St. Pete explores permanent ferry dock at St. Pete Pier for service to downtown Tampa

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St. Pete explores permanent ferry dock at St. Pete Pier for service to downtown Tampa

The passenger ferry linking downtown St. Pete and downtown Tampa may soon have a new home on the St. Pete Pier.

As the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) prepares to relaunch the Tampa Bay Ferry, formerly known as the Cross Bay Ferry, the city is evaluating plans to construct a permanent dock near the St. Petersburg Museum of History, according to documents obtained by St. Pete Rising.

When the ferry service began in 2016, it carried passengers on a roughly 50-minute ride from North Straub Park in downtown St. Pete to the Tampa Convention Center in downtown Tampa.

In 2023, when the permit for the St. Pete dock expired, the St. Pete terminus was relocated to the Port of St. Petersburg, south of Albert Whitted Airport.

While the Port location kept the service operational, it’s been criticized by riders and city officials for being out of sight and inconvenient compared to the original downtown stop.

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

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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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Renderings reveal what the Woodson African American Museum could become in St. Pete

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Renderings reveal what the Woodson African American Museum could become in St. Pete

The Woodson African American Museum of Florida, currently located at 2240 9th Avenue South, has unveiled a bold vision for a new home designed to honor the past, inspire the future, and serve as a cultural anchor for St. Pete.

The new 40,000-square-foot museum concept, designed by Everald Colas of St. Pete-based Storyn Studio for Architecture, is envisioned for the corner of 15th Street and 1st Avenue South, currently Lot 5 of Tropicana Field and across from Fusion 1560.

As striking as the renderings are, the proposed design faces major hurdles, including securing a site for the new museum and reaching ambitious fundraising goals.

The property was previously part of the Rays/Hines redevelopment plans for the Historic Gas Plant District, which was officially scrapped in July.

When the Rays walked away, they relinquished their development rights to the land, enabling the city to redevelop portions of the site before the end of the team’s use agreement.

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Florida Holocaust Museum announces reopening date for remodeled and reimagined museum in downtown St. Pete

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Florida Holocaust Museum announces reopening date for remodeled and reimagined museum in downtown St. Pete

After more than a year of closure, The Florida Holocaust Museum has announced it will welcome visitors back starting Tuesday, September 9th following an extensive renovation.

With a collection of over 25,000 artifacts, The Florida Holocaust Museum, located at 55 5th Street South in downtown St. Pete, is one of the largest Holocaust museums in the country and one of only three nationally accredited Holocaust museums.

The renovation project includes a new entrance with enhanced security features, an open-air second-story balcony, a theater that will house its interactive Dimensions in Testimony exhibit, and a temporary installation housing elements of the Elie Wiesel Collection.

The full Elie Wiesel exhibit, which will occupy the museum’s third floor, will come in a later phase of the museum’s building projects.

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Five-story expansion planned for Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement in downtown St. Pete

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Five-story expansion planned for Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement in downtown St. Pete

The Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement, home to the world’s premier collection of art and objects from the American Arts and Crafts movement, is planning an expansion in downtown St. Pete.

The 137,000-square-foot museum at 355 4th Street North will construct a five-story, 11,300-square-foot addition connected to the existing museum, according to plans submitted to the City of St. Petersburg and obtained by St. Pete Rising.

The $10 million expansion, which will serve as added gallery space along the courtyard, has not yet received permit approval, and its design elements are still subject to change.

General contractor Barr & Barr Inc. will build the project, and Tampa-based Alfonso Architects, which also designed the original museum, has been hired to design the expansion.

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