Central Avenue makeover would prioritize pedestrians over parking in downtown St. Pete
/Streetscape improvements in front of the newly completed 42-story Art House condo tower in downtown St. Pete | St. Pete Rising
One of downtown St. Petersburg’s busiest nightlife blocks could soon look very different, with fewer cars and more room for people.
The St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership, working with planning and design firm Kimley-Horn, has unveiled a new streetscape concept for the 200 block of Central Avenue, home to popular nightlife spots like The Mandarin Hide and Mastry’s, as well as the 200 Central office tower and the newly completed Art House condo tower.
The idea is to trade curbside parking for wider sidewalks, outdoor seating, and a more pedestrian-friendly feel.
While much of the plan remains conceptual, part of it is already in place.
The first phase of the streetscape project was implemented during construction of the 42-story Art House condo tower, offering a preview of what the rest of the block could become.
Jason Mathis, CEO of the Downtown Partnership, said the vision was inspired by a recent visit to Stone Street in New York City’s Financial District, where a narrow historic street has been transformed into a lively, pedestrian-focused destination with outdoor dining and limited vehicle access.
“This is an iconic and historic block in our downtown—one of the places that helps define who we are,” Mathis said. “By enhancing the pedestrian experience, we can make it more walkable and create a better environment for business.”
As part of the first phase, seven angled on-street parking spaces were removed and replaced with a 10-foot-wide sidewalk featuring specialty paving, a 5-foot landscaped buffer between the sidewalk and roadway, new shade trees and specimen palms, and upgraded acorn street lights.
Rendering of proposed sidewalk seating and streetscape improvements on the 200 block of Central Avenue, including a 10-foot sidewalk and 5-foot landscaped buffer | Kimley-Horn
The improvements also allow for additional outdoor seating for the 4,936 square feet of ground-floor retail at Art House.
The broader vision would extend these improvements east toward 2nd Street on both sides of Central Avenue.
In total, about 35 on-street parking spaces would be removed.
The plan also includes traffic-calming features like a mid-block crosswalk, an elevated speed table, and upgraded crosswalks at both the 2nd and 3rd Street intersections.
Funding for the project is expected to come from a mix of private fundraising by property owners and contributions from the City of St. Petersburg and the Intown Community Redevelopment Area.
While there’s no timeline yet for phases two and three, the completed Art House streetscape offers a glimpse of how this stretch of Central Avenue could continue to evolve as part of a broader shift toward streets designed for people, not just cars.
A rendering of the proposed mid-block crosswalk between 2nd and 3rd streets in downtown St. Pete | Kimley-Horn
