New affordable apartment community opens near the Skyway Marina District in south St. Pete

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New affordable apartment community opens near the Skyway Marina District in south St. Pete

Just before Labor Day weekend, local government officials and community leaders gathered in south St. Pete to cut the ribbon on the city’s newest affordable housing development.

Founders Point, a 15-unit apartment community at 2901 31st Street South near the Skyway Marina District, was developed by Pinellas Affordable Living Inc. (PAL), a Community Housing Development Organization formed by the Boley Centers.

The community, designed to provide safe and affordable housing for people with special needs, is located next to Boyd Hill Nature Preserve and just south of The Shores Apartments, a 50-unit affordable housing community developed by The Richman Group.

All 15 one-bedroom apartments are reserved for residents earning at or below 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI), specifically for households with special needs.

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St. Pete announces reopening date of the reimagined President Barack Obama Main Library

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St. Pete announces reopening date of the reimagined President Barack Obama Main Library

After four years of renovations and construction delays, St. Petersburg is finally ready to welcome the community back to its reimagined 61-year-old library.

The City has completed a $16.8 million renovation of the President Barack Obama Main Library at 3745 9th Avenue North.

Mayor Ken Welch will lead a ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 27 at 9 a.m., followed by the public reopening at 10 a.m.

The library was originally designed in 1964 by noted St. Pete architect William Harvard.

In February 2018, the City announced the library would be renamed in honor of President Obama, and a sign was unveiled in February 2021.

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St. Pete pushes forward on $59 million Tropicana Field repairs as roof installation begins

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St. Pete pushes forward on $59 million Tropicana Field repairs as roof installation begins

Blue netting now surrounds the steel framework of what’s left of Tropicana Field’s roof in downtown St. Petersburg as crews prepare to install the first set of roof panels.

Last October, winds of up to 110 miles per hour from Hurricane Milton shredded the stadium’s fabric roof, causing extensive interior damage.

Now, the City of St. Pete is on the hook for the repairs.

General contractors Hennessy Construction Services and AECOM Hunt are leading the $59 million repair project, with the new roof accounting for more than $23 million of that total.

“Repair progress is well underway at Tropicana Field,” Mayor Ken Welch wrote in a Facebook post Friday, sharing photos of the work.

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South St. Pete’s Tangerine Plaza redevelopment plan filed for 186 affordable apartments and a grocery store

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South St. Pete’s Tangerine Plaza redevelopment plan filed for 186 affordable apartments and a grocery store

The long-awaited redevelopment of Tangerine Plaza in South St. Pete is finally starting to move forward, bringing hope for two things Midtown residents have been lacking for years: affordable housing and a grocery store.

The City of St. Pete recently approved a plan to redevelop the 3.6-acre city-owned site at 1794 22nd Street South into a mixed-use project with 186 income-restricted apartments and 10,000 square feet of commercial space, which will include a grocery store.

The approval came under Florida’s Live Local Act, which requires cities to sign off on qualifying affordable housing projects without a public hearing or appeal process.

The redevelopment is being led by the Sugar Hill Group, which includes Rev. Louis Murphy Sr. of Mount Zion Progressive Missionary Baptist Church, Roy Binger of Binger Financial Services, and Oliver Gross of New Urban Development.

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Southern Grounds to open cafe and restaurant on Central Avenue in downtown St. Pete

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Southern Grounds to open cafe and restaurant on Central Avenue in downtown St. Pete

Southern Grounds and Co., a Jacksonville-based coffeehouse franchise focused on building community around high-quality food and drinks, is expanding to downtown St. Petersburg.

The bright, modern coffee shop will open Monday, August 18th next to The Melting Pot inside the newly built two-story building at 695 Central Avenue.

St. Pete’s coffee scene continues to grow, with each shop offering a unique experience. Southern Grounds aims to be more than just a coffeehouse, blending elements of a tapas bar and restaurant to create a co-working-style community gathering space.

The new 2,430-square-foot location features a clean white aesthetic accented by colorful, Florida-inspired murals painted by local artist Matt Kress. The open floor plan offers a mix of couch and table seating designed to encourage connection and conversation.

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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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Real estate investor purchases another property near Salt Creek in St. Pete for $6 million

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Real estate investor purchases another property near Salt Creek in St. Pete for $6 million

Clearwater-based real estate company Prometheus Partners, which has been quietly assembling acres of contiguous property just south of downtown St. Petersburg, has acquired another site.

Through its affiliate, Prometheus Franchise Restaurant Holdings LLC, the group purchased the 24,500-square-foot warehouse at 1499 Beach Drive SE for $6 million from Cato Holdings LLC.

Built in 1959, the art deco-style building sits on 1.37 acres near Salt Creek. It currently houses the Salt Creek Arts Center, a maker space offering studios and galleries for local artists, as well as moving company Swift Moves.

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29-story condo tower approved for 4th Street South in downtown St. Pete

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29-story condo tower approved for 4th Street South in downtown St. Pete

A Clearwater-based developer has received approval to build a new 29-story residential tower in downtown St. Petersburg.

Valor Capital plans to construct a $70 million, 165-unit condominium tower on the northeast corner of 4th Street South and 4th Avenue South, just two blocks from the Publix-anchored University Village retail plaza.

At a Development Review Commission meeting on Wednesday, commissioners unanimously approved a floor area ratio (FAR) bonus and a building height bonus for the project, known as the Roche Bobois Residences. Construction is expected to begin in 2026.

The approval follows a prior site plan approval for the project by the St. Petersburg City Council, acting as the Community Redevelopment Agency, in July.

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Construction begins on 86-unit affordable housing community at Palm Lake Christian Church in Disston Heights

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Construction begins on 86-unit affordable housing community at Palm Lake Christian Church in Disston Heights

Vacant land next to Palm Lake Christian Church in St. Pete’s Disston Heights neighborhood will be developed into an 86-unit affordable housing community restricted to low-income households.

Tampa-based Newstar Development recently announced the full execution of a land lease agreement between the church, the Pinellas County Housing Authority (PCHA), and Newstar itself.

Construction also recently commenced on the project, known as Palm Lake Urban Sanctuary, or PLUS, located at 5401 22nd Avenue North.

The development will include a four-story building with 86 units, all reserved for households earning up to 80% of the area median income (AMI).

Specifically, the breakdown includes 13 units reserved for households earning 30% AMI, 14 units for 50% AMI, 42 units for 60% AMI, and 17 units for 80% AMI.

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Developer buys St. Pete property in $16.5 million deal for 304-unit affordable housing complex

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Developer buys St. Pete property in $16.5 million deal for 304-unit affordable housing complex

Houston-based The Hanover Company, a private real estate developer, has purchased a retail plaza that is expected to be redeveloped into a 304-unit affordable housing community.

The group has acquired the 8.95-acre site at 3100 22nd Avenue North in North Kenwood for $16.5 million from ZSPR PROPCO of Tampa LLC, according to a deed recorded on August 4th. The existing 71,064-square-foot retail plaza previously housed JB Factory Flooring, Studio Physique, and a MetroPCS store.

The Hanover Company also took out a $46.92 million loan from Texas-based Comica Bank.

The company’s redevelopment plans, which were filed in 2024, represented the first Live Local Act application received by the City of St. Petersburg.

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