Battered Twin City mobile home park near Derby Lane may be redeveloped into apartments

/
Battered Twin City mobile home park near Derby Lane may be redeveloped into apartments

A flood-prone mobile home park next to Derby Lane that was devastated by last year’s hurricanes could soon be redeveloped into a new apartment community.

Illinois-based Lakeshore Management, the property owner, is seeking a land use map amendment and rezoning for the 8.94-acre Twin City Mobile Home Park at 10636 Gandy Boulevard North to permit multifamily residential development.

Located near the Gandy Bridge and sitting at zero elevation within the Coastal High Hazard Area, many of the hurricane-damaged homes were deemed uninhabitable following the storms. The Pinellas County Housing Authority and other agencies have since helped residents relocate.

Read More

St. Pete prepares to sell former Science Center with support from City Council and community

/
St. Pete prepares to sell former Science Center with support from City Council and community

The once-cherished Science Center in west St. Pete, attracting more than 20,000 students each year from 1959 through 2014, is on the verge of a major comeback.

At the end of September, St. Petersburg City Council voted unanimously to move forward with selling the Science Center property at 7701 22nd Avenue North to St. Pete for STEAM, a local team led by The St. Petersburg Group (SPG).

The group made an unsolicited offer to buy the property in 2023 and now plans to acquire the four-acre site for $1.6 million, transforming it into a modern hub for science, technology, and entrepreneurship.

Mayor Ken Welch, who had recently reconsidered the sale in favor of using the site for an expansion of the city’s wastewater facilities, now supports the sale again and has directed his staff to identify alternative locations for expanding the Northwest Water Reclamation Plant.

“I appreciate that the Council expressed willingness to support higher-cost options, including the potential relocation of the brush site, in order to advance the Science Center redevelopment,” Welch wrote in a letter to City Council.

“I believed that the project could have gone forward on another non-city parcel, while still utilizing the federal and state support promised over the years,” Welch continued.

Read More

It’s official: The Tampa Bay Rays have been sold to Jacksonville billionaire

/
It’s official: The Tampa Bay Rays have been sold to Jacksonville billionaire

It’s official. The Tampa Bay Rays have been sold.

An ownership group led by 44-year-old billionaire Patrick Zalupski, CEO of Jacksonville-based Dream Finders Homes, has finalized the $1.7 billion purchase of the Major League Baseball franchise from longtime owner Stu Sternberg.

The transaction closed Tuesday following unanimous MLB approval last week.

“It’s an incredible honor to become the stewards of the Tampa Bay Rays, a franchise with a proud history and a bright future,” said Zalupski in a statement. “We are especially privileged to have been chosen by Stu Sternberg as his successors, and we’re all energized by the responsibility to serve Rays fans everywhere and this great game.

Commissioner Rob Manfred added, “Major League Baseball is pleased to welcome Patrick and his partners to the ownership ranks. Their collective experience and passion for the game will serve the Rays well as they enter this exciting new chapter."

Read More

Gulfport favorites Neptune Grill and Let It Be Ice Cream reopen after hurricane damage

/
Gulfport favorites Neptune Grill and Let It Be Ice Cream reopen after hurricane damage

Nearly a year after Hurricane Helene devastated Gulfport’s waterfront, two beloved businesses have reopened their doors.

Neptune Grill and Let It Be Ice Cream were among the hardest hit when storm surge and historic flooding left the district in ruins. Today, they are once again welcoming customers.

When the storm swept through Tampa Bay last September, Neptune Grill, a family-run seafood and Greek restaurant, took on more than four feet of water.

For co-owner Dia Vartsakis, who operates the restaurant alongside her father, Gus, the extent of the damage was overwhelming.

“I remember returning to the restaurant after the storm and turning the corner to find everything damaged. We found our food blocks down the street,” Vartsakis said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising.

Read More

Sandalwood Beach Resort in North Redington Beach to be redeveloped into six-story condo-hotel

/
Sandalwood Beach Resort in North Redington Beach to be redeveloped into six-story condo-hotel

The Sandalwood Beach Resort in North Redington Beach will be redeveloped into a six-story “condo-hotel” with larger waterfront rooms and amenities open to the public.

Earlier this year, Nored Beach Development, led by local real estate developer and hotelier Bill Karns in partnership with Century 21 broker Jeffery Beggins, purchased the resort at 17100 Gulf Boulevard for $6 million. The seller is a partner in the new development. 

“The Sandalwood was built in 1959 and was rundown. The foundation sank seven inches during last year’s hurricanes. The previous owners spent a lot of time and money to raise the structure and redo the guest rooms,” said Karns, noting the impacts of Hurricane Helene and Milton on the property. “Because of damage from the storms, the cost of renovating the existing structure doesn’t make sense.”

The three-story resort, closed since the hurricane, has 47 fully furnished units, a pool, and private beach access. Karns said the new plan calls for demolishing the building and replacing it with the same number units, although they will be larger units designed so each has a view of the beach.

Read More

Three-story apartment community proposed for southern tip of Pass-a-Grille in St. Pete Beach

/
Three-story apartment community proposed for southern tip of Pass-a-Grille in St. Pete Beach

A hurricane-damaged apartment complex on the southern tip of Pass-A-Grille could soon be redeveloped into a new eight-unit residential community called Barracks by the Sea.

Located at 100 Pass-A-Grille Way in St. Pete Beach, the 0.28-acre property is owned by Barracks by the Sea LLC, who purchased the site in 2021 for $2.25 million.

The property sits directly across from the Intracoastal Waterway and currently consists of three residential buildings, two of which were originally constructed in the early 1940s as army barracks and later converted to permanent residences.

Read More

St. Pete officially ends Rays redevelopment deal, approve Tropicana Field repairs

/
St. Pete officially ends Rays redevelopment deal, approve Tropicana Field repairs

One year after entering into a $6.5 billion redevelopment deal with the Tampa Bay Rays and national developer Hines, St. Pete City Council unanimously voted on Thursday to terminate the agreement.

The deal would have allowed the 86-acre Historic Gas Plant District be to redeveloped into a new mixed-use neighborhood with nearly 8 million square feet of space, including a $1.3 billion baseball stadium.

City Council’s vote was largely procedural, as the Rays and Hines had announced in March that they were withdrawing from the deal after missing key project milestones.

Mayor Ken Welch, who was a strong supporter of the project, addressed the termination in a statement following the vote.

“While the Rays’ decision is terribly disappointing, our mission was to adapt and refocus on our primary objective – the progress of our city,” said Welch. “And part of that mission is accomplished by today’s City Council vote.”

Read More

Treasure Island’s iconic Thunderbird Beach Resort could be rebuilt bigger than before

/
Treasure Island’s iconic Thunderbird Beach Resort could be rebuilt bigger than before

After suffering major hurricane damage last year, Treasure Island’s iconic Thunderbird Beach Resort will be completely demolished and rebuilt, potentially larger than before, while preserving its nostalgic charm.

The city’s Planning and Zoning Board unanimously approved a site plan last Thursday for a new four-story resort that will replace the 68-year-old property at 10700 Gulf Boulevard.

As first reported by St. Pete Rising, the rebuild calls for one single U-shaped building to house all 106 hotel rooms—the same number as before—on three levels above a 124-space surface parking lot beneath the structure, along with a 1,750-square-foot lobby and office space.

The resort’s appearance is expected to change significantly, but the Thunderbird name and its historic neon sign will remain.

Read More

The Tavern at Bayboro and The Campus Grind work to rebuild and reopen on USF St. Petersburg campus

/
The Tavern at Bayboro and The Campus Grind work to rebuild and reopen on USF St. Petersburg campus

Located less than a block from the Bayboro Harbor, storm surge from Hurricane Helene flooded family-run establishments The Tavern at Bayboro and The Campus Grind when it made landfall in late September as a Category 4 storm in the Big Bend region of the Florida panhandle.

"We had over three feet of storm surge come through both restaurants. We lost our walk-in cooler that's structurally part of the building," Dennis Bixler said to St. Pete Rising.

Dennis and his wife Stephanie own the local live-music pub and restaurant at 120 6th Avenue South on the University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus.

Read More

The Aftermath: Resources to help rebuild Tampa Bay after Hurricane Helene

/
The Aftermath: Resources to help rebuild Tampa Bay after Hurricane Helene

As Helene barreled through Florida making landfall as a Category 4 hurricane Thursday evening in the Big Bend region, it brought a sweeping storm surge to Tampa Bay, turning roads into rivers, causing catastrophic flooding, and leaving thousands without power. Helene has been called the worst storm in a century for the Tampa Bay region. 

In the aftermath of the storm, local governments have initiated recovery efforts.

The surrounding cities and counties are deploying as many resources and supplies as possible. Likewise, local businesses and volunteer groups are doing the same - whether it's donating essential items or providing a temporary shelter.

Here are the resources you should know about and what you can do to lend a helping hand.

Read More