Mayor Welch extends proposal deadline for 86-acre Historic Gas Plant redevelopment in downtown St. Pete

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Mayor Welch extends proposal deadline for 86-acre Historic Gas Plant redevelopment in downtown St. Pete

Starting in the new year, the City of St. Pete will officially restart the clock for developers to submit proposals to redevelop the 86-acre Historic Gas Plant District in downtown St. Pete, marking the third time the city has sought bids for the site since 2020.

Mayor Ken Welch had initially planned to open a 30-day submission window in mid-November, but after receiving pushback from major developers, including Kolter Urban and Red Apple Group, as well as concerns from City Council, Welch agreed to delay the start until January 4th, 2026.

Proposals will now be due February 3rd, giving developers a total of 105 days since the city’s October 21st announcement.

The latest bid solicitation was triggered when the city received an unsolicited $6.8 billion proposal from Casey Ellison of Ellison Companies, Cathie Wood of ARK Invest, and Jonathan Graham of Horus Construction.

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City revives $148 million plan to modernize downtown St. Pete marina

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City revives $148 million plan to modernize downtown St. Pete marina

The City of St. Pete is once again seeking a contractor to repair and redevelop the aging St. Petersburg Municipal Marina along the downtown waterfront.

Through a new Request for Qualifications (RFQ), the city is soliciting experienced design-build firms to oversee a modernization of the 640-slip facility.

The RFQ comes just months after the city terminated negotiations with Safe Harbor Marinas, which had been selected in late 2023 to lead the project.

The new plan represents a major shift in approach with the city will now retaining full ownership and control of the marina, rather than leasing the marina to a private operator.

The City has established a $148 million construction budget for planning and delivering the project.

According to the RFQ, the selected group will manage the design and construction of a 100% floating dock system, as well as a new ship store, new bathhouses, administrative offices, dock houses, maintenance facilities, fueling facilities, seawalls, utilities, and a bridge connecting Demens Landing.

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400 Central developer asks Mayor Welch for more time to bid on Historic Gas Plant site

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400 Central developer asks Mayor Welch for more time to bid on Historic Gas Plant site

Red Apple Real Estate, the New York–based development firm behind the 46-story Residences at 400 Central in downtown St. Petersburg, has expressed interest in redeveloping the 86-acre Historic Gas Plant District. But only if the city allows more time for proposals.

In a letter sent November 7th to Mayor Ken Welch and City Council, Red Apple CEO John Catsimatidis urged the city to extend its planned 30-day window for alternative submissions related to the site.

Earlier this month, Mayor Welch announced that he would open a brief period in mid-November for developers to submit competing proposals after the city received an unsolicited $6.8 billion plan led by Casey Ellison of Ellison Companies, Cathie Wood of ARK Invest, and Jonathan Graham of Horus Construction.

“Red Apple Real Estate is well-positioned to transform the 86 acres into what I call a ‘wow’ development,” Catsimatidis wrote, adding that his firm has the “knowledge, expertise, and relationships” to create market-rate and affordable housing, along with amenities that enhance quality of life and create jobs.

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Intimate fragrance boutique Super Memory to bring niche and indie scents to downtown St. Pete

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Intimate fragrance boutique Super Memory to bring niche and indie scents to downtown St. Pete

A whiff of autumn air, the pages of an old book, a hint of amber and leather. Each scent tells a story.

Soon, downtown St. Pete will have a new place to explore those stories when Super Memory, an intimate fragrance boutique, debuts on Saturday, November 22nd.

The brainchild of Merryck Walker, Super Memory will open at 600 1st Avenue North, Suite 103, in a space once part of the Reflection condo sales center.

Inside the shop, visitors can sit at a four-seat fragrance bar, choose a flight of scents to test, and experience more than 60 varieties of niche and indie fragrances, many of which are unavailable anywhere else in the Tampa Bay region.

A record player spinning vinyl will add to the shop’s immersive atmosphere.

“Mostly every scent we will carry will be unisex,” she said. “But the variety ensures there’s something for everyone.”

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First look at conceptual designs for St. Petersburg Yacht Club’s future in downtown St. Pete

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First look at conceptual designs for St. Petersburg Yacht Club’s future in downtown St. Pete

The St. Petersburg Yacht Club, one of the city’s oldest and most storied institutions, is taking the next step in a multi-year effort to determine the future of its downtown clubhouse.

At a town hall meeting on September 2nd, members were shown new conceptual designs that visualize how a rebuilt club might look.

The renderings, created by West Palm Beach–based Spina O’Rourke + Partners, show a three-story building overlooking the downtown waterfront at 11 Central Avenue, where the club has resided since 1917.

The existing Spanish Mission-style building, designed by architect George W. Stewart, has undergone numerous renovations since opening in 1917, most recently in 1989.

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Side Splitters Comedy Club bringing 250-seat venue to downtown St. Pete

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Side Splitters Comedy Club bringing 250-seat venue to downtown St. Pete

Side Splitters Comedy Club, one of Tampa’s longest running comedy clubs, is expanding to downtown St. Pete with a new modern club at the Sundial shopping center.

After more than 30 years of drawing nationally-touring headliners, as well as local talent and an award-winning open mic, to its original Carrollwood location, Side Splitters has signed a lease to open a 250-seat venue on the second level of the shopping and entertainment center located at 153 2nd Avenue North.

The 5,600-square-foot space, formerly part of FarmTable Cucina, which closed at the end of 2019, will be custom-built from the ground up and is expected to debut by summer 2026.

“The Tampa club was built in 1992, and we had to work with the layout of that building. This will be built from scratch. Although it will be similar, it will take on its own personality,” Side Splitters Owner Brian Thompson said in an interview with St. Pete Rising.

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23-story Gallery Haus apartment tower set to break ground near Tropicana Field in downtown St. Pete

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23-story Gallery Haus apartment tower set to break ground near Tropicana Field in downtown St. Pete

A team of Miami-based developers is preparing to bring a new wave of residential living to downtown St. Pete.

LD&D, in partnership with IGEQ and Black Salmon, has finalized plans for Gallery Haus, a 23-story, $115 million apartment tower that will rise at 155 17th Street South, directly across from Tropicana Field and along the Pinellas Trail.

The development will contain 254 apartments, more than 10,000 square feet of amenities, and 7,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space.

LD&D purchased the 0.77-acre site from Apogee Real Estate Partners in late 2023 for just over $9 million. Apogee had previously secured site plan approval for a similar tower with 204 units in 2022.

Gallery Haus is an expansion of LD&D’s “Haus” portfolio, which includes Wynwood Haus in Miami’s Wynwood Arts District and Williamsburg Haus in Brooklyn.

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New 52,000-square-foot expansion proposed for St. Pete’s Maritime and Defense Technology Hub

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New 52,000-square-foot expansion proposed for St. Pete’s Maritime and Defense Technology Hub

More marine-based startups and private defense firms may soon find a new home along St. Pete’s waterfront.

City and business leaders are spearheading an effort to expand the Maritime and Defense Technology Hub, known locally as The Hub, which opened in 2022 at 450 8th Avenue SE in a city-owned building at the Port of St. Petersburg, just south of Albert Whitted Airport.

The Hub has quickly become a cornerstone for marine science, defense, and technology innovation, now fully occupied by companies such as Saildrone, which deploys autonomous ocean vehicles from St. Pete to map and monitor Florida’s coastal waters, and Pole Star Defense, which uses maritime intelligence technology to track and prevent threats at sea.

Plans for a second facility, dubbed Hub 2.0, call for developing the surface parking lot directly west of the current Hub into a 52,000-square-foot research and collaboration center.

The expansion would provide a home for additional startups, government partners, and academic institutions focused on marine technology, coastal resiliency, and defense innovation.

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Melt n Dip dessert lounge coming to former Rollbotto space in downtown St. Pete

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Melt n Dip dessert lounge coming to former Rollbotto space in downtown St. Pete

A new dessert café is on its way to downtown St. Pete.

Melt n Dip, a dessert chain known for waffles, crepes, and gelato, plans to open at 221 1st Street North at Plaza Tower near Sundial and Beach Drive.

The new shop will occupy a 2,300-square-foot space that previously housed Rollbotto, a sushi restaurant that opened in 2012, closed in May 2024 after more than a decade in business.

Harrison Gault and Jay Billings of Commercial Partners Realty represented the tenant, while Kevin Yeager, also of Commercial Partners Realty, represented the landlord.

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Seven-story affordable apartment building for seniors proposed for city-owned lot in downtown St. Pete

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Seven-story affordable apartment building for seniors proposed for city-owned lot in downtown St. Pete

The City of St. Pete has received another offer to redevelop part of the Historic Gas Plant District in downtown St. Pete.

The Pinellas County Housing Authority (PCHA) has submitted an unsolicited proposal to purchase and redevelop a city-owned parking lot at 1659 3rd Avenue South into an 80-unit affordable housing building for seniors.

In 2023, the Rays and Hines submitted a nearly identical proposal for the same site.

The property, which sits adjacent to the recently completed Modera St. Petersburg apartment tower, has been historically used as parking for Tampa Bay Rays games.

In an October 8th offer letter to the city, PCHA Executive Director Neil Brickfield detailed plans for a seven-story building designed by St. Pete-based Storyn Studio for Architecture in partnership with local developer Ascension Real Estate Partners.

The proposal calls for the City to convey the land to PCHA so it can utilize the Affordable Housing Voucher Program to ensure long-term affordability.

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