City of St. Petersburg looks to redevelop site on 22nd Street South in The Deuces
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The property was previously home to The merriwether building, which collapsed after hurricane irma in 2017. The lot is currently vacant. | Google EARTH
A South St. Pete property, once home to the historic cultural landmark, may soon be redeveloped.
The City of St. Petersburg has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for developers interested in redeveloping three vacant parcels at 951 22nd Street South.
The city is aiming to have the parcel transformed into a mixed-use project encompassing affordable housing, retail, event space, and/or a restaurant.
The site IS LOCATED at 951 22nd Street South | Google EARTH
The property is in The Deuces area located near the Warehouse Arts District along the 22nd Street South corridor that city officials have long planned to revitalize with equitable development.
The site once housed the historic Merriwether Building, which supported and housed African American and Jewish entrepreneurs when racial and social restrictions were practiced.
It also served as a hotel for black entertainers and baseball players.
However, in September 2017, Hurricane Irma caused the 1925 building to collapse. The remnants of the building were then demolished and removed. The site has since been vacant.
The city, which has owned the 0.68-acre land since 2023, released a Request for Proposals (RFP) on August 13th, seeking proposals from developers that would "honor the community's heritage and inspire equitable partnerships among small, minority, and women-owned businesses" through a private-public collaboration.
The merriwether building’s collapse after hurricane irma’s wrath in 2017 | tampa bay times
The property has an appraised market value of $885,000 and is zoned Corridor Commercial Traditional-1 (CCT-1). The current future land use designation is for Planned Redevelopment - Mixed Use (PR-MU).
The property is located south of another public-private development. At 22nd Street South and 7th Avenue South, the city is constructing 26 affordable two-story townhomes and commercial development on 2.75 acres with the Sankofa group and Horus Construction.
Adjacent to the Sankofa site is the Manhattan Casino. Built in 1925 and historically known as the Jordan Dance Hall, the Casino initially served as the community dance hall, and in recent years, was converted into a food hall and event space before permanently closing in 2022.
The venue is undergoing extensive renovations and is expected to reopen as a restaurant and event venue in 2026, according to the city.
The 22nd Street corridor is expected to undergo Complete Streets treatments in the coming years and follows additional investment from the city and county, including the opening of the Deuces Park at 22nd Street South and 9th Avenue South in 2023.
The existing conditions of the property at 951 22nd Street South | Google Streetview
Developers interested in the 951 22nd Street South property must submit any questions by September 20th and submit proposals by October 11th at 10 a.m.
The proposed development must be consistent with the historic uses of the 22nd Street South Corridor and maximize the intensity and density allowed by land development regulations.
The qualified proposals will be presented to Mayor Ken Welch.
Once a proposal is selected by city administration, the development agreement will go before City Council for approval, at which point the public will have an opportunity to weigh-in.
