The long-dormant Tangerine Plaza in south St. Petersburg may be redeveloped into an affordable housing community or culinary arts center - becoming a true economic asset in the Deuces community.

St. Petersburg-based real estate firm Stoneweg US, the same company redeveloping the Coquina Key Plaza, and faith-based nonprofit group Positive Impact Ministries have submitted bids to the city, vying to purchase and revitalize the retail center at 1794 22nd Street South, which has a few active tenants.

The retail center was formerly anchored by a Sweetbay Supermarket and then a Walmart Neighborhood Market. Since Walmart closed its doors in 2017, the 40,000-square-foot grocery space has remained vacant. 

Stoneweg is offering the city $1.5 million for Tangerine Plaza, promising to build 100 to 120 income-restricted apartments for families earning 30% to 80% of the area median income (AMI) and 10,000 square feet of retail space, according to documents submitted to City Development Administrator James Corbett. 

The residential amenities in the proposed buildings would include a community room, splash zone, dog park, and electric vehicle charging stations. Other amenities will be limited to reduce costs.

"Limiting amenities such as balconies, a swimming pool, a fitness center, and elevators will decrease the development costs," Stoneweg's proposal read. 

"We are also currently exploring reduced-cost housing technologies such as modular construction to reduce overall construction costs, increase efficiencies, ensure sustainability, and reduce time to completion." 

The housing would be among the latest for the area as Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas and West Pasco County is constructing 64 affordable townhomes near the plaza.

Although Stoneweg plans to bring new affordable housing, the development team said there may be challenges in securing a grocer. The developer has faced a similar uphill battle with finding a grocer for their redevelopment of Coquina Key Plaza. 

“We have identified the grocery requirements as the potential barrier to successfully developing this parcel. From our experience with the development of Coquina Key, securing a viable, operating grocery is unlikely," the team wrote, suggesting a collaborative effort with the city to seek grants and other funding sources for "innovative approaches." 

However, Stoneweg highlighted its partnership with the nonprofit Florida Food Policy Council, which currently hosts pop-up markets in south St. Pete. 

They said it could be the "first step in utilizing the grocery portion of the retail center," noting potential food hall and culinary incubator concepts. 

Stoneweg would also ask the city to consider reduced parking requirements, allowing the group to better utilize the developable property. 

Additionally, Stoneweg would promote the use of various transportation options with the nearby bus stop and potential micro-mobility alternatives, which could be offered through a community-owned bike and car-share program. 

If the city moves forward with Stoneweg, the group intends to fund the project with state and local grants and tap into below-market financing.

Stoneweg is also wrapping up construction on the mixed-income Lake Maggiore Apartments at 825 32nd Avenue South, which includes 66 workforce housing units catering to households making between 80% and 120% of Area Median Income (AMI). 

While this is Stoneweg's first attempt at acquiring Tangerine Plaza, Positive Impact Ministry previously pursued the plaza in 2020 and 2022. Their new offer is $1.75 million to convert the property into a membership-based neighborhood market and pharmacy. 

The food will be donated and made available to the public at no cost. 

There would also be a culinary arts center to provide nutrition classes and on-the-job training for aspiring chefs, a family cafe for residents to enjoy hot meals, and a banquet hall with meeting spaces. 

Stoneweg and Positive Impact Ministry are just the latest unsolicited bids to be submitted for Tangerine Plaza in recent years.

The first group seeking to acquire the plaza was the Sugar Hill Group, which submitted a bid in 2020. The contract negotiations and development terms never came to fruition. 

The team, led by partners Louis Murphy, Roy Binger, and New Urban Development, submitted an updated proposal in 2022, offering the city $1.5 million for a 75-year ground lease. 

They proposed to demolish the grocery space, while still providing 10,000 square feet to a future grocer, and build 155 affordable housing units. 

Former City Councilman Robert Blackmon also made an unsolicited offer in 2023 to buy the property in an all-cash $1.625 million deal to reactivate the plaza with a grocery store and retail. 

As of last year, city officials continuously stated they were close to entering a formal contract with Sugar Hill due to the promise of bringing affordable housing; however, the deal has yet to materialize. 

It’s not known whether the city intends to review any of the unsolicited offers. 

If the city intends on moving forward with any of the proposals, according to Florida Statutes, they must invite additional alternative proposals from private developers, or anyone interested in the lease or purchase of the site. 

In that case, the city would set a timeline to receive alternate proposals and decide whether to move forward once all proposals have been reviewed.