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.

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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.

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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.

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$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.

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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.

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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.

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The Mariel luxury townhomes to begin construction on former Dairy Inn property

The Mariel luxury townhomes to begin construction on former Dairy Inn property

Six luxury townhomes are preparing to break ground on the former Dairy Inn property, where the iconic ice cream shop served St. Pete for 76 years before closing in November 2023.

The new project, named The Mariel, is scheduled to begin construction next month at 1201 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street North, across from Hooks Sushi Bar and just minutes from downtown St. Pete.

A seasoned development team includes Jeff Craft and Brandon Wolford of Shell Basix Design/Build, which has developed more than 850 townhome units across the region; Ely Payne of Baysite Engineering as the civil engineer; and St. Pete-based Fraze Design as the architect.

The Mariel’s six residences will each span over 2,800 square feet with three bedrooms, three-and-a-half bathrooms, and a bonus room.

Designed for modern luxury living, the homes will feature 12-foot ceilings, premium appliances, and natural gas cooking.

Each home will feature block construction with hurricane-rated windows and doors, and buyers will have the option to add a private elevator leading to a rooftop terrace.

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

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

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

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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