Ají Ceviche Bar to bring Peruvian fusion cuisine to downtown St. Pete

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Ají Ceviche Bar to bring Peruvian fusion cuisine to downtown St. Pete

An Orlando-based restaurant known for its ceviche-centric Peruvian cuisine is making its way to downtown St. Pete this summer.

Ají Ceviche Bar will open a new location at 200 1st Avenue South—formerly occupied by Ford’s Garage. Ford’s will downsize and continue operating alongside Ají.

The new restaurant announcement follows Monday’s purchase of the 9,700-square-foot property by Miami-based Torose Equities, St. Pete-based RKG Holdings, and HSH Holdings Co. Jenna Malowany of The Archer Group represented the seller in the transaction.

Ají’s menu features more than 15 varieties of ceviche, including customer favorites like El Achorado, a fusion of traditional ceviche with crispy seafood, and El Carretillero, made with fried calamari and yellow pepper sauce.

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376-unit residential community proposed for 22-acre Empath Health campus in Largo

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376-unit residential community proposed for 22-acre Empath Health campus in Largo

A South Carolina developer is planning to transform the 21.8-acre Empath Health campus in Largo into a large-scale residential community that includes affordable housing made possible by Florida’s Live Local Act.

Greystar Real Estate Partners, currently under contract to purchase the property at 5771 Roosevelt Boulevard, has proposed a 376-unit development consisting of apartments and townhomes. Of those, 150 units will be reserved as affordable housing.

The planned community, named Bayside, will include an ample amount of green space featuring gravel paths, gardens, sports areas for families, two dog parks, playgrounds, a potential putting green, a shaded hammock area, a walking trail around a large stormwater pond.

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16-story hotel approved to replace 100-year-old storm-damaged building in downtown St. Pete

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16-story hotel approved to replace 100-year-old storm-damaged building in downtown St. Pete

An 11-story storm-damaged building in the heart of downtown St. Pete is one step closer to being demolished and redeveloped into a 16-story boutique hotel after receiving its first approval from the city.

St. Pete City Council, meeting as the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), found the proposed plan to demolish the 100-year-old building at 300 Central Avenue and construct a 16-story tower with 74 hotel rooms and 4,000 square feet of commercial space consistent with the City’s Intown Redevelopment Plan.

The existing structure, historically known as the Smith Empire Building and called the Coronet 300 since 1966, was constructed in 1924 as a commercial building and later adapted for mixed-use residential purposes in the 1960s. The building is not listed on the Local or National Register of Historic Places.

Local entrepreneur and developer Steve Gianfilippo of Gianco Companies, who purchased the building in 2017, said the vacant structure suffered significant damage from Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Interim repairs will be made to ensure safety while plans for the new hotel are finalized.

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Massive 31-story, twin-tower development approved for downtown St. Pete

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Massive 31-story, twin-tower development approved for downtown St. Pete

The City of St. Petersburg has officially approved plans for one of downtown’s largest-ever residential projects, a transformative $225 million development featuring two 31-story towers at the former headquarters of UPC Insurance.

First reported by St. Pete Rising earlier this year, the project at 800 2nd Avenue South is being led by local developer Echelon, LLC and Tampa-based investment advisory firm Third Lake Partners.

Now greenlit by the City, the development will move forward with site plan approvals, setting the stage for construction to begin as early as the first quarter of 2026.

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New townhomes and office HQ proposed alongside expanded preservation in north St. Pete

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New townhomes and office HQ proposed alongside expanded preservation in north St. Pete

Three wooded lots in north St. Pete's Gateway area, currently vacant and littered with debris, may soon become expanded and maintained preservation grounds alongside a local office building and a new residential development.

The noncontiguous sites, purchased by St. Pete-based general contracting firm Lema Construction in February for $400,000, are located on the northeast side of 4th Street North and Gandy Boulevard.

The properties are surrounded by commercial and multifamily developments, including the assisted living facility Aventura Bay Place, the Winn-Dixie-anchored Bayview Shopping Plaza, and a site slated for future townhomes.

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