As hurricane season approaches, here’s how St. Pete and residents can prepare

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As hurricane season approaches, here’s how St. Pete and residents can prepare

It’s almost that time of year again to prepare for hurricane season, which runs from June 1st through November 30th.

The City of St. Petersburg, in partnership with Pinellas County, is taking precautionary measures ahead of the looming season by strengthening the region’s infrastructure.

The actions follow the release of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s 2025 Hurricane Outlook, which forecasts above-normal hurricane and tropical storm activity this season. The outlook predicts 13 to 19 named storms that could become hurricanes. Peak storm activity typically occurs between mid-August and mid-October, when tropical or subtropical cyclones are most likely to form in the North Atlantic Ocean.

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The Common Thread yarn shop and cafe opens this August in the Warehouse Arts District

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The Common Thread yarn shop and cafe opens this August in the Warehouse Arts District

A cozy new yarn shop and coffee shop is weaving its way into the Warehouse Arts District this summer.

The Common Thread is opening this August at 2462 5th Avenue South, in the location that previously housed HaleLife Bakery and Bistro, and before that, The Chelsea coffee shop.

Nicole Potts Hart of KW Commercial represented both O’Brien and the property owner in the lease transaction.

Founder Shannon O’Brien, a longtime crocheter and San Francisco transplant who made St. Pete her permanent home in 2022, had been searching for a local yarn shop in St. Pete.

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Beloved Japanese-inspired Shiso Crispy food truck coming to the Jannus Block in downtown St. Pete

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Beloved Japanese-inspired Shiso Crispy food truck coming to the Jannus Block in downtown St. Pete

Known in the Sunshine City for its handmade dumplings and Asian-fusion bowls, the popular food truck Shiso Crispy is opening a restaurant on one of downtown St. Pete’s most vibrant blocks.

Founded by award-winning chef Ronicca Whaley, a six-time contestant on Guy's Grocery Games, Shiso Crispy will debut this June on the Jannus Block at 226 1st Avenue North. The space was most recently home to T’s and Tacos, and before that, Cap's Steamer Bar & Grille and MacDinton's Irish Pub.

Shiso Crispy, named after the Japanese word shiso—which means “mint”—launched its first food truck in late 2019 to rave reviews. It went on to earn a Tampa Bay Times “Best of the Best” award in both 2020 and 2021.

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16-story hotel approved to replace 100-year-old storm-damaged building in downtown St. Pete

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16-story hotel approved to replace 100-year-old storm-damaged building in downtown St. Pete

An 11-story storm-damaged building in the heart of downtown St. Pete is one step closer to being demolished and redeveloped into a 16-story boutique hotel after receiving its first approval from the city.

St. Pete City Council, meeting as the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), found the proposed plan to demolish the 100-year-old building at 300 Central Avenue and construct a 16-story tower with 74 hotel rooms and 4,000 square feet of commercial space consistent with the City’s Intown Redevelopment Plan.

The existing structure, historically known as the Smith Empire Building and called the Coronet 300 since 1966, was constructed in 1924 as a commercial building and later adapted for mixed-use residential purposes in the 1960s. The building is not listed on the Local or National Register of Historic Places.

Local entrepreneur and developer Steve Gianfilippo of Gianco Companies, who purchased the building in 2017, said the vacant structure suffered significant damage from Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Interim repairs will be made to ensure safety while plans for the new hotel are finalized.

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New townhomes and office HQ proposed alongside expanded preservation in north St. Pete

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New townhomes and office HQ proposed alongside expanded preservation in north St. Pete

Three wooded lots in north St. Pete's Gateway area, currently vacant and littered with debris, may soon become expanded and maintained preservation grounds alongside a local office building and a new residential development.

The noncontiguous sites, purchased by St. Pete-based general contracting firm Lema Construction in February for $400,000, are located on the northeast side of 4th Street North and Gandy Boulevard.

The properties are surrounded by commercial and multifamily developments, including the assisted living facility Aventura Bay Place, the Winn-Dixie-anchored Bayview Shopping Plaza, and a site slated for future townhomes.

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