Controversial 60-unit residential development approved for church property in west St. Pete
/After a four-hour discussion about a new residential development proposed for the quiet Old Pasadena neighborhood in west St. Pete, St. Petersburg City Council voted to approve the contentious project.
During a Thursday meeting, the council members cast a 5-2 vote, approving the Pasadena Community Church's appeal of a prior denial to rezone the property at 6942 1st Avenue South. The rezoning will allow Indianapolis-based developer Onyx+East to build a 60-unit residential development containing 40 townhomes and 20 single-family homes on the site.
Councilmembers Copley Gerdes and Councilmember Lisset Hanewicz cast the opposing votes. Councilmember John Muhammad was absent.
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A permanent ferry dock at the St. Pete Pier moved closer to reality Friday, as the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority celebrated $850,000 in newly secured federal funding for the future Tampa Bay Ferry terminal.
PSTA leaders joined U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch, and representatives from Hubbard’s Marina at the Pier to announce the funding, which will help support a new dock near the St. Petersburg Museum of History.
The permanent facility is planned to include a security gate, ticket booth, and ADA-compliant access. It is expected to accommodate two ferry vessels at once, according to Captain Dylan Hubbard of Hubbard’s Marina.
“This is a key piece in the puzzle,” PSTA CEO Brad Miller said during the event.
The federal funding, secured by Castor through the Fiscal Year 2026 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill, comes as PSTA prepares to relaunch passenger ferry service between downtown St. Pete and Tampa later this year.