86 Wine Bar brings natural wines and vinyl vibes to St. Pete

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86 Wine Bar brings natural wines and vinyl vibes to St. Pete

Get ready to sip wine and spin records at 86 Wine Bar, a new intimate wine bar and lounge that has quietly opened at 2930 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street North Unit #B.

The cozy, dimly lit 35-seat space blends a passion for natural wines, Mediterranean-style small plates, and eclectic vinyl in a minimalist setting that feels equal parts warm and worldly.

Located near newcomers The Violet Stone and Wildflower Ice Cream, and longtime MLK staples like Pineapple Espresso and Golden Isles Brewing Co., the bar takes over the former Doakes N Doodle Café, a cat-themed coffee shop that once occupied the spot.

Behind the concept are husband-and-wife duo Kendra Hardesty and Shane Richard Schuch, who live nearby in the Allendale neighborhood.

Hardesty, a seasoned chef most recently at Cafe Clementine, will lead the kitchen, while Schuch, whose career spans years in hospitality, handles the front of house.

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City moves forward with affordable housing and retail development on 22nd Street South

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City moves forward with affordable housing and retail development on 22nd Street South

Mayor Ken Welch has selected Green Mills Group, a South Florida-based affordable housing developer, to redevelop a historically significant city-owned property at 951 22nd Street South.

The selection follows a Request for Proposals (RFP) process that launched in August 2024, which drew three submissions from Green Mills Group, Tall Cotton, and Alexander Goshen/Goode Van Slyke Architecture.

Under Green Mills’ proposal, the vacant 0.68-acre site would be transformed into a $20 million mixed-use development, called Heritage Grove, featuring 54 affordable apartments and 2,500 square feet of ground-floor retail space.

City Council is expected to vote on a negotiated ground lease and development agreement next Thursday, October 16th.

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Publix plans bigger store at Gateway Market Center on 9th Street North in St. Pete

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Publix plans bigger store at Gateway Market Center on 9th Street North in St. Pete

One of St. Petersburg’s largest shopping centers is preparing for a major upgrade.

Gateway Market Center, located six miles north of downtown at 7751-8229 9th Street North, will soon break ground on a new Publix supermarket as part of a broader redevelopment effort led by InvenTrust Properties Inc.

The Illinois-based real estate investment trust, which owns and manages open-air shopping centers nationwide, plans to demolish the 60,450-square-foot Bealls, which recently closed, and replace it with a new 54,964-square-foot Publix, according to plans obtained by St. Pete Rising.

The store will be built adjacent to the existing 37,888-square-foot Publix, which has anchored the site for more than two decades.

The current Publix is expected to stay open during construction to avoid disrupting service, with operations likely shifting to the larger store once it is complete.

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$33 million Tierra Verde Marina redevelopment revised, residents remain opposed

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$33 million Tierra Verde Marina redevelopment revised, residents remain opposed

A developer has revised its plans to redevelop a prominent seven-acre property on Tierra Verde, but many residents believe the project is still not in the city’s best interest.

Tampa-based Greenleaf Capital, the real estate division of HCI Group Inc., is seeking approval from the City of St. Petersburg to transform the Tierra Verde Marina at 100 Pinellas Bayway South into a modern boat club with expanded amenities.

The goal, according to the developer, is to revitalize the island’s waterfront entryway.

The marina currently has 64 wet slips, 314 high-and-dry racks within a 58,000-square-foot storage complex, a 24,000-square-foot shopping center, and a gas station.

The $32.7 million redevelopment calls for demolishing the retail plaza and marina facilities to make way for a larger storage facility and private boat club with a restaurant, bar, and pool.

Greenleaf Capital acquired the site in 2011 for $5 million, three years after 28 acres of Tierra Verde, including the marina, were annexed by St. Petersburg.

The company is also seeking a 15-foot height bonus to build a nine-story, 90-foot-tall storage facility.

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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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2,084-unit Sky Town begins vertical construction on first apartments in St. Pete

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2,084-unit Sky Town begins vertical construction on first apartments in St. Pete

Vertical construction has commenced on the first phase of apartments at Sky Town, a planned $800 million mixed-use development at 3201 34th Street South in the Skyway Marina District.

The 34.3-acre site, once home to the Ceridian office campus, is being redeveloped in six phases to include 2,084 apartments, 69,000 square feet of retail anchored by a 23,000-square-foot Sprouts Farmers Market, and 120,000 square feet of self-storage.

It is the largest project currently in development in St. Pete, based on acreage and number of units.

The Sprouts Farmers Market, now nearing completion, sits along the east side of the property and will serve as the gateway to the future redevelopment. A 4,500-square-foot retail outparcel fronting 34th Street South is also under construction.

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A 76 million year old dinosaur will sit atop a parking garage in downtown St. Pete's EDGE District

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A 76 million year old dinosaur will sit atop a parking garage in downtown St. Pete's EDGE District

Imagine stepping out of your car and finding yourself face-to-face with a creature that roamed the planet 76 million years ago.

Tampa-based developer Ellison Development has unveiled plans for a high-rise rooftop garden atop a newly opened 540-space parking garage in the EDGE District, where the glass-encased skeleton of a Gorgosaurus will be the centerpiece.

By our account, it will be the first dinosaur ever displayed on top of a parking garage anywhere in the world.

The one-acre rooftop attraction is part of The Central, a $200 million mixed-use project currently in development at 1301 Central Avenue.

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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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FS8, a Pilates-Yoga hybrid, set to open in the Grand Central District this fall

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FS8, a Pilates-Yoga hybrid, set to open in the Grand Central District this fall

A new kind of fitness experience is headed to downtown St. Petersburg.

Later this fall, FS8, a fast-growing brand created by the team behind F45 Training, will open its first Tampa Bay location at 2541 Central Avenue in the Grand Central District.

Behind the project are St. Pete locals Kate Dworsky and Heather Avery, two fitness professionals passionate about helping people reach their goals while building community along the way.

The pair signed their lease in January and have spent the past several months navigating the permitting process.

With approvals in hand, construction is now underway inside the former Lion’s Paw Antiques & Collectables building.

FS8 blends reformer and mat Pilates, yoga, and strength training into 50-minute classes designed to be approachable yet challenging.

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