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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Habitat for Humanity to break ground on 57-home community in Lealman

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Habitat for Humanity to break ground on 57-home community in Lealman

Nearly six acres of underutilized land in St. Pete’s Lealman neighborhood is set to be transformed into a new affordable housing community.

Habitat for Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside is expected to break ground by the end of the year on a project that will bring 57 new homes to families in need.

Located across from Lealman Elementary School at the corner of 58th Avenue North and 40th Street North, the new community will feature 31 single-family homes and 26 townhomes.

The townhomes will rise on a 1.74-acre parcel at 4000 58th Avenue North, while the single-family homes will be constructed on surrounding land.

The Housing Finance Authority of Pinellas County acquired the properties in 2016.

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74-unit apartment community with affordable housing planned for former mobile home park in Largo

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74-unit apartment community with affordable housing planned for former mobile home park in Largo

A new apartment community is being proposed in Largo where a small, 23-unit mobile home park once operated.

Developer Gary Tave of Square Peg Development LLC has submitted plans to the City of Largo to redevelop a 1.85-acre site at 621 Stremma Road into The Park Vista Apartments, a 74-unit apartment building featuring a mix of studio, one-, and two-bedroom residences, each with private balconies.

The site was formerly home to the Louis Palms Mobile Home Park, where the vacant structures are getting ready to be cleared to make way for new construction.

The new community will include a mix of market-rate and affordable units.

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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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St. Pete–Tampa ferry prepares for relaunch with new operator search

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St. Pete–Tampa ferry prepares for relaunch with new operator search

After a three-month pause, daily ferry service across Tampa Bay is now one step closer to returning.

The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) has begun a competitive procurement process to select a private operator to relaunch and manage a year-round, more frequent ferry connection between downtown St. Petersburg and downtown Tampa.

On August 5th, PSTA issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit interested operators, with submissions due by Thursday, August 28th.

The new RFP follows Hillsborough County’s recent decision to terminate its contract with the previous Cross Bay Ferry operator, HMS Ferries, after the company proposed replacing the current vessel with a slower one that would extend the one-way trip from 50 minutes to more than 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.

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Sandalwood Beach Resort in North Redington Beach to be redeveloped into six-story condo-hotel

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Sandalwood Beach Resort in North Redington Beach to be redeveloped into six-story condo-hotel

The Sandalwood Beach Resort in North Redington Beach will be redeveloped into a six-story “condo-hotel” with larger waterfront rooms and amenities open to the public.

Earlier this year, Nored Beach Development, led by local real estate developer and hotelier Bill Karns in partnership with Century 21 broker Jeffery Beggins, purchased the resort at 17100 Gulf Boulevard for $6 million. The seller is a partner in the new development. 

“The Sandalwood was built in 1959 and was rundown. The foundation sank seven inches during last year’s hurricanes. The previous owners spent a lot of time and money to raise the structure and redo the guest rooms,” said Karns, noting the impacts of Hurricane Helene and Milton on the property. “Because of damage from the storms, the cost of renovating the existing structure doesn’t make sense.”

The three-story resort, closed since the hurricane, has 47 fully furnished units, a pool, and private beach access. Karns said the new plan calls for demolishing the building and replacing it with the same number units, although they will be larger units designed so each has a view of the beach.

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Sirata Beach Resort completes $25 million renovation, will become a Tapestry Collection by Hilton hotel

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Sirata Beach Resort completes $25 million renovation, will become a Tapestry Collection by Hilton hotel

The Sirata Beach Resort, one of the most popular hotels on St. Pete Beach, is in the midst of a significant transformation as it transitions into a Tapestry Collection by Hilton property.

The 382-key resort at 5300 Gulf Boulevard, located directly on the Gulf of Mexico, has completed the first phase of renovations, a $25 million upgrade to guest rooms, suites, the lobby, and the fitness center at Sirata Beach Resort. The work is designed to enhance amenities for both vacationers and corporate retreats.

The property is owned by Kentucky-based Columbia Sussex, which purchased the property in late 2022 for $207 million. The Sirata Beach Resort will transition to the Tapestry Collection by Hilton following the completion of Phase II. The Tapestry Collection is a curated portfolio of boutique hotels known for their local character and distinctive style.

There are currently two other Tapestry Collection by Hilton properties in the Tampa Bay area: Hotel Flor and Hotel Alba, both located in Tampa.

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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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Korean fried chicken restaurant bb.q Chicken to open in Pinellas County

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Korean fried chicken restaurant bb.q Chicken to open in Pinellas County

A Korean fried chicken franchise promises to transport St. Pete foodies to the streets of Seoul, bringing the global sensation of its sweet, spicy, and sticky wings to Pinellas Park.

bb.q Chicken, short for “Best of the Best Quality,” will open a new outpost at 7860 US Highway 19 North, taking over the space previously occupied by Tijuana Flats, which shuttered amid the Tex-Mex chain’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing.

The bb.q Chicken restaurant will be in the multi-tenant building located in a shopping center anchored by Ashley’s Home Furniture. This will be the brand’s first restaurant in Pinellas County and its second in the Tampa Bay area, joining a Tampa location at 3805 Northdale Boulevard that opened in 2023.

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