Downtown St. Pete Development Update - Fourth Quarter 2016
/The fourth quarter of 2016 saw an enormous amount of progress on many of Downtown St. Pete's active developments. The demolition of the "cheese grater" building at 400 Central Ave concluded. The Rowdies launched an official campaign to join the MLS, which included an expanded Al Lang Stadium. A new site plan was approved for 801 Central, which now includes a 15 and 7-story apartment building and ground-level retail.
Also, a few projects broke ground including Bainbridge 930 Central Flats, and retail along 1st Ave S that will house an Orangetheory Fitness and a yet-to-be-determined restaurant.
Additionally, AER Apartments and The Hermitage Apartment Homes started leasing, which helped to relieve the extremely low apartment occupancy rates that Downtown St. Pete has grown accustomed to over the past few years.
Looking to the future, we should see the groundbreaking of a few notable projects this coming quarter including The Brownstones, 801 Conway, The District on 9th, and the Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement.
Lastly, be sure to check out Downtown St. Pete's first, second, and third quarter development updates of 2016 to see how your favorite projects have progressed!
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St. Petersburg will test a new plant-based approach to managing stormwater as part of a $7 million project coming to one of the city’s most flood-prone areas.
The city will install eight HydroPlanters, which are modular rain gardens designed to slow and filter rain runoff before it enters the city’s stormwater system.
Each rain garden is about five feet long, three feet wide, and two-and-a-half feet deep.
Filled with specially designed soil, grasses, shrubs, and small trees, the boxes will be installed in an L-shaped configuration along a city-owned grassy area near the intersection of 50th Avenue North and 7th Street North.
During heavy rain, water from the street will flow into the planters and filter through the soil and vegetation. It will then drain into the city’s stormwater system and eventually the 54th Avenue Canal.