Done Deals: Poll shows residents oppose Rays deal, Friends of Strays expands campus, Waffle restaurant debuts

Done Deals is a weekly column by St. Pete Rising spotlighting recent real estate market insight and significant deals happening in the Sunshine City and beyond. The following information is sourced from public records and trusted intel.

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The numbers are in: Here's how residents view the Rays stadium deal

THE NEW $1.3 BILLION TAMPA BAY RAYS STADIUM IS SET TO BE THE MOST INTIMATE IN MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL WITH A CAPACITY OF 30,000 | TAMPA BAY RAYS

No Home Run, a private group of business executives challenging the financing plan of Tampa Bay Rays' stadium agreement, have released results of a new poll revealing how residents view the deal.

The group hired leading national polling organization Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy Inc. to conduct the poll, surveying 625 people between May 29th and May 31st.

According to the findings, 75% of those surveyed said they knew about the stadium deal, but 64% said they were "not too" or "not at all" familiar with the project's financial details.

Before learning about the financial details of the project, 51% of respondents supported the Rays/Hines redevelopment concept in general.

A FIRST LOOK AT THE TAMPA BAY RAYS NEW $1.3 BILLION STADIUM FROM THE OUTFIELD | TAMPA BAY RAYS

However, after learning about the financial terms, 54% of the participants opposed the plan, 38% supported it, and 8% were undecided.

See the full results here.

The poll comes as a joint venture team between the Rays and Hines inches closer to executing a development agreement with the City of St. Petersburg to redevelop the 86-acre Historic Gas Plant District in downtown St. Pete and build a new $1.3 billion enclosed ballpark that will anchor the massive $6.5 billion mixed-use district.

The plan calls for the City of St. Petersburg to spend $417.5 million.

That figure includes $287.5 million for the ballpark and $130 million in infrastructure for the redevelopment.

Pinellas County would fund roughly $312.5 million for its share of the ballpark costs.

The Rays have committed to pay $700 million and any cost overruns for the ballpark.

Friends of Strays expands campus

Location of The cat Box, friends of strays new cat adoption center | facebook image

Looking for a furry friend? Friends of Strays will be opening a new upgraded cat adoption center in St. Pete.

The new space, dubbed The Cat Box, located at 3015 46th Avenue North, will be completely separate from the dog adoptions to provide calm, diversified environments for the adoptable felines as they await their new homes.

The Cat Box will open on July 1st and is one street south of the current cat adoption center at 2911 47th Avenue North.

The Cat Box is the first of three phases in what will be known as the Schwartz Family Adoption Campus at Friends of Strays, according to a recent announcement.

Renovations will begin soon on the Milkey Bone Dog House, next door to the Cat Box, in 2025.

Once both adoption buildings are completed, the current shelter building will serve the medical, intake, foster, and TNVR (trap-neuter-vaccinate-return) program needs.

The project will cost $6 million. To date, the rescue has raised nearly $4 million.

The expansion was made possible with a legacy gift from Margie and Phil Schwartz.

The Schwartz were prominent developers who played a major role in developing the John’s Pass boardwalk.

New owner navigates future of The Factory

The Factory, a nine-building arts campus in the warehouse arts district | The factory

The Warehouse Arts District property home to The Factory, a 90,000-square-foot hub for artists, has sold, and the new owner is starting to roll out changes.

Factory Investors of St. Pete LLC recently purchased the property and art destination at 2606 Fairfield Avenue in an $8 million-plus deal from Liz Dimmit and her family.

The buying entity is controlled by Tom and Cory Gaffney, who own storefronts along St. Pete's 600 block.

The purchased parcels are generally located around the 22nd Street corridor situated east of the 6.5-acre, nine-building Factory property.

“Our intentions are to take advantage of the rest of the property that’s basically sort of either vacant or underutilized,” Gaffney said in an interview with the Tampa Bay Times.

“We’re prepared to spend some amount of money to make that all happen. And it’s a long-term thing for me, just like Central Avenue.”

The new ownership group announced the immersive Fairgrounds St. Pete Art Museum, one of several businesses in The Factory, will expand and has been rebranded as FloridaRAMA.

The space will continue to operate and will offer new experiences and events in the future.

Other tenants at The Factory include Daddy Kool Records, Museum of Motherhood, HEIRESS Gallery, the Drew Marc Gallery, Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation, and over 15 artist studios.

Crisp Waffle Company opens in Grand Central District

The crisp waffle’s new storefront at 2414 central avenue | facebook image

A new breakfast spot serving authentic decadent Belgian waffles has debuted in St. Pete's Grand Central District.

Crisp Waffle Company opened its doors at 2414 Central Avenue this week.

The restaurant replaces UBHaven: Dog Training, which continues to operate without a physical storefront.

Crisp Waffle Company, which has an existing location in Sarasota, also serves coffee, smoothies, and açaí bowls.

It is open Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and is closed on Mondays.

Follow Crisp Waffle Company on Facebook and Instagram for the latest menu offerings.

JLL lists over 5 acres in St. Pete's Warehouse Arts District

The 5.05-acre available site in the warehouse arts district abutting the pinellas trail and the interstate | jll

A 5.50-acre site alongside Interstate I-275 in St. Pete's Warehouse Arts District is on the market.

Commercial real estate group JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle) is listing the eight-parcel manufacturing site that abuts the Pinellas Trail and is across from The Factory, a 90,000-square-foot arts complex which recently traded hands.

"The site provides an exclusive location within downtown and is best positioned for a premier multifamily development," JLL Senior Director Joseph Thavis wrote in a LinkedIn post.