CASA Pinellas provides services for domestic violence survivors and their families, including safety planning, crisis intervention, emergency shelter, legal representation and advocacy, housing assistance, rapid rehousing, and education and prevention programs.

Its confidential emergency shelter provided refuge to 542 survivors last year, including 252 children, and logged 22,757 bed nights. CASA also provided specialized housing services to 913 survivors and their children.

The Family Justice Center brings CASA case managers and 12 on-site partner organizations together in one location, making it easier for survivors to access legal, housing, and other support services. It served 1,621 people last year.

The thrift store generates about $1 million annually in unrestricted revenue for CASA | CASA Pinellas

The center was created to simplify what can otherwise become an overwhelming process for someone trying to leave an abusive relationship while also caring for children, maintaining a job, and finding housing.

“You’re trying to hold a job. You’re dealing with kids. It’s impossible,” Forsythe said of navigating multiple agencies and appointments. “That’s why we created the Family Justice Center.”

CASA’s legal services include representation by Florida Bar attorneys and paralegals in injunction-for-protection hearings, as well as justice advocacy..

The organization also provides survivors with clothing and household items through the thrift store as they establish a new home. CASA reported receiving donated clothing and household items valued at more than $1.1 million last year.

Forsythe said CASA had considered relocating the thrift store but ultimately decided to build on its longtime presence along 1st Avenue North.

“Part of our success is the history. People know that we’re here,” Forsythe said. “We’ve elected to stay here. It doesn’t make sense for us to move.”

CASA hopes to complete the thrift store expansion by January.

Those interested in supporting CASA can donate money, volunteer, or contribute new or gently used items to its thrift store. More information is available at casapinellas.org.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, CASA Pinellas operates a 24-hour hotline at (727) 895-4912. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.