City plans $51 million expansion of Enoch D. Davis Center and Johnson Library in south St. Pete
/The City of St. Petersburg is preparing to embark on a $51 million project to reimagine the Enoch D. Davis Center and James Weldon Johnson Community Library in south St. Pete.
The city is seeking a qualified construction manager to oversee the creation of a new 53,000-square-foot shared facility at 1111 18th Avenue South.
The request for qualifications (RFQ) was advertised on August 18, with proposals due by September 25.
The 18,000-square-foot Enoch D. Davis Center, opened in 1981, currently offers human services, multipurpose halls, a fitness center, and other amenities.
Next door, the 14,000-square-foot James Weldon Johnson Community Library provides study and reading areas, a makerspace with tech equipment, and upgraded computer programs. Originally housed within the Davis Center, the library relocated to its current site in 2002.
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Traditional Yemeni coffee is coming to downtown St. Pete.
Mocha Bay is expected to open before Thanksgiving at 401 1st Avenue North, on the ground floor of the Princess Martha, a historic senior living community.
The nearly 2,000-square-foot space was previously home to Deja Vu Café, which opened in 2016 and closed earlier this year. It is on the same block as Bar Chinchilla and the soon-to-open Sunshine City Comedy Cafe.
Mocha Bay will serve espresso drinks alongside traditional Yemeni coffee preparations, using medium-to-dark roasted beans sourced from Yemen, local businessman Hamdi Ali said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising.
Traditional Yemeni coffee is often brewed in a decorative metal pot called a dallah, then served strong in small cups. It can be flavored with spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.