A controversial 21-story apartment tower planned for downtown St. Pete will move forward after the City Council voted Thursday to deny an appeal challenging its approval.

The $134 million project, known as The Pelican, has been proposed by St. Pete-based Stadler Development and would replace seven existing apartment buildings on a 1.3-acre site near the Hollander Hotel and Trinity Lutheran Church along 5th Avenue North between 4th and 5th Streets.

Plans call for a 370-unit residential tower with 3,819 square feet of ground-floor commercial space and a 485-space parking garage.

The appeal was filed by local historic preservation advocacy group Preserve the ‘Burg following a January approval by the city’s Development Review Commission.

Under city procedures, the burden was on the group to demonstrate that the project failed to comply with the city’s Land Development Regulations.

During Thursday’s hearing, Preserve the ‘Burg argued that the project’s height of 212 feet, scale, and overall intensity are incompatible with the surrounding neighborhood.

The City of St. Petersburg is moving forward with a plan to create new affordable housing on a collection of vacant, city-owned lots near the Jamestown Apartments and Townhomes, just west of Unity Park near downtown.

The proposal centers on nine infill parcels totaling about 1.7 acres, located between 12th Lane North and 15th Street North, and between 4th Avenue North and Burlington Avenue.

The lots have sat unused for more than 40 years, originally acquired as part of a 1982 redevelopment plan that required a buffer around the Jamestown complex.

That requirement expired in 2012, and city officials say the land is no longer needed for that purpose.

During a March 12th Housing, Land Use, and Transportation Committee meeting, Council Members unanimously approved moving forward with a charter amendment that would remove the parcels from the city’s legally binding Parks and Waterfront Map.

A 3.6-acre church campus in south St. Pete could soon become a new hub for youth arts education, as the Bill Edwards Foundation for the Arts looks to acquire and repurpose the property into a community arts center.

The foundation has launched a $10 million capital campaign to purchase the site at 5995 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street South and convert it into the Bill Edwards Foundation for the Arts Community Arts Center.

The 26,155-square-foot property is currently home to Lakewood United Methodist Church and Alegria Montessori School.

Built in 1958, the campus includes a 396-seat sanctuary, a smaller chapel, a two-story educational building with a fenced-in playground and covered outdoor play area, as well as a fellowship hall, kitchen, and office space.

A long-term vision for the city’s port could reshape the Bayboro Harbor waterfront just south of downtown St. Pete, but early reactions from city officials suggest the path forward remains uncertain.

The approximately 4.4-acre portion of the city-owned Port of St. Petersburg at 250 8th Avenue SE is being studied for a potential redevelopment that could include a public park, cruise terminal, superyacht marina, waterfront promenades, and dining options.

Located within the Innovation District and surrounded by major institutions — including the University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus to the west, Albert Whitted Airport to the north, and the U.S. Coast Guard to the east — the site is seen as an opportunity to expand both public access and maritime activity.

At a March 12th Public Services and Infrastructure Committee meeting, consultants from Moffatt & Nichol presented a draft master plan that reimagines the port as a mixed-use waterfront destination.

An undeveloped stretch of property on 22nd Street South may become the site of a modern community hub with spaces specifically designed to educate and house non-profits and start-up businesses, with the goal of fostering new economic momentum for south St. Pete.

Pinellas County Urban League, Inc. (PCUL), an organization dedicated to empowering African Americans and underserved communities in the county, has submitted a 64-page proposal to the City of St. Petersburg to develop the property on 22nd Street South between 6th Avenue South and Fairfield Avenue South.

The proposal, submitted in December 2025, calls for a two-story, 28,000-square-foot building, referred to as the Sankofa Empowerment Center, which would offer a mix of Class A office, retail, food service, and flex spaces alongside a 6,000-square-foot rooftop terrace and lounge to host year-round events.

PCUL would relocate its corporate headquarters from 31st Street North in Kenwood to a 3,000-square-foot space on the second floor of the center.

A new affordable housing development proposed in St. Petersburg’s Skyway Marina District would bring 174 income-restricted apartments, including units reserved for young adults aging out of foster care.

Nashville-based Elmington Capital Group plans to develop Skyway Flats at 3600 34th Street South on a 2.87-acre site currently used as a surface parking lot next to the Salterra assisted living complex, which remains closed following damage from the 2024 hurricanes.

The five-story project would include 28 one-bedroom units, 100 two-bedroom units, and 46 three-bedroom units, serving households earning between 30% and 80% of the Area Median Income.

Eighteen apartments would be set aside for youth aging out of foster care, paired with support services such as financial literacy training, housing stability programs, and connections to community resources.

Rents are projected to start as low as $512 per month.