Seven-story Frontier building set for major transformation in downtown St. Pete
/The frontier office building in downtown st. pete | loopnet
After sitting underutilized for years, the windowless Frontier building at 821 1st Avenue North is finally set to see new life.
Plans have been filed with the City of St. Petersburg to redevelop the seven-story, 233,590-square-foot office and data center, which is partially leased by Frontier Communications. The proposed redevelopment includes 41,333 square feet of ground-floor retail space, 137,663 square feet of self-storage, and 54,594 square feet of office space.
Originally constructed in 1928 by the General Telephone Company of Florida, the building was expanded in 1967 and 1970. It remains a key part of St. Petersburg's internet infrastructure, housing extensive fiber optic cable, switch rooms, frame rooms, and generators as large as jet engines.
Nearly the entire ground floor will be converted into retail spaces ranging from 1,550 to 3,900 square feet. These spaces will front all four sides of the building: 1st Avenue North, Dr. MLK Jr. Street North, Arlington Avenue, and 8th Street North.
The upper floors will include existing office space for Frontier Communications and new self-storage units.
First Avenue North LLC, an entity affiliated with New Jersey-based Avalair Group LLC, purchased the Frontier building and an adjacent surface parking lot in 2021 for $13,445,400.
The following year, New York-based Abacus Capital Group acquired the surface lot for $10.75 million. In 2024, a 21-story, 292-unit apartment tower with 373 parking spaces was approved for the site.
a rendering of the previously approved 21-STORY, 292-unit RESIDENTIAL BUILDING that would be developed next to the frontier office building | ABACUS CAPITAL GROUP
To meet parking requirements for the Frontier redevelopment, the building's owners have entered into a shared parking agreement with the owners of the surface lot. This agreement allows the new apartment tower’s parking facilities to support both the residential units and the uses proposed in the Frontier building.
The unified site plan also includes 913 1st Avenue North, the current location of the EDGE Animal Hospital. While the veterinary clinic will remain unchanged, its inclusion in the plan allows the overall project to qualify for increased density.
The redevelopment is undergoing the city’s streamlined review process and is expected to receive approval by mid-May.
The project’s legal representation is led by Katie Cole of Hill Ward Henderson. The development team also includes Tampa-based C&K Architects and St. Petersburg-based engineering firm George F. Young.
