Financial technology company Velera sells former PSCU headquarters in Carillon for $19 million

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Financial technology company Velera sells former PSCU headquarters in Carillon for $19 million

A financial technology company with nearly 50 years in St. Pete has sold its corporate headquarters.

Velera, formerly known as PSCU, has sold its 12.4-acre campus at 560 and 580 Carillon Parkway in the Carillon office park to Tampa-based Greenleaf Capital, the real estate arm of publicly traded HCI Group Inc.

Greenleaf Capital paid $19 million for the two-office building campus, which contain 179,779 square feet.

Anthony Saravanos, President of Greenleaf Capital, said the firm plans to make smart improvements to the property that will help secure the ideal tenant.

“We’re not looking to change uses or tear it down for multifamily,” he told St. Pete Rising. “We’re hoping to attract a full campus-type user, a corporate headquarters relocation.”

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Aerial St. Pete: Construction progresses on five major developments in the Sunshine City

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Aerial St. Pete: Construction progresses on five major developments in the Sunshine City

The latest edition of Aerial St. Pete highlights five major real estate projects under construction in the St. Petersburg.

Aerial St. Pete is a recurring column by St. Pete Rising that features exclusive aerial photography documenting the city’s rapid development. To capture these images, we’ve partnered with AB3 Visuals.

This month’s update showcases construction progress on the expansion of the historic Cordova Inn, the Bernie McCade Second District Court of Appeals Courthouse, Institute Square at Orlando Health Medical Pavilion, Waterways Apartments & Marina, and The Henry at Whitney Village.

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50-story Waldorf Astoria Residences sales gallery opens in downtown St. Pete

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50-story Waldorf Astoria Residences sales gallery opens in downtown St. Pete

The team behind what is expected to become St. Pete’s tallest tower marked a major milestone Wednesday evening with the grand opening of the Waldorf Astoria Residences sales gallery.

Located at 100 2nd Avenue South in the City Center office tower, the gallery features a full model unit that cost more than $1 million to build, giving prospective buyers and the public an early look at what the 50-story project will offer.

Rising 539 feet at 150 2nd Avenue South, the 163-unit Waldorf Astoria Residences will be St. Pete’s first hotel-branded luxury condominium tower.

The $500 million project is being co-developed by Miami-based Property Markets Group and St. Petersburg-based Feldman Equities, in partnership with Vancouver-based City Office REIT and Orlando-based Tower Realty Partners. Hilton will manage the residences, while Smith & Associates Real Estate is leading sales.

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Sprouts Farmers Market sets opening date for first St. Pete location

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Sprouts Farmers Market sets opening date for first St. Pete location

St. Pete’s first Sprouts Farmers Market is preparing to open its doors in the Skyway Marina District on Friday, November 14th.

The 23,000-square-foot store at 3411 32nd Avenue South will serve as the anchor retail tenant in the $800 million Sky Town development.

Sky Town, developed by Miami-based Altis Cardinal, is one of the largest projects currently underway in St. Pete.

The 34.3-acre site, formerly home to the Ceridian office campus, is being redeveloped into a mixed-use community that will include 2,084 apartments, 69,000 square feet of retail, and 120,000 square feet of self-storage.

Vertical construction recently commenced on the first phase of apartments.

The new Sprouts, which sits on the east side of the property, was constructed by Tarpon Springs-based Hawkins Construction.

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Two-story retail building planned for former gas station site in the Grand Central District

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Two-story retail building planned for former gas station site in the Grand Central District

A Citgo gas station on the corner of Central Avenue and 28th Street is set to be redeveloped into a new retail destination.

Clearwater-based general contractor Build America Luxury Homes has submitted plans to demolish the 1957-built station and replace it with a two-story, 13,500-square-foot retail building at 2801 Central Avenue, next to Cheeky’s Fish & Raw Bar.

“We are experienced in taking old, rundown, or neglected places and turning them into community assets,” said Qemal Hasanbelli, owner of Build America Luxury Homes and BA Construction, in a conversation with St. Pete Rising.

Hasanbelli purchased the 0.22-acre lot in December 2023 for $1.75 million.

Designed by Oldsmar-based ArchEvoke Studio LLC, the building would accommodate multiple retailers and restaurants, bringing new business opportunities to this stretch of the Grand Central District.

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The Mariel luxury townhomes to begin construction on former Dairy Inn property

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The Mariel luxury townhomes to begin construction on former Dairy Inn property

Six luxury townhomes are preparing to break ground on the former Dairy Inn property, where the iconic ice cream shop served St. Pete for 76 years before closing in November 2023.

The new project, named The Mariel, is scheduled to begin construction next month at 1201 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street North, across from Hooks Sushi Bar and just minutes from downtown St. Pete.

A seasoned development team includes Jeff Craft and Brandon Wolford of Shell Basix Design/Build, which has developed more than 850 townhome units across the region; Ely Payne of Baysite Engineering as the civil engineer; and St. Pete-based Fraze Design as the architect.

The Mariel’s six residences will each span over 2,800 square feet with three bedrooms, three-and-a-half bathrooms, and a bonus room.

Designed for modern luxury living, the homes will feature 12-foot ceilings, premium appliances, and natural gas cooking.

Each home will feature block construction with hurricane-rated windows and doors, and buyers will have the option to add a private elevator leading to a rooftop terrace.

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Three new restaurants, including St. Pete’s first Huey Magoo’s, coming to Skyway Marina District

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Three new restaurants, including St. Pete’s first Huey Magoo’s, coming to Skyway Marina District

The Skyway Marina District’s 34th Street South corridor in St. Pete is about to welcome more dining options.

National restaurant franchise Huey Magoo’s, Jersey Mike’s Subs, and Smoothie King are coming to a new 5,900-square-foot building that will be built at 4311 34th Street South.

Prominent developer Jack Dougherty of Allied Group Holdings, who has led multiple commercial and residential projects in the district, broke ground on the new commercial building in mid-August on a vacant 1-acre outparcel.

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Corey Landing condo development moves forward with scaled-back design in St. Pete Beach

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Corey Landing condo development moves forward with scaled-back design in St. Pete Beach

St. Pete Beach’s waterfront could be on track for a major transformation, as the long-anticipated Corey Landing project continued to move through the review process at a Technical Review Committee (TRC) meeting last Wednesday.

The slightly revised proposal for the east end of Corey Avenue reflects reduced density compared to the plans Kolter Urban submitted in February, blending luxury condominiums with retail, dining, and public spaces designed to reconnect residents and visitors with Boca Ciega Bay.

Kolter’s latest plan calls for 132 condominiums across two eight-story buildings, 11,600 square feet of retail and restaurant space, and a 39-slip marina.

An earlier iteration of the project contained 162 condos.

The condos will feature layouts ranging from two-bedroom, two-bathroom units at 1,718 square feet to three-bedroom residences topping 2,400 square feet. Each unit will include an outdoor terrace overlooking the bay.

Community amenities include a rooftop pool and pickleball courts.

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Home of the Week: A 1947-built Dutch West Indies-style home steps from Coffee Pot Bayou in Old Northeast

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Home of the Week: A 1947-built Dutch West Indies-style home steps from Coffee Pot Bayou in Old Northeast

A meticulously renovated 1947-built home in St. Petersburg’s Old Northeast neighborhood is St. Pete Rising’s Home of the Week.

Located at 2925 1st Street NE, the 1,304-square-foot residence is just steps from Coffee Pot Bayou and Coffee Pot Park, in a neighborhood known for its tree-lined streets and a mix of historic and modern architecture.

Blending Dutch West Indies design with modern upgrades, the home features artisan-crafted Bahama shutters, a distinctive architectural entryway, and a backyard wood-burning fireplace.

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St. Pete-Clearwater Airport moves forward with redeveloping 128-acre Airco site

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St. Pete-Clearwater Airport moves forward with redeveloping 128-acre Airco site

A former golf course property spanning 128 acres next to the St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) is set to be redeveloped, beginning with the construction of a new taxiway that will lay the groundwork for a future aviation business park.

For the past two decades, PIE has been working toward redeveloping the county-owned property known as the Airco site. The site is the largest contiguous piece of developable land in Pinellas County. PIE is now moving forward with selecting a contractor for the first phase of the project, a new taxiway located off Ulmerton Road.

“The taxiway is the first step to redeveloping the property and providing the infrastructure for future businesses there, especially aviation companies, which we’ve seen a lot of demand for,” said PIE Public Relations Director Michelle Routh in a conversation with St. Pete Rising.

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