16-story hotel approved to replace 100-year-old storm-damaged building in downtown St. Pete
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An 11-story storm-damaged building in the heart of downtown St. Pete is one step closer to being demolished and redeveloped into a 16-story boutique hotel after receiving its first approval from the city.
St. Pete City Council, meeting as the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), found the proposed plan to demolish the 100-year-old building at 300 Central Avenue and construct a 16-story tower with 74 hotel rooms and 4,000 square feet of commercial space consistent with the City’s Intown Redevelopment Plan.
The existing structure, historically known as the Smith Empire Building and called the Coronet 300 since 1966, was constructed in 1924 as a commercial building and later adapted for mixed-use residential purposes in the 1960s. The building is not listed on the Local or National Register of Historic Places.
Local entrepreneur and developer Steve Gianfilippo of Gianco Companies, who purchased the building in 2017, said the vacant structure suffered significant damage from Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Interim repairs will be made to ensure safety while plans for the new hotel are finalized.
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Golden Corral is returning to Pinellas County with plans for its first St. Pete restaurant inside the former Hooters at Tyrone Square Mall.
The popular American all-you-eat buffet chain will open at 2250 Tyrone Boulevard, according to plans submitted to the City of St. Petersburg. An opening date has not yet been announced.
The 8,105-square-foot restaurant will take over the building where Hooters operated for 15 years, from 2006 until late 2021. At the time, the chain cited changes in shopping habits and declining mall foot traffic in announcing the closure.
The new Golden Corral will be operated by franchisee Britt Guyer, who owns Golden Corral restaurants in Winter Haven and downtown Tampa. Guyer was not immediately available for comment.