December 15, 2025

St. Pete becomes Florida’s first city to allow affordable housing on religious property

December 15, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

The City of St. Pete has become the first municipality in Florida to adopt a provision into its City Code allowing affordable housing to be built on land owned by religious institutions regardless of underlying zoning, following the passage of a new state law earlier this year.

While the Florida Senate Bill 1730, often referred to as “Yes In God’s Backyard” or YIGBY, gives cities the option to allow affordable housing on faith-owned land, it does not require them to do so.

St. Pete’s new provision turns the state statute into a clear and usable local process.

Many congregations own property that is no longer fully used for worship or parking but was historically difficult to redevelop because it is zoned institutional or public use rather than residential.

Before SB 1730, affordable housing could be built on church land only if a city approved a rezoning, conditional use, or comprehensive plan amendment.

November 17, 2025

Revised plans advance for 13-story affordable housing tower in downtown St. Pete

November 17, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

A long-awaited residential redevelopment on the west side of Mirror Lake in downtown St. Pete is finally making progress, more than two years after the project was first awarded.

Pinellas County Schools’ 1.36-acre property, located at 296 Mirror Lake Drive and home to the 101-year-old Tomlinson building, is now one step closer to being redeveloped as the development team has submitted plans to the city for site plan approval.

What was once planned as a mix of affordable and market-rate apartments will now be an entirely affordable community, with priority given to Pinellas County Schools faculty and staff.

All 202 units in the updated plan will be income-restricted, with some reserved for households earning up to 60% of Area Median Income (AMI) and the rest at 110% AMI.

The Tomlinson building was originally built in 1924 as St. Petersburg Junior High School. It later became the Edwin H. Tomlinson Vocational School before transitioning into the Tomlinson Adult Learning Center in 1978.

August 27, 2025

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

August 27, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

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.

August 13, 2025

Developer seeks approval for 168-unit apartment community on 8th Avenue Southeast in Largo

August 13, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

A 168-unit affordable apartment community is planned for a portion of a 15.5-acre property in Largo, adjacent to another affordable housing project already underway on the site.

Tampa-based Southport Financial Services, working with Moore Bass Consulting, is seeking site plan approval from the City of Largo to build the complex at 800 8th Avenue Southeast, on the corner of 8th Avenue SE and Donegan Road.

The project, called Largo Station, would be built on 5.7 acres on the western portion of the property next to Allora, a 240-unit apartment community being developed by global real estate firm Trammell Crow Residential (TCR). The remainder of the property is occupied by Allora’s first phase. When both phases are complete, the site will have 408 apartments.

July 23, 2025

Cathie Wood's ARK Invest to move headquarters to EDGE District in downtown St. Pete

July 23, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

ARK Invest, a leading global investment firm known for its focus on disruptive innovation, will relocate its downtown St. Pete headquarters to the EDGE District.

Tampa-based Ellison Development announced Wednesday that ARK Invest, which is currently headquartered at 200 Central Avenue, will occupy 13,000 square feet on the 11th floor of Halcyon, a new office building expected to break ground later this year at 1301 Central Avenue.

Halcyon represents the first Class A office building constructed in downtown St. Pete since the 1980s.

The 11-story, 130,000-square-foot office building is one of the main components of The Central, a 2.1-acre mixed-use development that will also contain a 168-room Marriott Autograph Collection hotel, 14,000 square feet of retail space, a 42-unit affordable housing community, and a newly opened 540-space parking garage.