Plans to transform a portion of a YMCA property in St. Pete’s Grand Central District into a pedestrian-only retail village and residential complex are one step closer to reality.

During Wednesday’s Development Review Commission meeting, commissioners approved the plan for Whitney Village, a proposed mixed-use development that is expected to rise on a portion of the Jim & Heather Gills YMCA campus at 3200 1st Avenue South.

St. Pete investor Blake Whitney Thompson of BLAKE Investment Partners, selected by the YMCA in early 2023 to redevelop the property, and multifamily developer Greystar Real Estate Partners submitted plans to build 380 apartments and 32,000 square feet of retail to the east of the existing YMCA facility.

The 54,586-square-foot YMCA recreational center on the western portion of the property would undergo a renovation, funded by proceeds from the sale of 4.5 acres, and the athletic fields and parking on the east side of the property will be relocated to make way for the new multi-family and retail buildings.

As part of the YMCA’s plans, a lighted, artificial turf field will be installed fronting 1st Avenue South.

The development calls for a five-story, 330-unit apartment building called The Bellamy, a six-story, 600-space parking garage, and multiple one- and three-story retail buildings with 50 smaller apartments above the retail.

The units will have an attainable price point and are designed to help provide housing to local employees like the Jim & Heather Gills YMCA staff.

"This [YMCA] is a great neighbor. They do great work in St. Pete and this allows them to do more for the community. We get a lot of good housing out of it and commercial that I think will spread throughout that area as well," Commissioner Michael Kiernan said.

The consensus is the project will be a "win-win" and will help uplift the neighborhood; However, Kiernan and Commissioner Chuck Flynt raised concerns about vehicular access to the property.

"It's a tight site when you look at it, but it's mitigated by these single and lower-story buildings there and there's a unique setup between the two driveways," Flynt said.

Among the 17 conditions of approval Greystar must meet, including certain requirements for connected sidewalks, landscaping, and lighting, the commissioners added another condition to keep the northern driveway off of 1st Avenue South and the driveway off of 31st Street South will remain open 24 hours seven days a week except when hosting special events.

Commissioners also unanimously approved a vacation of two partial rights-of-way on the north side of 3rd Avenue South. 

The property is in the Corridor Commercial Suburban-1 (CCS-1) zoning district and an activity center, allowing for a residential density of 60 units per acre.

The zoning requires a 20-foot building setback. Greystar requested and was approved for a variance for a zero setback for the new mixed-use and residential buildings.

Blake and Greystar are working with Tim Clemmons of St. Pete-based Place Architecture and engineering firm George F. Young Inc. on the proposed project.

Local firm Wannemacher Jensen Architects was hired to design the YMCA’s portion of the planned redevelopment.

Construction is expected to commence in early 2025 with a completion date slated for mid-2026. 

Both BLAKE Investment and Greystar have a significant presence in St. Pete.

BLAKE’s portfolio includes real estate development, private equity investments as well as Seed & Feed Hospitality, a local hospitality group that owns a handful of popular St. Pete restaurants and bars such as Mandarin Hide, Trophy Fish, El Cap, and the upcoming Perry’s Porch.

South Carolina-based Greystar developed Ascent St. Pete, a 36-story luxury apartment tower, and recently completed Marlowe Gateway, a 412-unit mixed-income apartment project in the Gateway area of St. Pete.