July 09, 2025

Aldi to replace Winn-Dixie on 4th Street North in St. Pete

July 09, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

A major shakeup is coming to one of St. Pete’s long-standing grocery stores.

After serving the community for 35 years, the Winn-Dixie at 11100 4th Street North in the Bayview Shopping Plaza is set to close on August 3rd and undergo a $1.7 million renovation to become an Aldi.

The conversion is part of the German-based discount grocery chain’s continued expansion across Florida and the U.S., following its March 2024 acquisition of Southeastern Grocers and the rollout of new Aldi stores in former Winn-Dixie locations.

May 28, 2025

PSTA approves $4.8 million federal grant to restore Cross Bay Ferry service between St. Pete and Tampa

May 28, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

The Cross Bay Ferry, which has linked passengers between downtown St. Petersburg and downtown Tampa since 2017, could once again sail under a new operator.

The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA), which operates the Clearwater Ferry, is now leading efforts to restore ferry service between St. Pete and Tampa after Hillsborough County recently ended its contract with HMS Ferries.

The termination came after HMS proposed replacing the current ferry with a slower vessel that would more than double one-way travel time from 50 minutes to two hours.

When the county canceled its contract with HMS, ending the Cross Bay Ferry operations on April 30th, it left $4,863,280 of unspent Federal Transit Authority (FTA) dollars on the table, which can be used towards the purchase of two new ferry boats for the Tampa-to-St. Pete service.