Century-old Playhouse Theatre to be demolished for redevelopment in the Grand Central District
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Boarded-up windows and crumbling stucco line the exterior of the former Playhouse Theatre—a once-thriving venue for the latest Hollywood movies and traveling performers.
The long-vacant, 100-year-old theater at 1850 Central Avenue may soon be demolished to make way for a new development featuring office space and retail.
The site is located next to an Interstate 275 overpass and adjacent to the Trails Crossing development, a proposed linear park featuring public art and event spaces that is being studied for the area under I-275.
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For years, The Joint’s patio had the bones of a great outdoor hangout: space to sit, a neighborhood crowd, and the kind of laid-back setting that feels made for a cold beer and a game on TV.
What it did not have was much protection from Florida’s sun and rain.
That is about to change. The Joint, the longtime Jungle Terrace tavern at 7630 34th Avenue North, has added a covered patio, an outdoor bar, fans, and seven TVs.
Owners Ben Scherlis and Francesco “Fran” Balzano expect to welcome customers into the new space later this month, although an opening date has not yet been finalized.
“We just wanted to open this space up and make it a whole new outdoor concept where people can sit outside, order food and drinks, and watch TV, same as you could inside,” Scherlis said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “It’s just giving people another option.”