Several developments move forward along The Deuces corridor in south St. Pete
/The historic manhattan casino | City of st. petersburg
After years of promises to revive 22nd Street South, the City of St. Pete is finally making progress on projects expected to bring new life back to The Deuces.
From the 1940s through the 1960s, 22nd Street South, from 2nd Avenue to 18th Avenue, was the heart of St. Pete’s Black community, filled with thriving businesses, music clubs, and restaurants.
But after I-275 cut through the area in the mid 1970s, the busy corridor slowly fell into decline.
Now, with a growing pipeline of new developments on the horizon, the Deuces is beginning to show signs of revival.
At a community meeting this week at the Enoch Davis Center, city officials gave updates on several ongoing projects.
construction progress on the deuces rising townhomes as of July 2025 | Dallas 1 Construction and Development
Deuces Rising Townhomes
Construction is underway on the Deuces Rising Townhomes, a 24-unit development located between 6th and 7th Avenue South along 22nd Street.
The townhomes will include twelve 1,780-square-foot three-bedroom units and twelve 1,525-square-foot two-bedroom units.
Homes will be offered for sale and feature two parking spaces as well as front and rear yards.
Buyers must be first-time homeowners earning below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI).
Maurice “Mo” Franklin of Franklin & Associates Realty is marketing the homes, and Tampa-based Horus Construction is serving as general contractor.
In January 2024, City Council approved a $19 million contribution to the project.
The townhomes are expected to be completed by spring 2026.
Rendering of the proposed heritage grove affordable housing community | green mills group
Merriwether Project (Heritage Grove)
In early October, the City selected Green Mills Group to redevelop a vacant 0.68-acre property at 951 22nd Street South, the former site of the historic Merriwether Building, which collapsed during Hurricane Irma in 2017.
The $20 million project, named Heritage Grove, will include 54 affordable apartments ranging from studios to two-bedroom units, along with 2,500 square feet of ground-floor retail.
Apartments will be reserved for households earning 30 to 80% of the AMI, with preference given to residents of the South St. Pete Community Redevelopment Area (CRA).
Construction is expected to begin within 36 months and wrap up by October 2030.
The Historic Manhattan Casino
The City is also bringing the Historic Manhattan Casino at 642 22nd Street South back to life.
Once a major venue for Black musicians and community events, the facility has been vacant since 2022.
Ajax Building Company recently begun a $5 million renovation to reopen the building as a 12,000-square-foot, city-operated event space.
The ground floor will feature a pre-function area, conference room, green room, and catering kitchen. Upstairs, a ballroom will accommodate up to 300 guests.
The mural by local artist Ya La’ford, titled The Kings Dream Unite, by will remain a centerpiece.
The city expects to begin taking event reservations early next year.
The renovation project is expected to be completed by July 2026.
The City plans to issue two new RFPs in the coming months for projects along the Deuces corridor | St. Pete Rising
Upcoming RFPs for New Development
City officials also announced plans to issue two new Requests for Proposals (RFPs) in the coming months.
One will cover the property between the Deuces Rising Townhomes and 22nd Street South, which was originally planned to include 40,000 square feet of space for retail, coworking, and dining before the project stalled due to site contamination and rising costs.
The other RFP will target 5.5 acres that had been reserved for the planned Woodson African American Museum of Florida, which is now expected to relocate to the Historic Gas Plant District. That site will instead be marketed for a mix of commercial uses and affordable housing.
The anchor retail space at Tangerine Plaza has been vacant for eight years. Before that, Walmart Neighborhood Market and Sweetbay Supermarket occupied the space | Google Maps
Tangerine Plaza and Beyond
While not discussed at the meeting, the redevelopment of Tangerine Plaza at 1794 22nd Street South is another significant project in the works along The Deuces.
In 2024, City Council approved a lease with the Sugar Hill Group to turn the 3.6-acre, city-owned site into a new $70.1 million mixed-use project featuring 186 income-restricted apartments and 10,000 square feet of commercial space, including a grocery store.
Sugar Hill has until January 2nd, 2026, to secure financing, contractors, and a grocer.
Construction is expected to take 18–20 months once underway.
Nearby, Habitat for Humanity of Tampa Bay Gulfside is developing Pelican Place, a 40-unit affordable townhome community at 2100 18th Avenue South.
