Brick and Mortar Restaurant Opens on the 500 Block in Downtown St. Pete
/For years, Tampa has arguably had a better selection of dining options than its brother across the bay, St. Petersburg. Jason Ruhe and Hope Montgomery opened Brick and Mortar to the public last week, simultaneously elevating St. Pete’s culinary game.
The restaurant and catering company is located at 539 Central Avenue in Downtown St. Pete, taking over the parcel previously vacated by St. Pete Brasserie in September 2013. Holding 50 people inside and 17 on the patio outside, the space feels very intimate.The decor is flush with rustic charm.Raw unfinished wooden tables are lit up by vintage light fixtures hanging from the ceiling and natural sunlight spilling inside from the floor-to-ceiling windows.
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A long-delayed project that will deliver 24 affordable homes for working families is nearing completion and preparing to welcome its first residents.
The bright white-and-blue, two-story townhomes line 6th and 7th avenues South near 22nd Street South, directly across from the Manhattan Casino.
The City of St. Petersburg purchased the land in 2007 for $2.2 million using a federal grant. However, the project was not announced until 2019 under former Mayor Rick Kriseman as part of the broader Deuces Rising initiative, which aims to revitalize the Deuces, the historic African American entertainment and business district along the 22nd Street South corridor.
Built by Tampa-based Horus Construction Services, the development includes twelve 1,780-square-foot townhomes with three bedrooms and twelve 1,525-square-foot townhomes with two bedrooms.