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

/
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.

Read More

St. Pete’s largest indoor Halloween market debuts next month with 50+ vendors, Labubu tattoos, and spooky lattes

/
St. Pete’s largest indoor Halloween market debuts next month with 50+ vendors, Labubu tattoos, and spooky lattes

Spooky season is creeping in early this year, and St. Pete is about to get its biggest dose of Halloween spirit yet.

On Saturday, October 11th, the debut of the Spooky Island Market will transform Coastal Creative in the Grand Central District into a tropical-meets-haunted bazaar unlike anything the Sunshine City has ever seen.

From noon to 5 p.m., more than 50 local vendors will take over the venue at 2201 1st Avenue South, creating an eerie indoor gathering inspired by the haunted resort from the 2002 Scooby-Doo movie.

Guests can expect a pumpkin patch, oddities, spooky photo ops, Halloween-inspired installations, and plenty of exclusive treats designed to give you goosebumps.

Read More

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

/
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.

Read More

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

/
$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.

Read More

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

/
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.

Read More

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

/
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.

Read More

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

/
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.

Read More

The Moon Under Water finds new home in Gulfport after decades on Beach Drive in downtown St. Pete

/
The Moon Under Water finds new home in Gulfport after decades on Beach Drive in downtown St. Pete

Four years after closing its iconic Beach Drive location, The Moon Under Water is preparing for a comeback. This time in Gulfport.

The authentic British Colonial pub, known for its creamy stouts and spicy curries, will reopen by the end of the year at 2832 Beach Boulevard South. The space was most recently occupied by The Drunken Taco, which posted a “Closed Forever” sign on its door on Monday, September 1st.

Earlier this year, Kevin and Jeanne Milkey, owners of Grand Central Brewhouse, revealed that they were working with Mike Crippin, who served as The Moon Under Water’s Executive Chef for more than two decades, and his wife Alison, who was the restaurant’s HR and office manager for 20 years, to bring the restaurant back to downtown St. Pete, just steps from its former Beach Drive home.

However, those plans ultimately fell through, opening the door to the Gulfport opportunity.

Read More

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

/
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.

Read More

Renderings reveal what the Woodson African American Museum could become in St. Pete

/
Renderings reveal what the Woodson African American Museum could become in St. Pete

The Woodson African American Museum of Florida, currently located at 2240 9th Avenue South, has unveiled a bold vision for a new home designed to honor the past, inspire the future, and serve as a cultural anchor for St. Pete.

The new 40,000-square-foot museum concept, designed by Everald Colas of St. Pete-based Storyn Studio for Architecture, is envisioned for the corner of 15th Street and 1st Avenue South, currently Lot 5 of Tropicana Field and across from Fusion 1560.

As striking as the renderings are, the proposed design faces major hurdles, including securing a site for the new museum and reaching ambitious fundraising goals.

The property was previously part of the Rays/Hines redevelopment plans for the Historic Gas Plant District, which was officially scrapped in July.

When the Rays walked away, they relinquished their development rights to the land, enabling the city to redevelop portions of the site before the end of the team’s use agreement.

Read More