Several developments move forward along The Deuces corridor in south St. Pete

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Several developments move forward along The Deuces corridor in south St. Pete

After years of promises to revive 22nd Street South, the City of St. Pete is finally making progress on projects expected to bring new life back to The Deuces.

From the 1940s through the 1960s, 22nd Street South, from 2nd Avenue to 18th Avenue, was the heart of St. Pete’s Black community, filled with thriving businesses, music clubs, and restaurants.

But after I-275 cut through the area in the mid 1970s, the busy corridor slowly fell into decline.

Now, with a growing pipeline of new developments on the horizon, the Deuces is beginning to show signs of revival.

At a community meeting this week at the Enoch Davis Center, city officials gave updates on several ongoing projects.

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Publix at Dolphin Village in St. Pete Beach to be rebuilt into larger, elevated new prototype store

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Publix at Dolphin Village in St. Pete Beach to be rebuilt into larger, elevated new prototype store

Five months after a devastating fire left Dolphin Village’s Publix and neighboring shops in ruins, plans are now moving forward to bring a larger, more modern supermarket back to the barrier island.

New York-based Brixmor Property Group, owner of the fire-damaged shopping center, announced Monday that it will submit development plans to the city for a new 51,000-square-foot Publix Super Market — a major expansion from the previous 33,000-square-foot store.

The proposed design includes covered parking beneath an elevated store, a feature aimed at improving shopper convenience and storm resilience at the 136,000-square-foot grocery-anchored center.

Project approvals and construction are expected to take several years, and an opening date has not yet been determined.

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

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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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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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South Pasadena Winn-Dixie to be converted into Aldi

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South Pasadena Winn-Dixie to be converted into Aldi

After more than a decade serving the South Pasadena community, the Winn-Dixie at 6851 Gulfport Boulevard is set for a major transformation.

The store will be converted into an Aldi, joining a wave of former Winn-Dixie locations being rebranded under the German discount grocery chain following its acquisition of Southeastern Grocers in March 2024.

Plans for the 55,720-square-foot supermarket include a renovation that will subdivide the existing space, with Aldi occupying a portion of the building.

Located directly across from a Publix and Walmart Neighborhood Market, the site has long been a hotspot for grocery competition.

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Aldi to replace Winn-Dixie on 4th Street North in St. Pete

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Aldi to replace Winn-Dixie on 4th Street North in St. Pete

A major shakeup is coming to one of St. Pete’s long-standing grocery stores.

After serving the community for 35 years, the Winn-Dixie at 11100 4th Street North in the Bayview Shopping Plaza is set to close on August 3rd and undergo a $1.7 million renovation to become an Aldi.

The conversion is part of the German-based discount grocery chain’s continued expansion across Florida and the U.S., following its March 2024 acquisition of Southeastern Grocers and the rollout of new Aldi stores in former Winn-Dixie locations.

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St. Pete approves $4.5M for affordable housing in 2,084-unit Sky Town development

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St. Pete approves $4.5M for affordable housing in 2,084-unit Sky Town development

One of the largest residential developments underway in St. Petersburg is set to receive local funding to support the inclusion of affordable housing.

On Thursday, the St. Pete City Council unanimously approved a $4.5 million contribution from the Housing Capital Improvement Fund for the first phase of Sky Town, a major mixed-use project planned for 3201 34th Street South in the Skyway Marina District.

This follows the Pinellas County Commission’s earlier unanimous decision to allocate $5.5 million to Coral Gables-based developer Altis Cardinal for the same phase of the project.

Originally planned as a fully market-rate development, the project now includes affordable housing thanks to a combined $10 million subsidy from the city and county.

Sky Town will be built in six phases and is set to include 2,084 apartments, 69,000 square feet of neighborhood retail anchored by a Sprouts Farmers Market, and 120,000 square feet of self-storage space.

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Sprouts Farmers Market is now open in Largo

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Sprouts Farmers Market is now open in Largo

Niche grocer Sprouts Farmers Market has opened its new Largo store, offering farm-fresh natural and organic foods.

This morning, local management and city officials celebrated the grand opening at 2156 East Bay Drive in the Keene Plaza Shopping Center.

The new 23,266-square-foot Largo store is open daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

To celebrate the grand opening, from Friday, March 21st, through Sunday, a variety of activities will take place, including a “pop-up party” featuring seasonal produce at a tasting bar, a “guess the weight” contest with an oversized piece of produce, and more, according to the company's announcement.

The first 200 shoppers on Friday and Saturday will receive a free reusable goodie bag filled with special products and samples. Additionally, the first 400 guests on Friday will receive a free long-stem rose, courtesy of Falcon Farms Floral.

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City receives three proposals to bring affordable housing to prime lot on 22nd Street South

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City receives three proposals to bring affordable housing to prime lot on 22nd Street South

Three development groups are vying to redevelop a South St. Pete property, once home to a historic cultural landmark, into a mixed-use destination with affordable housing and retail.

The new proposals were received after the City of St. Petersburg issued a request for proposals (RFP) for developers interested in redeveloping the three vacant parcels at 951 22nd Street South, a site that once housed the historic Merriwether Building, which supported and housed African American and Jewish entrepreneurs when racial and social restrictions were in place.

The developers that submitted proposals include South Florida-based Green Mills Group, Fort Lauderdale-based real estate and development firm Alexander Goshen and partner Goode Van Slyke Architecture, and not-for-profit group Making Opportunities Materialize Inc. (MOM).

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Wild Fork Foods, a boutique meat and seafood market, opens on 4th Street

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Wild Fork Foods, a boutique meat and seafood market, opens on 4th Street

Ostrich, anyone? Wild Fork Meat and Seafood Market has opened its first St. Petersburg store, and it is unlike your traditional neighborhood grocery store - selling everything from alligator tenderloins to venison rib racks.   

Wild Fork, offering the widest selection of high-quality meat and seafood, has debuted at 2801 4th Street North on the site of the former Alcove Assisted Living directly across the street from The Fresh Market and Trader Joe's.

Local commercial real estate developer Belleair Development Group purchased the property in 2021 for $3.25 million. The structures were demolished, and a new 4,950-square-foot building was constructed for Wild Fork.

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