St. Pete reaches preliminary deal to buy CSX rail line running through downtown St. Pete
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A years-long effort to bring a key stretch of the CSX rail corridor in downtown St. Pete into public ownership, including the segment that cuts directly through Ferg’s Sports Bar & Grill, is finally moving forward.
According to an October 15th email from St. Pete Transportation and Parking Management Director Evan Mory, CSX Transportation has accepted a conditional offer from the City of St. Petersburg to acquire nearly a mile of rail right-of-way stretching from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street along 1st Avenue South to 5th Avenue North.
The city plans to create a trail linking the Historic Gas Plant District redevelopment and the Pinellas Trail up to 5th Avenue North, with the longer-term goal of extending it to Booker Creek Park in North Kenwood.
The purchase is expected to cost $7 million, with $1 million coming from the City of St. Pete, $4 million from Mark Ferguson of Ferg’s Sports Bar, and $2 million from Ellison Development.
The offer cannot move forward without City Council approval, which is expected within the next 30 days.
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A new spot for açaí bowls, poke, and coffee is coming to Treasure Island this fall.
Kaia Bowls will open in October at 111 107th Avenue, Unit A, in the same plaza as Gigi’s Italian Restaurant and Lana’s Lounge. The space was previously occupied by Vine and Grind, which relocated to 7230 Central Avenue and rebranded as Brick Road Olive Oil Company.
The 1,300-square-foot café will be Kaia Bowls’ seventh Tampa Bay location, joining existing shops in downtown St. Pete, Clearwater, Clearwater Beach, Madeira Beach, Safety Harbor and Ybor City. The company also operates one location in Illinois, with additional outposts planned for Gainesville and Miami.
Kaia Bowls offers sweet and savory bowls made with health-conscious ingredients. Its savory menu includes poke bowls with tuna, salmon, shrimp, chicken, or tofu, along with toppings such as avocado, rice, edamame, cucumbers, and seaweed salad.
Sweet selections include açaí, pitaya, chia pudding, coconut, and oatmeal bowls topped with fruit, granola, almonds, honey, peanut butter, coconut flakes, hemp seeds, and raw cacao nibs.
The menu also includes avocado toast, juices, and smoothies.