Two-story retail building planned for former gas station site in the Grand Central District
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A Citgo gas station on the corner of Central Avenue and 28th Street is set to be redeveloped into a new retail destination.
Clearwater-based general contractor Build America Luxury Homes has submitted plans to demolish the 1957-built station and replace it with a two-story, 13,500-square-foot retail building at 2801 Central Avenue, next to Cheeky’s Fish & Raw Bar.
“We are experienced in taking old, rundown, or neglected places and turning them into community assets,” said Qemal Hasanbelli, owner of Build America Luxury Homes and BA Construction, in a conversation with St. Pete Rising.
Hasanbelli purchased the 0.22-acre lot in December 2023 for $1.75 million.
Designed by Oldsmar-based ArchEvoke Studio LLC, the building would accommodate multiple retailers and restaurants, bringing new business opportunities to this stretch of the Grand Central District.
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Construction crews have completed demolition of the former UPC Insurance headquarters in downtown St. Pete, clearing the three-acre site for two 31-story apartment towers with 824 apartments and more than 30,000 square feet of retail space.
The 40,000-square-foot office building at 800 2nd Avenue South most recently served as a temporary office for the Tampa Bay Rays after Hurricane Milton damaged Tropicana Field.
UPC Insurance, which once occupied the building as its corporate headquarters, was placed into liquidation in 2023.
St. Pete-based Echelon, in partnership with Third Lake Partners, will develop the $225 million project, which will span more than 1.7 million square feet.
While shorter than the 46-story Residences at 400 Central, the two-tower development will contain more total floor area. At 343 feet, the towers will become the tallest buildings west of 5th Street and rank among downtown St. Pete’s 10 tallest structures.