Downtown St. Pete Development Update - Second Quarter 2017
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This quarter was packed full of groundbreakings! After over a decade of planning, construction has finally commenced on the new St. Pete pier. Construction crews have started driving piles into Tampa Bay to support the over-water portion of the pier. It will take 6 months to complete the pile driving process, however construction on the pier deck is scheduled to begin as early as October.
In other groundbreaking news, located on Fourth Avenue North between Third and Fourth streets, the Museum of the American Arts of Crafts Movement site was fenced off this quarter for site preparation. The $70 million privately funded museum will occupy 137,000 square feet and stand 5 stories tall. The museum will include a 100-seat auditorium, a resource library, a children's education center, a 300-seat upscale restaurant, a cafe, retail store and event space. The expected opening date is May 2019.
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In late January, pottery artist Beth Miranda woke up before sunrise to a devastating call from her business partner, Ethan Fielder.
Their community studio, St. Pete Ceramics, was engulfed in flames.
The fire tore through much of the interior, including walls, shelving, tables, stools, and other equipment. Two rabbits that lived at the studio also died.
Miranda arrived at the studio, which is located at 593 22nd Street South in the Warehouse Arts District, around 5:15 a.m. after calling her husband in Philadelphia and taking a moment to process what she had just learned.
“I got here and dealt with everything. Then I sent a text to friends in the local clay community and said, ‘Guys, I just need prayer. This is happening,’” Miranda said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising.
Fellow artists arrived with bagels, coffee, pizza, gloves, and a willingness to help however they could. Within roughly 36 hours, volunteers had helped empty and clean out the fire-damaged studio.