Hotel-condominium project in St. Petersburg's Old Northeast slides into foreclosure
Posted: Sep 28, 2009 05:59 PM

A one-time hotel-condominium project in St. Petersburg's Old Northeast has slid into foreclosure. The Fuel Group, a Tampa developer, tried unsuccessfully in 2007 to get a 33-story luxury Westin hotel approved at Fifth Avenue N. and First Street. After shrinking the project to 23 stories, Fuel Group was rejected a second time by City Council. Earlier this month, Broadway Bank and Downtown St. Pete Properties LLC sued Fuel for failing to pay off its $4.8 million mortgage on the property. Fuel Group, owned by former oil and power plant executive Jiwat Lalwani, has been trying to raise fancy hotels in places like downtown Tampa, Clearwater Beach and Tampa's West Shore business district. But the real estate downturn clipped those plans.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/realestate/hotel-condominium-project-in-st-petersburgs-old-northeast-slides-into/1039947

Ouch!! They keep falling.

Ouch!! They keep falling.
I commented on this on the SPT link. Yeah, it was part blame towards the economy, but you can also put blame on the neighbors on opposing this from start. Fuel Group could had tweeked their project to include the hotel at first and then convert floor ?? to floor ?? to condos when the market was right. But you had a neighborhood that was complaing about height when a tower with the around the same number of floors as this project was first proposed to have was being constructed down the street. Then Fuel reduces the number of floors and the neighbors complain about the bulkness of the project, I wonder why it went bulky. And then it went down hill when people were complaining about SHADE! Not about noise or pollution, but shade. Talk about the wrong people in the wrong location.

May be hard to get taller projects through in that part of DT for some years. It's mostly a low-rise area, particularly north of 5th Avenue where it's mainly single-family homes with some low-rise apartments and townhouses mixed in. A boutique-y hotel 15 stories or less probably would've gone over better, and maybe would've made economic sense, too.

I commented on this on the SPT link. Yeah, it was part blame towards the economy, but you can also put blame on the neighbors on opposing this from start. Fuel Group could had tweeked their project to include the hotel at first and then convert floor ?? to floor ?? to condos when the market was right. But you had a neighborhood that was complaing about height when a tower with the around the same number of floors as this project was first proposed to have was being constructed down the street. Then Fuel reduces the number of floors and the neighbors complain about the bulkness of the project, I wonder why it went bulky. And then it went down hill when people were complaining about SHADE! Not about noise or pollution, but shade. Talk about the wrong people in the wrong location.
That is true, stupid residents.

A step worth taking to save BayWalk

http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/a-step-worth-taking-to-save-baywalk/1040256

The St. Petersburg City Council faces a difficult vote Thursday on a key part of Mayor Rick Baker's plan to help save BayWalk, the downtown entertainment complex struggling to survive.

Spending roughly $700,000 for better lighting in the city-owned parking garage and other improvements was the easy part. The tougher issue is vacating the public sidewalk in front of BayWalk on Second Avenue N so its new owner can control what goes on there. This narrowly drawn proposal is more about redevelopment and protecting a substantial public investment than about constitutional rights, and the council should approve it.

The council already has approved a comprehensive plan that features enhanced security and well-marked pedestrian connections between BayWalk, Beach Drive and other downtown areas. Police officers are patrolling on horseback, and the city will offer free parking in the garage on nights and weekends for six months starting in January. The changes will benefit the entire area as well as BayWalk, and the cost is reasonable.

The more difficult question is whether to vacate the sidewalk in front of BayWalk, which was a popular spot for protesters when the complex drew crowds on the weekends and its storefronts were full. The area became congested, and there were concerns about security and the ability of customers to enter the complex. This plan is not as objectionable as other proposals this editorial page has criticized, such as closing Second Avenue N entirely or creating "no-protest zones" on the public sidewalk. There also is precedent for vacating parts of streets and sidewalks for other developments, and protesters still would have access to BayWalk patrons from the public sidewalks on the south side of Second Avenue N. The refined proposal makes clear that BayWalk would gain no new development rights, and the public and private portions of the space would be clearly marked.

Some council members worry that vacating the sidewalk for BayWalk will lead to a rash of similar demands from other downtown business owners. But the council has the authority to decide under what narrow circumstances to grant such requests. BayWalk is a particularly unusual case.

First, the public has a substantial investment in the complex. St. Petersburg taxpayers have spent at least $20 million over the years to build and support BayWalk, and that investment is at risk now. Second, BayWalk triggered a downtown renaissance when it opened in 2000, and it would be foolish to let it become a blight in the midst of a recession. Third, the complex includes the only movie theaters in the city. How can St. Petersburg claim it can support Major League Baseball but not a single movie theater?

BayWalk's new owners have pledged in writing to spend more than $6 million to renovate the complex. Muvico, which operates the separately controlled theaters, also has stepped up and pledged to spend about $750,000 to update its complex in return for an additional break on parking. But BayWalk's owners and Muvico have made it clear that all of that investment will disappear unless the council approves the vacation of the sidewalk.

Groups that have previously protested in front of BayWalk are objecting — although the crowds they sought to reach with their message will not return unless the complex is revived. The sidewalk vacation has broad support from the business community and from the Downtown Residents Civic Association. BayWalk is at a turning point, and the City Council can head it in the right direction by voting to vacate the sidewalk.


I have to add that I do think they should save baywalk. But it really isn't a focal point downtown anymore. Aside from the movie theater there isn't much there. Downtown St. Pete use to only have baywalk and the pier. Now central is lines by restaurants, shops and cafes and they people aren't reserved to going to those places. Just my though.

A step worth taking to save BayWalk

http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/editorials/a-step-worth-taking-to-save-baywalk/1040256
Third, the complex includes the only movie theaters in the city. How can St. Petersburg claim it can support Major League Baseball but not a single movie theater?

Cos St. Pete is still god's waiting room?

Simon has plans to rebuild a bigger theatre at Tyrone, but I doubt we'll see that happen for some years. And of course there were plans for theatres at Carillon, another DT for the Trop redevelopment, and I think one would be a part of the Toytown redevelopment. St. Pete is very underserved and could support more. Small, neighborhood theatres would work well in St. Pete, I think, as opposed to large multiplexes. I think people are choosing to go to Pinellas Park or not go at all. I've personally driven to Hillsborough from St. Pete to see a movie a few times. I doubt that I'm the only one.

has anyone heard the rumour about dale chihuly having a gallery in the 400 beach building downtown? is it true or just rumour?

All I can find of that is the news of him and the plans for the arts.

That could be a logical transitional location, but I'm not sure that fits with Chihuly's m.o.

The movie theater thing in St. Pete always had me wondering. When I was growing up on St. Pete Beach, there were the following theaters pretty close by: The Beach Theater on Corey, Dolphin Village had a two screen theater, Tyrone had 6 screens, Crossroads had 2 (expanded to 8), there was the 2 screen theater on 1st Ave South and 32nd St., and there was a movie and ale house at Maximo. Plus I could have sworn there was another small theater down in Pinellas Point somewhere.

Somehow, years later with a bigger population you now only have Pinellas Park (which always had a theater only fewer screens) and Baywalk?

^^It's the strangest thing even when I was growing up there were quite a few, the younger population has actually grown too, its very weird.

Does anyone know of any project planned on the corner of 1st Ave and 16th St.? There's a lot of groundwork on the site and I can't find any news of it.
I drove back to the site again and something has rose on the site, whatever it is I have no clue. To me, it looks like a parking garage with massive slabs of blank walls with no windows or openings besides a small number.

Which 1st Ave? If it's 1st Ave S, that's the Fusion1560 apartments going up.

BayWalk managers detail improvement plans to downtown residents

By Cristina Silva, Times staff writer
In Print: Friday, November 13, 2009

http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/baywalk-managers-detail-improvement-plans-to-downtown-residents/1051415
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ST. PETERSBURG — Within a year, BayWalk patrons could be feasting on steak and shrimp, enjoying a 3-D movie or bowling in a snazzy sports lounge.

But, property managers warn, it won't be a quick turnaround.

Weeks after the City Council ceded the sidewalk fronting the downtown entertainment complex to private developers in a controversial move that pitted commerce against free speech, BayWalk still remains mostly vacant. Property managers have yet to name new tenants, existing shop owners are continuing to flee, and new merchants likely won't open shop until at least April.

"While we would love for things to happen overnight, it's going to take some patience," property manager Thomas McGeachy told a crowd of more than 100 downtown residents gathered for an association meeting Thursday night.

However, change is in motion:

• BayWalk's owners said they will seek further control over the sidewalks near the property's entrance to keep protesters further at bay. Specifically, they want a permit that would give them control over the part of the sidewalk on the other side of the street leading to the parking garage.

• Muvico has agreed to pump $350,000 into upgrading its two major auditoriums. The theater company has also pledged to eventually offer 3-D projections in its IMAX theater.

• Property managers are looking to secure a lunch and breakfast sidewalk cafe for its ground floor anchor, formerly occupied by national retailer Ann Taylor.

• The complex's notoriously faulty escalators are set to be replaced and new lights will be installed in the courtyard.

• Tenant agreements are being discussed with Splitsville, an upscale bowling lounge; Z Grille, a downtown Mexican fusion restaurant; an unidentified high-end surf-and-turf restaurant; a casual seafood restaurant; a sports bar; and a restaurant that would transform into a dance hall at night.

Property managers cited the city's decision to vacate the sidewalk fronting the property as a breaking point.

"Now that we've gotten past that hurdle, we are negotiating back and forth," said Curtis Rorebeck, senior vice president of Equity Retail Group.

City Hall is also doing its own heavy lifting to help the flagging complex:

• City officials have added additional call boxes in its adjoining garage to beef up security.

• In an effort to increase the police presence near BayWalk, officers can now stow city Segways in a storage unit in the garage.

• Two officers mounted on horses recently started patrolling the area.

• Downtown sidewalks are being ripped up and repaved in a city effort to beautify the streets linking to BayWalk. Overall, city officials said they will work to connect five major activity nodes: BayWalk, the Pier, Central Avenue, Beach Drive and the University Village shopping center area.

"We couldn't treat BayWalk just as an island," said Rick Mussett, the city's development administrator.

All related construction costs have already been approved under the city's capital improvements budget, Mussett said.

Mayor-elect Bill Foster, who attended the meeting, said he approved of the BayWalk plan.

However, he stressed word of mouth alone won't bring back customers.

"The city is going to have to market the heck out of it to make sure people are reminded it's a destination place," he said.

Still, at least one downtown business owner expressed doubt that the plan would help revive downtown's former anchor.

"Having a business in downtown St. Petersburg has been an absolute disaster," said Ian Fell, owner of Full Monty Frozen Yogurt at Second Street N.

He blamed panhandlers, rowdy late-night drinkers and a dearth of police officers.

He asked: "Who is going to be interested in coming?"

Cristina Silva can be reached at (727) 893-8846 or csilva@sptimes.com.

Which 1st Ave? If it's 1st Ave S, that's the Fusion1560 apartments going up.
Thought I replied, guess not.

It's the site that we talked about a couple pages back that I believe you commented was the location for the Fusion 1560 Apartments. But what I saw was something closer to a parking garage. There was no openings where windows could be placed, it was basically a concrete wall on all sides.

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/5868/tampa1006.jpg

Grand Bohemian hotel project stalls in downtown St. Petersburg
In Print: Wednesday, November 18, 2009

ST. PETERSBURG — Downtown's long delayed Grand Bohemian hotel project stumbled again this week when city officials announced the developer could no longer make payments on its $1.5 million loan.

But unlike in the past, when the city has accommodated numerous requests for delays and changes, city officials took a hard stance: City Council agreed to advise Kessler Enterprise of Orlando that it had 15 days to agree to continue payments or its loan would be in default.

The city provided the line of credit in 2004 on the promise that the luxury chain would build a 4-star hotel tower on First Avenue N between Second and Third streets. The prime downtown lot remains vacant.

City officials said the default notice might enable the developer to obtain a loan from another creditor and use that money to continue payments to the city.

The default notice should not kill the project, city officials assured council members during the public meeting.

"They have a lot of investment in making this property ready to go," said Bruce Grimes, the city's real estate director. "I don't think our action will stop them from moving forward."

However, the default also won't guarantee the city a return on its loan, city attorney John Wolfe stressed.

The original loan called for Kessler to pay the city in 36 monthly installments of $6,250 starting in September 2007. The rest of the loan and interest would be paid off starting in September 2010 with monthly payments of $9,899 over 20 years.

Kessler had been making steady payments, but advised the city last month it could no longer honor the plan starting at the end of the year.

Instead, Kessler offered to make a $50,000 payment against the principal and asked to delay its monthly payments.

"This is the best alternative that we can propose in the current financial environment," wrote Day Dantzler, Kessler's chief financial officer, in an October letter to the city. "We remain committed to the project and look forward to commencing construction once the financial and demand markets rebound."

But city officials discovered Kessler had gotten itself into more debt after it mortgaged the property as security for $6 million. Kessler did not tell the city of the mortgage, which prevents the city from substituting the loan with a mortgage on the property.

Mayor Rick Baker, who has fiercely advocated for the project, remained optimistic about the hotel.

"I'm hopeful that someday it will still happen," he said. "The good part of this is at some point the economy will turn."

The Grand Bohemian project has a long, troubled history.

The City Council agreed to sell the prime downtown parcel formerly occupied by the Florida International Museum to Progress Energy for $5 million in 2004. As part of the deal, developers promised a Grand Bohemian would open along the eastern corner of the site in August 2007. Progress Energy was awarded the bid even though three other companies offered to pay more.

Kessler Enterprises promised a luxury hotel tower, complete with an extensive art gallery, an elite Bosendorfer piano bar, an upscale Boheme restaurant, a spa and 62 condos ranging from the $700,000s to more than $2 million.

The project never took off.

Earlier this year, after council members complained about the unsightly, vacant lot, Kessler hired workers to plant shrubbery and oak and palm trees along the lot's borders. Kessler also removed several torn signs advertising the proposed hotel and repaired the fence.

Still, council member Wengay Newton questioned the developer's commitment Monday.

"There is nothing to stop them from walking off and leaving us with what we have now, a lot with trees around it," he said.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/grand-bohemian-hotel-project-stalls-in-downtown-st-petersburg/1052370

Tampa Bay has sucked in getting luxury 4 and 5 star hotels into the market. Hopefully this doesn't discourage Bohemian from coming to St. Petersburg or Tampa.

Thought I replied, guess not.

It's the site that we talked about a couple pages back that I believe you commented was the location for the Fusion 1560 Apartments. But what I saw was something closer to a parking garage. There was no openings where windows could be placed, it was basically a concrete wall on all sides.

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/5868/tampa1006.jpg

The apartments will surround the parking garage. From what I've seen of these urban apartment complexes, the parking garage is built first, then the actual apartments surrounding them are built last.

The apartments will surround the parking garage. From what I've seen of these urban apartment complexes, the parking garage is built first, then the actual apartments surrounding them are built last.
Oh alright, makes sense. So question to the mods, make a thread for this since it looks to be under construction?

Grand Bohemian hotel project stalls in downtown St. Petersburg
In Print: Wednesday, November 18, 2009


http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/grand-bohemian-hotel-project-stalls-in-downtown-st-petersburg/1052370

Tampa Bay has sucked in getting luxury 4 and 5 star hotels into the market. Hopefully this doesn't discourage Bohemian from coming to St. Petersburg or Tampa.

Really hope this one gets built, too, for having a 4-star hotel and for the architecture.

So question to the mods, make a thread for this since it looks to be under construction?

Make it if you have information like renderings, website, number of units, stories tall etc.

Make it if you have information like renderings, website, number of units, stories tall etc.
No problem. I have a number here for how many units, but I'm also emailing them to just make sure it is correct. I'll still make the thread, but either you or Jasonhouse can edit the title if the number proves wrong.

http://www.stpete.org/economic_development_dept/docs/DwtnDevMap1109.pdf

The List of Developments in St. Petersburg has been updated to October 2009.

St. Pete Pier conceptual drawings presented Tuesday

St. Petersburg, Florida -- What will the St. Petersburg Pier look like 10 years from now? Tuesday afternoon, the city's Pier Advisory Task Force will get plenty of ideas when a Miami-based architectural firm presents a number of conceptual drawings. The firm, Bermello Ajamil & Partners, was hired to help local officials try and come up with ideas to repair/replace or possibly reconstruct the aging landmark.

"These folks that we've retained are quite experienced in waterfront and pier type projects all over the world and we expect to see some stimulating and some outrageous ideas," task force chair Randy Wedding told 10 Connects.

It's expected Bermello Ajamil & Partners will present the task force with 10 to 20 different drawings Tuesday afternoon. The meeting is just the latest step as officials move closer towards coming up with a plan for the pier.

The goal, according to Downtown Enterprise Facilities Director Chris Ballestra, is for the city to be ready to move forward with a plan by 2012. He notes, at a minimum, the support pilings on the approach road need to be replaced.

"In the year 2012, we have access to $50 million of TIF funding. If we spend more then that amount of money in the reconstruction of the pier... it will require a referendum."

Wedding says the task force was to make a recommendation to the mayor and city council as to what officials should do with the pier by February 25th. But he expects the task force will ask for more time.

http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=121665&catid=8

The meeting is also a public meeting, so I'll be heading there after I make a visit to USF and getting some info

I have my fingers crossed for a landmark design!

I hope they are all as landmark-like as the current inverted-pyramid design, but in a better way.

Never got to go to the meeting due to both PHCC and USF taking too much time with simple paperwork. By the time I was done with USf, it was already 5 minutes past 2 pm and would took me at least 40 minutes to get the St. Pete. Sorry guys.

I'm hoping for another landmark building. The firm they hired has done some very nice work, including partnership in The World in Dubai. I think they can come up with some decent proposals, but will require public imput to please as many as possible. And it doesn't need to be an inverted-pyramid to be a landmark, The Pier wasn't always flanked by what we have today on it. It could be anything from what we have today to building a observation tower. I just think many in the city just don't want to see The Pier demolished.

The SPTimes posted a link to the workshop presentation:

http://www.stpete.org/news/the_pier/docs/Pier_Task_Force___BA_Presentation_2010_01_05.pdf

A combination of a redone pier, redeveloped upland and new marina would really enliven the place and really add something to downtown.

I also think the length should be kept. It's not the length, but that there's nothing along the length to make it worth walking.

Interesting but some of the new Pier designs look pretty bad, P9 and above are garbage and are just there because they are the cheapest solutions.

P2, P3, P5, and P7 are the best designs but the cost is up there but I really hope the city doesn't be cheap on something that could boost downtown St. Pete's image. I like the idea of adding mega yacht docks in the harbor as well as reconfiguring the park there and adding a pedestrian bridge to the Vinoy. This should be carefully studied because with the right investment we could have the best waterfront area in Florida which means in the next boom we could see huge growth in downtown.

When visting Bayside in Miami I could see many things they did right that both places in Tampa and St. Petersburg have done wrong. This is our chance to do it right and do it way better and I really hope this becomes a destination where people will come and enjoy it and leave talking about it. This should be our famous landmark in Tampa Bay.

I'll support the ones you mentioned. I'm more in favor for P2 and P3 from the rest. The thing about P2 is that it hovers around the $100 million mark and who knows if something happens that raises it above $100 million. And the listings which I'm guessing red in the chart means "bad" or "unfavorable" won't help with environmental impact at red. But I'll need to see some renders that have the buildings vertically and what they would look like.

I'll choose U-7 for the West Parcel. Which the only change would be having PK-2 as the parking garage decision and not PK-1. I think it would be great to have retail to the north and having a public space/park to the south. The reason is that I know that some of the people will hump the idea of making the whole place as a park, which I would not want to see. St. Petersburg may not have enough parks for me to say that they do, but the whole waterfront is almost bordered by parks right now and this doesn't need to be another park.

The only situation is that all together, with P2 and U-7, is that the price tag will come to around $140 million. Is that something the residents of St. Pete and the city government want to spend? It really comes down to will the city benefit from the cost? Will what is placed in the areas that area detailed in U-7 for retail bring people to the area? Will P2 have something as a landmark and be what the St. Louis Arch is to St. Louis and what the Golden Gate Bridge is to San Fran? There is probably a hundred questions I can come up with and WILL need to be addressed before with move forward with this plan. I'm not asking for 100% correctiveness on this, but this shouldn't be a half-assed project with 50% common sense.

Here is my own Pier proposal I made in sketchup. As you can see the old Pier would be torn down and this new structure in the shape of a ship would replace it at nearly the same length but with larger width. The red area of the new pier is meant for some sort of possible observation area if not an observation structure could be built in the blue. The blue is a larger area which has many possibilities, the light blue area both on the pier and on land are retail stores, restaurants, clubs, etc. These buildings would range from 1-5 stories and maximize space. The dark red building is a location for a large retailer and the dark green is a possible museum. The buildings would be unique and have strict design standards as well as lighting at night.

The yellow areas are for parking one is a parking garage and the other a surface lot, there is also on street parking which continues onto the Pier, all parking is electronically metered. There is a one lane road with street parking wrapping around the Pier and the road leading to the Pier is two lane with street parking. The reason for keeping vehicles on the Pier is to allow vehicles to get an excellent view of the bay and downtown. The two orange areas would be left empty until the economy improves with future possibilities of a hotel, condos, etc.

As you can see there are tons of wide walkways that line the bay and docks for boats as well. The walkways would allow for rollerblading, bikes, fishing, with plenty of room for safe walking. The park to the North will allow for events and concerts with its wide open space. The side walk that ends with a stub is for a future pedestrian bridge when the economy improves.

I'd hope that the Pier proposals would be something like this with a unique design and one that allows for retail and future expansion. At the same time make this a destination for everybody whether one wants to shop, party, cruise by, or take a stroll. Of course this would be an expensive way of doing it but it would be done right and be successful for years to come.

http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv38/MK1998/Random/PierProposal.jpg

http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv38/MK1998/Random/PierProposal2.jpg

I like option 7 as well. I think its the best compromse of style versus money to be spent. I fully endorse turning the yacht basin into a proper yacht harbor with good facilities and a nice wide prominade around the perimeter. Hopefully the architecture will be something decent and not some retro, throwback design. St.Pete in particular is chock-a-block with faux historic recreations. They should go with a modern design language.

Park, ride, stop, shop and work
By Waveney Ann Moore, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Sunday, January 10, 2010

The buses that come and go and lay over at Williams Park could become a less frequent presence if a plan to relocate the county's busiest transfer point comes to fruition.

The city of St. Petersburg and Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority are envisioning a new, modern downtown transportation hub that could include retail space, offices and public parking. They say the new depot could be linked with a proposed passenger rail system.

Construction of the estimated $20 million-plus project is likely to begin within three to five years.

For now, city and PSTA officials are scouting downtown sites — Tampa Bay to Fifth Avenue N and Interstate 275 to Sixth Avenue S — for the project. In the past two months, they've narrowed the sites being considered from 17 to five. Among them is a historic property at Central Avenue and Fourth Street S. If selected, the new transit center would be incorporated into the historic site. Another location on the list encompasses two parking lots off Fourth Street S owned by Times Publishing Co.

Officials say the new terminal will be no ordinary bus depot. PSTA executive director Tim Garling said the agency visualizes a transit center that is more convenient for riders and one that will be well-lighted, safe and secure.

"We're looking to make it a really first-class facility for our customers,'' Garling said.

"As we are looking for those things for our customers, just as importantly, we are looking for a very nice economic development project for downtown St. Petersburg.''

Joe Kubicki, the city's director of transportation, concurred. "We expect the project will be a mixed-use project, with the transit terminal on the ground floor with the possibility of retail development, and with a public parking facility and possibly private development above," he said.

This is not the first time relocating the Williams Park terminal has been considered. It has been in use since before World War II.

"I think Williams Park has outlived its usefulness,'' Garling said.

Moving the terminal is expected to have several advantages. A city report presented to the Planning and Visioning Commission said relocating the terminal would "reclaim the recreation/open space land use of Williams Park.''

The city hired a consulting firm to study the feasibility of moving the bus depot and will use the findings to help determine the location for what is being referred to as an intermodal transit center. The consultants also might design the new facility. This is the third relocation study since 1979.

"In light of the importance of public transportation in our community and the goals of PSTA to increase its usage, we feel that the time is right to identify and develop this intermodal facility,'' Kubicki said.

For now, city and PSTA officials are focused on selecting property for the new terminal and are beginning to talk to property owners.

An advisory committee, made up of representatives from PSTA, the city, the Florida Department of Transportation and the Metropolitan Planning Organization, is expected to recommend a site to the City Council in about 60 to 90 days, Kubicki said.

Money for the project will come primarily from federal grants. Construction is expected to take less than two years.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/park-ride-stop-shop-and-work/1064137

Hopefully the same is done with Tampa's HSR Station and isn't just some ordinary train stop. On the link they mention the 5 locations scouted for the hub. I selected Site C because it doesn't squeeze so much stuff in a little space and it can also become a station for a trolley line if that ever happens.

I like Site C, too, for the size, and the location is equidistant from the main core and the dome district. It would help spur more development in that part of downtown, especially when rail comes.

Another interesting note is that last week, the new mayor Bill Foster was interviewed and was asked what he has as to plans and policies for the city during his term. One of the things he brought up was a new convention center for the city.

My question is, should St. Petersburg build a stand alone convention center like Tampa's was before Embassy or possibly build one with a hotel connected to it? I know the market isn't there for hotel rooms, but I'd rather have one with a hotel since many other cities that are planning convention centers either have a Marriott of some sort or higher brand hotel connected to theirs.

At the same time, St. Petersburg will have Tampa to compete against in luring conventions and meetings to come to theirs. Do I think it will be a problem for them to fill up their convention center so it won't be a failure? No. But they're going to need to come up with future conventions to fill in the space.

Even though it's a pic from September, it's a good pic overall of Ovation. And I must say, the regular parking works well here instead of parallel parking. Anyone have any info on how retail is doing with the development and any names of retailers that have already been announced?

http://www.ovationjmc.com/Resources/images/progress_0909L.jpg

I was applying for the restaurant in Ovation and had an interview there but I already forgot the name. It'll be a casual but somewhat upscale restaurant and it will open at the end of the month.

If anyone has been on Gandy recently you've probably seen the new Tortuga Pointe apartments, they're looking good.

Also they are somewhat urbanly built, big buildings instead of many smaller ones.
http://tortugapointe.com/

It will certainly make Gandy look nicer... it's the same company that is building Fusion 1560 in downtown St.Pete.

Those look very nice!

http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/columns/downtown-st-petersburg-in-line-for-new-bars-restaurant/1083914

Downtown St. Petersburg in line for new bars, restaurant

For decades, St. Petersburg had a national reputation as "God's waiting room" and "home of the newlywed and the nearly dead."

In recent years, however, the city has come alive with a nighttime scene that draws young people from all over the bay area. And now there's a new spurt of bars and nightclubs that seem to pop up about as quickly as a new bank on Fourth Street N.

As we reported Sunday, a group including shock jock Bubba the Love Sponge Clem plans to open a nightclub called Scene in the former American Stage building this summer.

Move over, Bubba. You've got company.

Drynk is being added to the mix.

While it was first thought that the popular Tampa lounge would open a St. Petersburg venue in the Bank of America building, the owners say they may invest in a brand new development.

There are five owners: Bryan Pascual, Jason Amos, Enrique DeJesus, Robert Solomon and Steve Gianfilippo.

DeJesus, Solomon and Amos were first partners in AJA Channelside in Tampa. They later secured property at Howard Avenue and Platt Street in Tampa and approached Pascual about joining as an investor.

That union produced Drynk Soho.

"Drynk is a lounge. We want it to be a chameleon for everything. It has a lot of outdoor-indoor experience. At night it will definitely turn into a party scene," said Pascual, who said the owners are looking to expand all over the country and will use the St. Petersburg location as a model.

"We are currently securing a location, a standalone property. A one-of-a-kind facility that downtown St. Pete hasn't seen the likes of," he said.

While Pascual declined to rule out the Bank of America site, he said there is "another location that better suits our model. A brand new standalone building that will be world class."

"We got lucky. We think we will revolutionize downtown St. Pete. Since we're still working out the kinks, we can't give out a location at this time."

Asked to describe Drynk, Pascual said, "We're more like a New York lounge."

The venue offers happy hour and live music on certain days, house music on certain nights and is basically Top 40.

Pascual added that there's a buzz about coming to downtown.

"St. Pete is not a market where people get stuffy. It is such an artistic area and I don't think people (bar and club owners) understand that. High-end ultra lounge is not the answer."

• • •

But, wait, there's more.

Acropolis Bar & Grill will open its fourth restaurant in the bay area later this summer at 515 Central Ave. once Bella Brava leaves for its new home on Beach Drive.

The owners, brothers Sam and Costa Waez of Tampa, have been looking to move to downtown St. Petersburg for a year or so. They already have restaurants featuring Greek cuisine in New Tampa, Ybor City and Riverview.

Patrons should expect plate breaking during festive occasions, live music and belly dancing on Saturdays.

"We signed a lease last year to move there in September, but Bella Brava decided not to move," said Costa Waez, 47.

"We've always wanted to be in downtown St. Petersburg and at that location. This time they (Bella Brava) guaranteed they were leaving. Hopefully we'll be open on Aug. 1 or sooner," he said.

• • •

Taps Wine and Beer Merchants, which has a restaurant in Tampa, is considering expanding to downtown St. Petersburg.

"While Taps is considering St. Petersburg, we haven't nailed anything down just yet," said James DeVito, president of TAPS International, LLC, Wine & Beer Merchants.

"We've considered BayWalk and we're also looking at" retail space in the newly opened Ovation development on Beach Drive, he said.

DeVito said other cities, including Sarasota and Fort Lauderdale, are in the running for the expansion, but the Sunshine City location is more appealing.

"We've been looking and St. Petersburg is probably sitting in the lead position right now," he said. "Its location is geographically better suited for us. We also like its growth potential and reputation."

• • •

Isn't it interesting that amid all this talk of bars and restaurants looking to expand here only one mentions BayWalk. Its problems may be more serious than optimistic city officials are willing to admit. But that's for another column.

I've voiced my opinion on the Bubba club deal on tampabay.com. All three are crooks and can't believe the city allowed them to open business with years of failed businesses and the lack of business skills.

It's great to hear about the others though. I looked in to atleast 2 and both come clean.

I emailed one of the council members earlier in the week to see if there is any new development in the works and got a email back a couple minutes ago. I don't know what project this is, but he said that there is a 40 story hotel/condo project planned near Tropicana that will be going for approval not the next council meeting but the one after.

And if I hear one more local club promoter use the phrase, "world class". Then the same guy goes on to say the area is "artsy" and not stuffy. Hence it won't be ultra high end. So what's it going to be dude? The only place in the bay area that could in theory support something approaching something you'd find in NY, LA, London, etc., is Hyde Park. There are enough $500 jeans wearers and 30K millionaires that could support it for about six months. St.Pete is indeed much more laid back, so maybe world class was a bit of a stretch. Sorry for the rant I just hate people over promising and under delivering.

I emailed one of the council members earlier in the week to see if there is any new development in the works and got a email back a couple minutes ago. I don't know what project this is, but he said that there is a 40 story hotel/condo project planned near Tropicana that will be going for approval not the next council meeting but the one after.

That sounds crazy, maybe they could have meant the Tropicana Center complex, it was suppose to be around 36 stories mixed use. But it was closer to the waterfront than to Tropicana... and I believe it died.

That's interesting though...

That sounds crazy, maybe they could have meant the Tropicana Center complex, it was suppose to be around 36 stories mixed use. But it was closer to the waterfront than to Tropicana... and I believe it died.

That's interesting though...
I was hoping that 10 people would comment on it and I would pull off a good April Folls joke, majorly flopped.

:)

Glad to see DT St. Pete progressing. I predict Scene will be the prime party spot for the USF/SPC students. I wonder where Drynk will be.

I'm pretty impressed with the decor of Cassis I've seen in pictures on the internet -- a very nice addition to DT St. Pete.

I was hoping that 10 people would comment on it and I would pull off a good April Folls joke, majorly flopped.

:)
hahaha... I didn't have the heart to call you out.

Foster vies to make St. Petersburg a boom town for sports
By Michael Van Sickler, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Saturday, April 3, 2010

ST. PETERSBURG — Mayor Bill Foster has started acting on his campaign promise to try to transform St. Petersburg into a hub for international athletics and premier sporting events that he hopes will be an economic catalyst.

It's an expansive wish list that includes returning Major League Baseball spring training to Al Lang Field, hosting the World Baseball Championship in 2013, and becoming a site for international baseball teams to play.

Foster said he will aggressively pursue other sporting events, including the NCAA Final Four basketball tournament, University of South Florida football games, high school football state championships, yacht racing, tennis championships, golf tournaments, boxing events and swimming meets.

"We're hearing all about having to make some big budget cuts and high unemployment," Foster said. "What I'm trying to do with this is create a revenue generator that will bring in jobs and money from outside the area."

To help him market the city, Foster is forming the "Mayor's Sports Council." Its members will be athletes and business professionals who will raise money to recruit events. Foster said among those who have already agreed to sit on the board are boxer Winky Wright, baseball sluggers Fred McGriff and Gary Sheffield, retired Bucs Shaun King and Mike Alstott, golfer Brittany Lincicome, America's Cup skipper Ed Baird, and Indy auto racer Dan Wheldon.

Foster calls the plan one of his chief priorities as mayor. The man he's entrusted with the effort, Jim Neader, a former sports agent, managed his mayoral campaign.

Neader, 59, will work with the city's staff to try to recruit international teams to play exhibitions, tournaments or even play minor league baseball in Florida.

He started in February and has gotten representatives from the Canadian and Holland national baseball teams to visit, Foster said. He's also contacted teams in Japan. Foster's big hope is that an international team playing in St. Petersburg could join the Grapefruit League, the Major League Baseball teams that come to Florida for spring training.

Such a team would play at Al Lang Field and train at the Raymond A. Naimoli Complex. The Tampa Bay Rays used those facilities from 1999 to 2009 until they left to train in Charlotte County.

"The city knew two to three years ago that Lang and Naimoli would go dark and did nothing until I came aboard," Foster said. "We need to get better use out of them."

A recent economic impact study showed spring training baseball generated $752.3 million for the state in 2009. If it returned to St. Petersburg, even with a foreign team taking the field, it would help the local economy, Foster said.

He said Rays executives he has talked to were supportive.

"Whatever we do, it's not in competition with the Rays," Foster said. "Their success is my No. 1 priority."

Michael Kalt, the Rays' senior vice president of development and business affairs, said the club had no objections to more professional baseball, even if it's played in the summer.

"Whatever we can do to help, we will certainly offer a hand," Kalt said. "Al Lang is a wonderful resource, and we understand why the city wants to get more use out of it."

Kalt said Foster's approach is nothing new for cities that have lost a spring training team. For instance, when Charlotte County lost the Texas Rangers a few years ago, it recruited college teams and Korean national teams to play there, Kalt said.

Foster said he doesn't know what his sports initiative will cost. He had the city apply for a $200,000 state tourism development grant that would help pay for an assortment of costs associated with international baseball, such as making improvements to the facilities and travel expenses.

While many city officials have heard that Foster was planning a major push for sporting events, few have been told the details.

"The mayor hasn't shared his vision with me," said Council member Herb Polson. "I would expect he will, sooner rather than later, share with us what he plans. It sounds like the idea is heads and beds. It sounds like we have county officials who already do that, so I'd want to make sure we're not overlapping with any of this."

Much of what Foster plans is already done by the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Sports Commission. It also promotes St. Petersburg, as well as the rest of Pinellas County, as a sports destination. Its director, Kevin Smith, said Neader met with him and told him the city's plans.

"It will enhance what we're doing," Smith said. "We won't duplicate efforts."

http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/foster-vies-to-make-st-petersburg-a-boom-town-for-sports/1084803

Is it just me or is he hoping for too much? Does the city even have half of the venues to host everything he has laid out?

What a waste of money. lol! St Pete certainly got the politician they deserve!

Rating the architecture that frames downtown St. Petersburg's waterfront park
By Leonora LaPeter Anton, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Sunday, May 2, 2010


In the early 1900s, at a time when most waterfront cities had ports and industrial plants, a crusading editor named W.L. Straub pressed this city to make its waterfront a public park. Today, 100 years later, St. Petersburg has the third-largest downtown waterfront park in North America, behind only Chicago and Vancouver. A spiky skyline has taken shape with six new condo towers rising in the past decade alone. So, with so many new skyscrapers and such varied architectural styles, did we do a good job of framing the unique waterfront park that Straub and other city pioneers left us?


We turned to urban design specialist Vikas Mehta, an assistant professor of urban design and architecture at the University of South Florida, for the answers. Mehta, who teaches students how to come up with urban design visions, has been to St. Petersburg more than 20 times. He has visited the Dalí Museum and the Pier. He has eaten at Ceviche and Chappy's. But he has never worked on any city projects.

One day recently, we walked the waterfront with Mehta — from the Vinoy hotel to the new Dalí Museum.

Mehta called St. Petersburg's waterfront "a wonderful, dynamic public space" with a good mix of sports, cultural and entertainment venues. He suggested the city might think of its waterfront as a unique series of coves and harbors, each with its own individual character that could be more clearly defined.

He felt the city needed to do a better job of signaling that a street had reached the waterfront with a "design intervention," such as a gazebo or some other "folly." He said the city might draw more visitors to the Pier by making the journey there more interesting, perhaps with vendors.

As for the city's skyline, Mehta liked some of the city's newest buildings, like Signature Place and Ovation. He said they reflect contemporary architecture instead of parroting the Mediterranean Revival roots of the city's oldest buildings, such as the Vinoy. Not all buildings in a city have to match architecturally, he thinks.

"What that does is it lets history sort of announce its own position," he said, "and it sort of explains the time and the way the city's grown and the city's presence over decades and centuries."

Mehta said he was more concerned about what the buildings did at the street level and how they framed the waterfront. He said arcades that provide shade and shelter should be part of the design guidelines for any building in sunny St. Petersburg.

Beach Drive condo towers have risen under three generations of zoning regulations.

Bayfront Tower, for example, was built with virtually no rules. The clunky building stretches like a sumo wrestler to all four corners of a full city block, nothing but concrete and steel for 27 floors.

Another generation of zoning regulations produced condo towers like Cloisters and Florencia, which were built about a decade ago. They don't take up every square inch of their city blocks, but these towers were not as successful at creating an inviting streetscape.

Today's zoning ordinances call for the tall part of a building to be built far back from the street's edge, with a two- or three-story base along the edge of the street that attracts city life. Parkshore Plaza and 400 Beach Drive are examples of this, and Mehta pointed out that those storefronts draw the most pedestrians.

To be sure, the place once known as "God's waiting room" now has a selection of sidewalk cafes. People are moving around the city on Segways and rickshaws and horse-drawn carriages.

But, according to Mehta, there's room for improvement. We realize his view of St. Petersburg's waterfront is subjective. Take it for what it's worth: one man's opinion.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/growth/rating-the-architecture-that-frames-downtown-st-petersburgs-waterfront-park/1091581

That's a pretty good article, I didn't know it was the 3rd largest downtown waterfront park in North America. I wish tampa could have something like that, there are so many festivals and stuff that happens in these parks.

Tampa has the world's largest continuous sidewalk. St. Pete really stretches that though. Its a hell of a hike from one end to the other and practically its just a series of parks that all happen to basically be on the same side of the street. I used to run down there three times a week and its a lot farther than it seems from end to end. Its beautiful though.

St. Petersburg's Pier Aquarium plans to move by 2012
By Sara Gregory, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Sunday, May 23, 2010

ST. PETERSBURG — As city leaders continue to grapple with how to remake the aging Pier, one of the icon's landmark tenants is making plans to move out.

The Pier Aquarium will stay downtown, and is looking at two waterfront locations, said Howard Rutherford, its president and CEO. He plans to move by Jan. 1, 2012.

Officials hope the move will be part of a larger makeover that will include a name change and an increased emphasis on research and education as a way to distinguish it from other Tampa Bay area aquariums. In fact, officials do not consider their proposed Marine Discovery Center an "aquarium" at all.

"We don't want to be an aquarium," said Sharon Handy, a senior project manager with Hands On, which designs museum exhibitions and worked with the aquarium on the Marine Discovery Center. "Nobody needs a bigger aquarium — there's plenty of those around."

It's still in the idea stage, but officials say the new facility will bear little resemblance to the current one. Their dream is for an interactive museum that showcases research being done in and around Tampa Bay.

The split from the Pier is touted as temporary, though it could become permanent if officials don't like what the city chooses for a new Pier.

The Pier Aquarium has been the Pier's main attraction since opening in 1988, but it has been struggling with worsening attendance, much like the Pier itself.

The city will spend about $1.4 million this year to keep the Pier running, which is less than in previous years but still more than the city would like. In 2012, the city will have access to $50 million set aside to remake the deteriorating Pier, though infrastructure repairs could eat up most of that money.

A task force has come up with several proposals, which range from leaving the iconic inverted pyramid, to shortening and narrowing the approach and putting a new main building on land.

The task force will meet Monday to finalize its recommendations before presenting them to the City Council on June 10.

The Pier Aquarium's favored option is the last one, which places a building at the water's edge.

"I really think a Marine Discovery Center needs to be by water," Rutherford said.

A building on land solves the aquarium's current problems with accessibility while keeping the museum close to the subject it studies. It would also provide a chance to design a building specifically for the museum.

The task force has been presented with plans for the Marine Discovery Center, but it won't be recommending occupants it would like to see in the pier, Downtown Enterprise Facilities Director Chris Ballestra said. That will be up to the City Council.

Rutherford said both locations the aquarium is considering would allow room for it to expand permanently should the city decide to go with one of the other options.

"Ultimately we'd love to come back to the Pier as the main attraction," Rutherford said.

The task force has said the Pier should keep a family focus, with entertainment options and iconic imagery that is tied in with the waterfront.

That could fit well with the Marine Discovery Center, which is aiming for family audiences much the same as the aquarium now reaches.

As planned, the Marine Discovery Center would combine the resources of 12 research agencies in the Tampa Bay area, including the University of South Florida's College of Marine Science.

The idea is to take research being done by bay area scientists and present it in an easy-to-understand way. Everything would fit into three broad themes: movement, change and behavior.

A shark exhibit would feature the research being brought in by USF scientists, while an exotic fish tank would highlight the problems with nonnative species locally. An exhibit on water use would show visitors their daily consumption compared with other museum visitors.

Such a museum would position St. Petersburg at the center of marine research and has the potential for creating a large economic impact, Rutherford said.

There aren't really any other science museums that give visitors a chance to interact with real data from research projects, Rutherford said, adding, "We're more than just an aquarium."

http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/st-petersburgs-pier-aquarium-plans-to-move-by-2012/1096682

I think I have an idea for this whole situation, going to be sending out a couple emails

Wow this is terrible for downtown St. Pete the Pier is really done for now and Baywalk is dead as well, St. Pete needs to really get to work on something good.

The organic development taking place downtown, particularly along Beach Drive and Central Avenue, outshines BayWalk and The Pier. Both will re-emerge better than before, but I think dowtown is doing just fine even with those two destinations sputtering along.

The organic development taking place downtown, particularly along Beach Drive and Central Avenue, outshines BayWalk and The Pier. Both will re-emerge better than before, but I think dowtown is doing just fine even with those two destinations sputtering along.

This is true, downtown St. Pete will definitely become a great place once the economy recovers. All of the retail space in all of the new projects will create more walkable streets. Central and Beach are pretty much the main fares now. But, I do think downtown needs more shopping retail. Baywalk pretty much was the only and main retail hub for downtown.

Also, Dome District should become better with the addition of Fusion 1560's retail space and the hopefully soon to be filled 1010 Central.

St. Petersburg is definitely coming along. Especially the nightlife with new bars/clubs and Janus Live reopening.

Didn't get to see much in St Pete last night while going to the Rays game. From what I saw, the Fusion 1560 project was still U/C with the framework going up for the apartments. Also, a two story parking garage has rose on the corner of MLK Jr. St. South and 1st Ave S. Don't know if it will be only parking for the bank or open to the public.

Didn't get to see much in St Pete last night while going to the Rays game. From what I saw, the Fusion 1560 project was still U/C with the framework going up for the apartments. Also, a two story parking garage has rose on the corner of MLK Jr. St. South and 1st Ave S. Don't know if it will be only parking for the bank or open to the public.

It's the new Social Security regional office. They're renovating one of the existing buildings that was suppose to be used for The Arts condo project. And I assume they're just building a parking garage for it, but who knows. And I'm posting a few pictures of both Fusion and the SSA building in the photo thread.

It's the new Social Security regional office. They're renovating one of the existing buildings that was suppose to be used for The Arts condo project. And I assume they're just building a parking garage for it, but who knows. And I'm posting a few pictures of both Fusion and the SSA building in the photo thread.
Oh cool, thanks man. I didn't know what the purpose of the building was and guessed it was a bank, looks like one (maybe it was a former bank). Thanks for clearing that up.

It's a shame the Arts project never happened. It wasn't the best project to be proposed when everything was being proposed, but it wasn't going to bring a lot to a area that has seen very little to developments and projects. And the impact it would had brought to Central Ave. would had been huge. Hopefully these smaller developments and bring something larger when the markets rebound.

Off topic from this discussion, the traffic going to the games south on MLK Jr. St. is horrible. And part of the problem is just the amount of the traffic going to the games, but also you have police officers who are not directing the traffic sychronized to the light signals. I actually had to call a officer an idiot last night cause he was all over the place directing the traffic and telling the traffic to go at a red and stop at the green. And when I finally reached the light, I began to go when the light was green and he stopped me almost halfway out in the intersection. And then the argument started how his directing made no sense.

I don't know if it's been on here before but a new 5 story senior apartment building is opening in downtown st.pete. It's topped out and should be opening soon.
It's on 298 8th St N.

http://cityplacestpete.com/

http://cityplacestpete.com/index_files/image3581.jpg

Yeah, I saw something about that project while driving past their sales office on MLK Jr. St. Just another project w/o retail.

The Sage condos are now 100% sold from the developer. The remaining 75 units were bought buy a Canadian group and will be leasing them over the summer.

http://www.ilovetheburg.com/article.php?id=2338

Baywalk could be getting a nightclub / lounge:

http://www.ilovetheburg.com/article.php?id=2348

This past Wednesday, we ran across the Facebook user profile "Loft Baywalk" described as:

"New Ultra Sports Lounge and Night Club coming soon to Baywalk. Casual family fun all day and Miami style club all night."

We sent them a message asking where they are planning to open and were told "that If all goes right the old Dish/Twisted Bamboo. Will know by next week."

Downtown St. Pete hotel gets the nod
By Sheila Mullane Estrada, Times Correspondent
In Print: Sunday, June 6, 2010

ST. PETERSBURG — Approval of a new 11-story downtown hotel with retail space was marked Wednesday by compromise and agreement, unlike many projects the city's Development Review Commission has considered.

"I commend the city staff, the owner and the residents living nearby for working together," commission chairman David Punzak said after the DRC unanimously approved a site plan for the project.

The proposed 141-foot-tall building is planned on vacant property at the northwest corner of Third Avenue and First Street N.

The site was most recently a parking lot and originally included a home that was demolished in 1996 and a hotel later converted to a seven-unit apartment building that was torn down in 1992.

Plans call for 100 hotel rooms, meeting space, a partly underground parking garage, a restaurant and street-level stores.

As designed by Baker Barrios Architects of Orlando, the building will feature a two-story base accented by large storefront windows, cantilevered awnings and an elevated building entrance oriented toward the intersection of First Street N and Third Avenue.

The tower will include a glass curtain wall system, vertically oriented windows and horizontal architectural elements. The above-ground portion of the parking garage will not be visible from the street.

Owner Savni Bakrac said he met repeatedly with nearby homeowners in an effort to redesign the project to satisfy their concerns about noise, lighting, landscaping, a cafe's hours and shade limiting the ability of rooftop solar collectors to operate properly.

"I do sympathize," said Bakrac as he reviewed a new list of conditions he and area residents reached only hours before the DRC hearing.

"We're not opposed to the project. We just want to make sure it is compatible with residential uses around it," said nearby homeowner Peter Belmont.

Belmont was particularly concerned about solar panels on his roof that would be blocked from the sun for much of the day.

Resident Stewart Olson also was worried about late-night noise from a proposed on-street cafe.

"This cafe will be 25 feet away from my bedroom window," he said as he asked the city to restrict "music of any kind" after 11 p.m.

The DRC agreed to the music ban for the outside seating area, but on the advice of city officials, it declined to address the solar panels or requests to change trash collection hours or restrict inside cafe hours or music.

"All these other items in the proposed conditions are up to the owner and others to work out," said DRC member Sharon Heal-Eichler. "The conditions (approved by the DRC) are sufficient."

The hotel project proposes to use development rights from the Ponce De Leon Hotel, which Bakrac also owns.

The transfer of development rights must be approved by the city's Community Preservation Commission before the project can move forward.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/realestate/downtown-st-pete-hotel-gets-the-nod/1100034

BTW, here's the picture from the news story: http://www.tampabay.com/multimedia/archive/00125/nal_drc060610color_125133d.jpg

It looks pretty nice, I like the glass front.
Wow, not that i'm disappointed but... they would build a hotel where I park whenever I go downtown. haha There's alway street parking spots open! :)

This is great news though! There isn't that much retail in this area apart from beach drive.

^^I usually park on 4th Avenue usually plenty of spaces there. I like the design this should be a great addition to downtown. I can't believe the whining residents in the article you live in the city center what do you except, even baywalk is right there! Geez..

Maybe it's a sign, but on google maps for this hotel location it gives the location of
"Wyndham St Pete LLC", so maybe this project will be a Wyndham...

or it could just be an error.

http://maps.google.com/maps/place?client=safari&rls=en&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=Wyndham+St+Pete+LLC&fb=1&gl=us&hq=Wyndham+St+Pete+LLC&hnear=Tampa,+FL+33629&cid=7474778172918633444

I love how ST Pete continues to get infill projects while Tampa continues to "develop" a sea of parking lots!

And even more sad is Tampa is going to get light rail first.

^Hopefully.

Tampa will come around... eventually.

It just seems a historic building or any building for that matter comes down and are replaced by parking lots making our CDB even more barren while our neighbor across the bay continues to grow....

It just seems a historic building or any building for that matter comes down and are replaced by parking lots making our CDB even more barren while our neighbor across the bay continues to grow....

Well, I think Tampa needs to bring more people to downtown. Like have more festivals or something, because people need to know what's downtown before they go. St. Pete does a good job with this with their monthly First Friday block party and festivals and such.

Also, I think DTown Tampa needs to get more affordable housing. Not like low income housing, but condos that people can actually afford. St.Pete has the same problem too, but there are a good amount of low scale $200K-250K range units that most families can afford.

It just seems a historic building or any building for that matter comes down and are replaced by parking lots making our CDB even more barren while our neighbor across the bay continues to grow....

First, Baywalk . . .

Second, the issue with historical buildings in Tampa is a mix of idiotic taxes and demands for preservation without changing taxes or providing help.

First, Baywalk . . .

Second, the issue with historical buildings in Tampa is a mix of idiotic taxes and demands for preservation without changing taxes or providing help.
You mean the historical buildings that are left to fall apart until they are deemed unsafe?

^Yeah, those.

I think Baywalk failing has actually helped their downtown to a degree. It's moved the action from an inward facing complex to the streets of downtown.

I was in St. Pete for Memorial Day a week ago and there's some nice action. It's a different kind of action then what Tampa is trying to build. St. Pete has defintley built its downtown for the older crowd, while Tampa is going for 20-40 something demographic. St. Pete also has the advatage of being compact into one nucleus. Think about, if Tampa had the CBD, Channelside and Ybor in one continuous district it would be hopping pretty nicely.

^^ I agree.

Although I think that in the future downtown Tampa and downtown St. Pete will be completely different. Downtown Tampa will feel like a major business metropolitan center while downtown St. Pete will feel smaller and have sense of community and will probably be slower and more laid back than Tampa. So in the future we might see two different types of downtowns emerging.

And as FF was saying I think St. Pete will cater more to the mid to upper class while downtown Tampa will be a trendy modern young downtown.

I don't know, I guess I'll agree to a certain level. St. Pete will likely see it's night-time demographics change even further with the re-opening of Jannus Landing and the opening of a couple new clubs and hotspots.

At the same time though, the problem with St. Pete compared to Tampa is that it really has it's clubs and party areas in the same area as where families want to go after a Rays game or just for a night out. With Tampa, Ybor is the party area while Channelside can be develop around being the tamed down entertainment area for families after a Storms or Lightning game. And that's why I really hope that the city becomes serious about developing a entertainment area closer to Tropicana, cause that's what really the area and stadium needs, some place families can go after and before a game. It's what I do for a Lightning's games and I expect the same would occur for a Rays game because most of the times the games are played in the same time bracket.

You mean the historical buildings that are left to fall apart until they are deemed unsafe?

Right, because there is little benefit to the owner to maintaining the building. He will just get taxed on it. That is why the First National Bank came down during Sandy Freedman's reign. It makes no sense. IF there is a priority to maintain historical buildings, incentives maintaining them.

There should be no incentives and no taxes on maintaining them, if somebody wants to buy a historic building they should maintain it as required or face fines or even more logically not buy it!

Then don't complain if they disappear.

Taxes represent public policy and the value that a tax or lack of tax engenders. IF you want people to spend money to maintain or renovate an old building, then you should set up tax breaks to promote that. IF you don't care, fine.

Then don't complain if they disappear.

Taxes represent public policy and the value that a tax or lack of tax engenders. IF you want people to spend money to maintain or renovate an old building, then you should set up tax breaks to promote that. IF you don't care, fine.
Why? Lets say if somebody buys a building and it is law to keep it in decent condition or they face fines I seriously doubt somebody will let the fines rack up. If people don't want that they have other options, it's seems like common sense to me.

I agree with I-275. If they own the building, they should be required to renovate it or atleast keep it stable to a point where won't wake up one morning and see it crumbled on the streets. If they can't afford the renovations, then sell it. And if the city finds that the building is falling to pieces, they should have the powers to fine them. We don't need to treat them like kids and say we'll give them 5 dollars for something they should be doing anyways.

Good plan . .

Hey, wait, that is the plan we have now. Excellent.

"Should" is meaningless. Results are what count.

Good plan . .

Hey, wait, that is the plan we have now. Excellent.

"Should" is meaningless. Results are what count.
Should is only meaningless if there is no action afterwards. And you can blame the mayor, city council, preservation department, and anyone else responsible when nothing is done.

Why throw out thousands of dollars the city can earn when there is a plan in place already to have these buildings fixed and kept standing? Espicially in a time when the city is trying to save money and find other areas to recieve revenue, we should just give out tax incentives like candy? I like to see some of these buildings saved as much as everyone else, but if the owner owns it (which they do because that's why they're called the owner), they should be required to fix it. And if they can't, find grants or sell it to someone else.

If St. Pete is serious about a Covention Center, I suggest them looking at doing this, http://clevelandmedicalmart.com/

Cleveland is getting one and so is Nashville. The area could also market to Central and South America if possible.

Why throw out thousands of dollars the city can earn when there is a plan in place already to have these buildings fixed and kept standing? Espicially in a time when the city is trying to save money and find other areas to recieve revenue, we should just give out tax incentives like candy? I like to see some of these buildings saved as much as everyone else, but if the owner owns it (which they do because that's why they're called the owner), they should be required to fix it. And if they can't, find grants or sell it to someone else.

Good question. Pass such a law and you probably have to have the city buy the property.

Baywalk lands New American Theater:
http://www.ilovetheburg.com/article/BayWalk-Lands-New-American-Theater/2425

Details of the deal were not disclosed and the New American Theater company is still trying to raise funds for their first production. If successful, the first show will be on the first of October with the production Pump Boys and Dinette.

PRESS RELEASE

Tampa Bay Area’s new professional musical theater company, New American Theater, through a partnership with CW Capital and Ciminelli Real Estate Services and will be opening their doors at BayWalk. The theater will occupy the former Ann Taylor store and will use the space for their educational workshops and classes, rehearsals and company offices.

NAT will host an open house at the BayWalk location on August 14, 2010 from 3-6pm. The public is invited to come and meet the instructors and staff, and learn about the classes NAT Academy will be offering. Classes are available throughout the year, and include acting, improvisation, vocal training, musical theater, dance, and stage management – available for ages 2 thru adult. “Our goal with the Academy is to grow the talent pool in our area.,” said Brian Becker, NAT’s Founder and Producing Artistic Director. “We want to use our local talent as much as possible and these classes will help the actors move to the professional level.” The Academy’s signature class is called “act up!!!”, and it is structured for high school students. In the class, students have the opportunity to write their own musical from start to finish, while learning advanced techniques in all related disciplines. “act up!!!” recently performed their original musical “Remembering Putca” in the Shimberg Playhouse at the Straz Center. NAT’s instructors include Alison Burns, Nancy Garma, David O’Hara, Karol Desort and Karla Hartley.

In addition to classes, NAT will be performing their inaugural season of professional musical theater at the Palladium starting October 1. The inaugural season showcases a variety of styles in musical theater, including the classic “Pump Boys and Dinettes,” the Tampa/St. Petersburg Area Premier of “A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline,” the uniquely abstract "Songs for a New World,” and the Tony-Award winning audience favorite, “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.”

NAT, which is a non-profit company, is currently in the midst of a membership drive to get the funds needed for their first production. “Professional musical theater is very costly to produce. We are hopeful the community and local businesses will support us,” said Becker. The production budget for their first show is $57,000, of which they still need about $30,000. The NAT Founders Club is a special incentive program for memberships sold prior to their first production.

Additional information on memberships, corporate sponsorships, classes and shows is available on their website – www.newamericantheater.org

Well, some guy who apparently has connections with Apple Inc is trying to generate community support for a downtown Apple store in Baywalk.

http://www.ilovetheburg.com/article/Would-you-Like--Apple--BayWalk/2431

Community leader and and avid arts supporter Hal Freedman is on a mission to put an Apple store in the 'Burg and he wants your support.

According to Freedman, BayWalk's management has expressed interest in the idea and he's learned from connections at the computer giant that they would consider the location if there was an "outpouring of support" from the community, City and BayWalk.

Freedman believes that with a strong arts community and the increasingly younger population, Apple would have a large customer base to draw from that would surely jumpstart a revival at the ailing landmark.

Yea, there'll be no spinoff crime from that.

They're starting an online petition to attempt to attract Apple's attention. You can sign the online petition at the link, and please do! It would really be great, even if it's just a small store.

http://www.ilovetheburg.com/article/Petition-to-Bring-Apple-to-BayWalk/2444

Early this week, we posted that there was a movement afoot to bring an Apple store to BayWalk. It was propbably the largest number of "likes" we have ever received on a single post.

Hal Freedman, the man behind the initiative, says he would support a petition to help him rally the cause even further. If you truly support bringing an Apple Store to Downtown St. Pete, please fill out the form below. We will eventually share this information with city leaders, BayWalk's management and, of course, Apple.

Baywalk could be getting a nightclub / lounge:
Looks like the plan fell through and their looking elsewhere now for a spot to open at.

http://www.ilovetheburg.com/article/Something-New-at-BayWalk-Nope/2348

Looks like the plan fell through and their looking elsewhere now for a spot to open at.

http://www.ilovetheburg.com/article/Something-New-at-BayWalk-Nope/2348


I saw, what I dont understand is why St. Pete is becoming a 'night life' town all of the sudden, first you get the 'Plush Ultra Lounges' and the other 'Plush' lounge then you get those bikini bars, and idk. It's strange, but good for the city I guess.

I'm glad its starting to get night life, Pinellas County used to be a dead zone now there are some signs of life.

All Children's Hospital to join forces with Maryland-based Johns Hopkins Health System
By Richard Martin and Kris Hundley, Times Staff Writers
Posted: Jul 20, 2010 10:31 AM

ST. PETERSBURG — All Children's Hospital, an 84-year-old institution that serves children throughout Florida, will be "fully integrated" into the Baltimore, Md.-based Johns Hopkins Health System.

Word of the move came in a memo sent to Johns Hopkins Children's Center employees this morning by Dr. George Dover, director of the Department of Pediatrics and two other officials.

The memo said that Johns Hopkins Medicine and All Children's Hospital & Health System will publicly announce today that they have signed an integration letter of intent. All Children's has said it plans an announcement at 1 p.m. today.

"When completed, ACH will join the Johns Hopkins Health System as a fully integrated member of Johns Hopkins Medicine," Dover wrote in the memo. "We anticipate ACH will join JHM sometime late in 2010."

The memo notes that no money is changing hands in the transaction, and that All Children's name will not change. Leadership and day-to-day operations are also not expected to be affected by the change.

However, Dr. Jonathan Ellen, of Johns Hopkins, will come to All Children's to serve as interim pediatrician-in-chief and vice dean for the next 18 months.

The prestigious Johns Hopkins Medicine, associated with Johns Hopkins University, operates four hospitals, four suburban health care and surgery centers and 25 primary health care outpatient sites — all in the Maryland and Washington, D.C., area.

All Children's, founded in 1926 as the American Legion Hospital for Crippled Children, is a nonprofit hospital supported by patient revenue and community donations.

Earlier this year, All Children's relocated to a new $400 million hospital with 259 beds.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/health/article1109972.ece

What exactly does that mean?

Will there be like a John Hopkins- St.Pete type thing?
Or is the hospital just going to be run by the University?

This my answer your's and anyone else's question

All Children's Hospital to join forces with Johns Hopkins health system
By Richard Martin and Kris Hundley, Times Staff Writers
Posted: Jul 20, 2010 10:31 AM

ST. PETERSBURG — All Children's Hospital, an 84-year-old institution that serves children throughout Florida, is joining the prestigious Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Health System.

Word of the move — the first such affiliation for Johns Hopkins outside its home area — came in a memo sent to Johns Hopkins Children's Center employees Tuesday morning by Dr. George Dover, director of the department of pediatrics, and two other officials. All Children's and Johns Hopkins confirmed the move with an official announcement today at 1 p.m.

"A world leader in clinical care, research and medical education intends to join forces with Florida's leader in pediatric specialty care for the betterment of children," the hospitals' statement said. It said that it and Johns Hopkins Medicine had signed an "integration letter of intent." Once a due diligence process is finished, All Children's expects to join Johns Hopkins late in 2010.

"The integration of All Children's into Johns Hopkins Medicine creates a synergy that allows both partners to continue our mission-centric work in children's healthcare," said Gary Carnes, President & CEO of All Children's Health System. "We believe it increases All Children's value as a key community asset, extending benefits near and beyond to the families of children in need of top-notch clinical care by adding the benefits that the world-class teaching and research opportunities of Johns Hopkins Medicine will bring. The Johns Hopkins Hospital has been ranked number one in the nation for 20 consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report."

Both All Children's and Johns Hopkins said that no money is changing hands in the transaction and that All Children's name will not change. Leadership and day-to-day operations are also not expected to change.

However, Dr. Jonathan Ellen, of Johns Hopkins, will come to All Children's to serve as interim pediatrician-in-chief and vice dean for the next 18 months.

Highly-regarded Johns Hopkins Medicine, associated with Johns Hopkins University, operates four hospitals, four suburban health care and surgery centers and 25 primary health care outpatient sites — all in the Maryland and Washington, D.C., area.

All Children's, founded in 1926 as the American Legion Hospital for Crippled Children, is a nonprofit hospital supported by patient revenue and community donations.

All Children's moved to a new $400 million hospital with 259 beds this year.

"Patients and their families, the staff who work there and the many stakeholders with an interest in All Children's Hospital can be assured that business will continue as usual for the region's pediatric referral center," the joint statement said. It stressed that donations made to the hospital's foundation "will remain for the benefit of All Children's."

It added that "board governance structure guarantees that local community leaders will continue to provide guidance and oversight of All Children's as majority members of the Hospital's Board of Trustees." Neither institution's statements said how many spots on the All Children's Board would be filled with appointees from Johns Hopkins.

The parties said the deal should not affect All Children's relationship with the University of South Florida, which trains medical residents at the hospital.

USF spokesman Michael Hoad said that All Children's needs "a hospital system for all the power that gives them in purchasing and contracting and surviving changes in hospital reimbursement... USF doesn't have a hospital and couldn't offer a hospital system affiliation."

In a memo outlining frequently asked questions sent to Johns Hopkins staff by Edward D. Miller, the CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine and Ronald R. Peterson, the president of Johns Hopkins Health System, Johns Hopkins explains some of its reasoning for pairing with a hospital in Florida.

Officials write about "leveraging All Children's clinical expertise and JHM's academic-based programs in research, teaching and clinical care."

Among other things, the merger "permits JHM to maintain and expand NIH and other research opportunities on the St. Petersburg campus of All Children's using the research facilities already on site there, as well as expanding education, research and clinical opportunities for JHM pediatric physicians. "

The integration also gives Hopkins a presence in Florida, its leaders said in their statement "a potentially important new market for JHM, not only for patients in the region, but also for Central and South America and the Caribbean."

For All Children's part, its board chair, Claudia Sokolowski, said in a statement that "integration with Hopkins will position us to jointly shape the future of children's health care in partnership with an unparalleled leader in medical research and teaching. The potential economic impact for St. Petersburg, the Tampa Bay area and the state of Florida is significant and lasting. But the positive impact for children and their families will extend well beyond our geographic reach for generations to come."
http://www.tampabay.com/news/health/article1109972.ece

^^^ Too bad, the Hopkins name would have been nice to have.

Yeah, why not change the name?

personal trivia; my daughter was born at ACH

The downtown St.Pete magazine "Pete" which is produced by the same people from the http://ilovetheburg.com is launching tonight at baywalk.

You can watch the news channel 10 video here: http://www.ilovetheburg.com/article/video-iLovetheBurgs-Pete-Makes-The-News/2487

Well, some guy who apparently has connections with Apple Inc is trying to generate community support for a downtown Apple store in Baywalk.

http://www.ilovetheburg.com/article/Would-you-Like--Apple--BayWalk/2431

But it's a dead mall!

But it's a dead mall!

I think they're hoping it would draw people there.

Personally I think a bookstore would work great there considering the closest bookstore is either Haslams on central or the USF-ST.PETE barnes and noble.

The Liberty Bayfront Hotel that was proposed some time back now has a Westin name under it. It still says "proposed" though.

http://www.libertyg.com/portfolio.htm#

So there are 3 hotel proposals now? I would like to see the Grand Bohemian or this one begin construction in Q4 2010 or Q1 2011, to come online in late 2012 if/when the economy is on the upswing.

Yeah, if we have what we have at the moment, 3 is proposed.

-Westin Hotel
-Wyndham Hotel
-Grand Bohemian

Now, we still don't know about the Grand Bohemian and if it has been cancelled or not. And when it comes to the Westin, that could also be a question mark.

Just wondering, is the Westin taller than the Wyndham?

And hopefully at least one of these will start construction soon

So I didn't know if these should go in the photo thread or this one, but I just figured this would suit it better.

I drove around downtown St. Pete today and to my surprise Fusion 1560 actually looks pretty good. Definitely a whole lot better than the shoe box 1010 Central.

I don't know if you can tell from the picture, but there are a few different types of material being used. First I didn't realize any brick was involved but it looks nice (the brick is next to the red stucco). Also, next to the brick, they used like a metal sheeting siding, almost like an industrial type metal (kinda like shipping containers). Also the orangeish siding also looks good as contrast from the brown and gray stucco.

Anyways, I am impressed that it didn't end up just stucco like Seaport or 1010 Central. I will be curious to see what they use for the storefront walls and how the balconies will look.

http://i33.tinypic.com/ru9zx5.jpg

http://i33.tinypic.com/25fit61.jpg

Oh and Im going to assume that their planned opening of "Summer 2010" isn't going to happen.

Just wondering, is the Westin taller than the Wyndham?

And hopefully at least one of these will start construction soon
Looking at the Wyndham render and the Westin render, I believe the Westin will be taller.

Hey TG, if you haven't seen the renders of the Wyndham from the Baker Barrios project, they don't look as impressive as the render you posted a couple pages back. And looking at some of the other projects on their portfolio, ours looks tacky somewhat.

http://www.bakerbarrios.com/#portfoliodetail=31=1

Looking at the Wyndham render and the Westin render, I believe the Westin will be taller.

Hey TG, if you haven't seen the renders of the Wyndham from the Baker Barrios project, they don't look as impressive as the render you posted a couple pages back. And looking at some of the other projects on their portfolio, ours looks tacky somewhat.

http://www.bakerbarrios.com/#portfoliodetail=31=1

Oh wow, yeah the glass front definitely doesn't look as impressive as what i first though. The overall project isn't too terrible, but should have not made the sides look so plain. I'm trying to figure out what the glass thing is, it almost looks like it's the end of an outside hallway but I doubt it.

It's cheap looking, hopefully it will look better.

Looking at those images of Fusion, I'm reminded that the global direction seems to be inspired by materials sciences, inviting light and air into new buildings - not the Burj specifically, or even London's shard, but some of our own fresh projects in Olympia, or the recent Richard Meier residence tower in Brooklyn.

We seem to be drawn more to dim browns, puttys, dried mustard colors and expanses of brick, and all in a climate blessed with such brilliant light. I'm baffled. More so all the time.

The only problem with using large glazed facades is that they don't work nearly as well in very hot climates. The reason the UAE, Saudis, etc can get away with what they are doing is their HA/AC & electric bills are subsidized by US oil consumers. The technology has gotten better, but its still not enough.

We did a house on Pass-a-Grille that only has one exterior bearing wall, the floors are cantilevered off of the main wall and the other walls are glass (mainly folding doors). The bearing walls was on the southern property line and the other walls, all glazed, were the west, east and north walls. Even with the best glass we could get, the energy calcs on the place were stunning. I think there are over 20 tons of HV/AC capacity in the house. Its been ten years so I'm going from memory. Going with heavy amounts of glazing isn't very energy efficient.

Now if you want to just talk coloration, I agree. Florida needs to get over the past, at least Med. Derivative themes anyway, and start bringing in contemporary designs and color schemes.

^yep... To be even remotely 'energy efficient', glass must be coated with special films and preferably be a double or even tripled paned installation... And of course the materials cost goes WAY up then.

Glass works best in places like Hawaii. ;)

St. Petersburg's Beach Drive is 'best place to be'
http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/st-petersburgs-beach-drive-is-best-place-to-be/1115710

ST. PETERSBURG — Life along Beach Drive begins early. Lines full of tourists wait for the Chihuly Collection to open, residents walk their dogs and restaurant workers begin raising umbrellas and clearing tables.

The restaurant tables that dot the street are full by noon, before Beach Drive slows down to catch its breath before happy hour and dinner. Then, it comes alive again.

Business owners have flocked to Beach Drive in the past few years essentially on the promise of what it would become. Today, with its art museums, fine dining, parks and condos, Beach Drive has grown into St. Petersburg's place to be and be seen.

Why did they open there? Well, business owners say, why not?

"It's like if you go to New York City and you say, 'Why did you pick Fifth Avenue?'  " said Philippe Berriot, who owns Cassis American Brasserie. "Because it's the best place to be."

The transformation on Beach Drive is a few years in the making. When Steve Westphal opened the Parkshore Grill in 2006, it was one of the first new restaurants on the Drive.

Westphal was the first tenant to sign on to the condominium, retail and dining complex that became Parkshore Plaza and marked the beginning of the Drive's revitalization.

When the mixed-use project opened, Beach Drive Retail director John Hamilton Jr. told the St. Petersburg Times that his company had big hopes for the area. Hamilton's father, John Hamilton Sr., owned much of the land along Beach Drive.

"Dad has always said he wants this to be the Rodeo Drive of St. Petersburg," Hamilton said then.

Since the Parkshore Plaza opened, Beach Drive has been a flurry of activity. Rumen Gavrilov opened Nola's last year. Westphal, 400 Beach Drive Seafood & Tap House. Berriot's Cassis opened in April and he plans to open a bakery this fall.

"You could see five years ago that it was going to be the up-and-coming place to be," Westphal said.

Business owners and residents cite the waterfront, the parks and the area's walkability. One can easily walk Beach Drive from Bayfront Tower to the Vinoy in well under an hour.

They also cite the arts scene. The Morean Arts Center's permanent Dale Chihuly Collection is the newest addition. The collection was what attracted Gavrilov to Beach Drive when he opened last year, and he says that business has increased by about 25 percent since it opened July 12.

Paul Carder, director of marketing and communications for the Chihuly Collection, said the exhibit has been at or near capacity every day since it opened.

"Many of those people probably wouldn't have come otherwise," Carder said.

Westphal said the Chihuly, next to 400 Beach Drive, has prompted an increase in lunch visitors, happy hours and Sunday brunches. The extra customers from Chihuly have helped during the traditionally slow summer season.

Beach Drive is the type of place where everyone knows everyone, said John Psomas, who owns his own painting company and works along Beach Drive "more and more" since the first condos went up.

Psomas, who lives in Safety Harbor, said Beach Drive has a similar small-town feel. He enjoys coming to Beach Drive even when he's not working.

"I love the energy of the nightlife," he said. "It's eclectic, it's artsy and it's safe."

The sense of community along Beach Drive was in part what prompted Claire Vinet's move there from Montreal 10 years ago. People are more relaxed, nicer and happier along Beach Drive than elsewhere, and that hasn't changed even as the Drive has gotten busier, she said.

Go anywhere else in Pinellas, she said, and you can tell that people are suffering from the recession. Beach Drive is more insulated from those worries.

"This is not representative," she said. Beach Drive's good fortune leaves "nothing to complain about."

That makes the area a good place for businesses to move and grow. Bella Brava is set to reopen at the corner of Beach Drive and Second Avenue NE later this summer. The more businesses on Beach Drive, the better, Berriot said.

"If you know you have many things to do, you will come," he said, and more options mean more people in the area. "You want people passing by your door."

There's little competition between the restaurants, he said, because they all realize they can't have the same customer every night.

"Even if you love us, you don't want to eat here every night."

Westphal agrees. He said business at the Parkshore Grill has only grown, even after it was joined by other restaurants.

"When you build an Outback and then put a Carrabba's next door, they both get busier," he said. "Whenever more activity came to Beach Drive, more came to the Parkshore as well."

Argon filled glazing with silver sputtered coatings is actually pretty good.

But I suspect the appearance of these projects has much more to do with proposing something not too far from conventional lines. It's safe. You're unlikely to be criticized. Your financiers will think it sensible.

One of the proposed residential towers in St. Petersburg - don't think it broke ground - was in fact entirely glass. Southern exposures had very deep balconies, as you'd expect.

I love lots of glass, I just know its painfully expensive to do it right. The house I was reference had well over 1/2 million $ in glass costs alone. Then you throw in the weight (double panel Low E with Argon) and suddenly you are needing to budget for 5-6 men per panel to install + time. It all adds up. Generally I like to be more resource sensitive and design for the climate.

Does anyone have any news on Tropicana Center that was proposed for Central Ave between 1st and 2nd?

Is it still a go?

Does anyone have any news on Tropicana Center that was proposed for Central Ave between 1st and 2nd?

Is it still a go?

Welcome to the Forum!

I'm going to assume the project is on hold or cancelled. In this economy something of that size would have a hard time selling, or get financing. If anyone else knows something, do tell.

My best bet is it was cancelled. The hotel in the project was actually a Westin, so they might have removed their name from the project because now the Liberty Bayfront Hotel is a Westin. And the other towers I believe were office towers and I don't think there is much demand for more office space in Downtown St. Pete.

One of the proposed residential towers in St. Petersburg - don't think it broke ground - was in fact entirely glass. Southern exposures had very deep balconies, as you'd expect.
Sounds like my kind of design.

Scene nightclub to bring Vegas flavor to St. Petersburg

http://www.tampabay.com/features/humaninterest/scene-nightclub-to-bring-vegas-flavor-to-st-petersburg/1115996

When Scene Premium Night Club hosts its soft opening Wednesday night, it will undoubtedly change the dynamics of the party scene in downtown St. Petersburg.

Patrons of American Stage, which was housed in the building at 211 Third St. S from 1984 to 2009, will be surprised with the creative use of space in this new venue — particularly on the third level.

When I wrote back in March that Scene would boost three levels, many readers asked, "How are they going to pull that off in that little old building?"

From what I've seen thus far, they've managed to pull it off and then some.

On Tuesday evening, club managers gave me a sneak peek of the venue before Wednesday's invitation-only soft opening. (Not to worry, those without an invite will be allowed in at 11 p.m. The official grand opening is Friday and Saturday.)

The club's design and concept is the brainchild of Richard Fabrizi, who is equal partner in this venture with radio shock jock Bubba the Love Sponge Clem.

Fabrizi, who spends about four months per year in New York, said he wanted to bring a different club vibe to the area, based on his experience in much larger cities.

"We just want to bring a little bit of Miami, New York and Las Vegas to this venue — mixing it all together," Fabrizi said. "You'll find a lot of Vegas here, which offers a lot seating and bottle service, which is very big right now."

Another feature at Scene will be the go-go dancers, who Fabrizi called "Las Vegas quality." In fact, he said one of his lead dancers is actually the wife of a current Tampa Bay Buccaneer.

Two nightclubs will offer two different levels of music and an area that features video.

Scene offers 25 VIP tables and five VIP rooms. The most exclusive room, the Platinum VIP room, is going for upwards of $5,000 for the grand opening. Oh, and it's sold out. It holds about 30 guests and features a private staircase, concierge, server, security and a go-go dancer.

The main level has three VIP rooms: Blue, Green and Red. Each offers lounge areas that have spaces suitable for parties ranging from 10 to 20 guests. Want to party here? Be mindful that there's a dress code. No shorts or flip-flops allowed.

With Push Ultralounge just across the street and the Vintage less than two blocks away, it would seem that the clubs would be competing for patrons.

Not so, says Fabrizi, adding that he has already talked to the management at Push and Vintage, and they're going to work together. Some collaborations in the works include promotions that offer a deal where patrons can get into all three clubs, like on First Fridays.

"While nothing in set in stone yet, we're all talking about it. We'll look for way to help each other," he said.

Another plan in the works includes creating a blizzard in downtown St. Petersburg at the intersection where Scene and Push sit (Second Avenue and Third Street S).

"We're planning to do the whole corner. Disney will come to town with a snow machine for an Ice Party," he said. "We'll have icicles hanging from the building. It'll cost us about $15,000, but it will look like a blizzard down here."

If management at Scene, Push and Vintage are able to pull it off, residents here would have little reason to trek across the pond to Ybor City.

I guess it will being more younger people downtown, as opposed to the older crowds that live there now.

Well, downtown does have Vintage, Push, Bishops and other spots appealing to young people. This will just add to that. And now with Fusion1560 and the Graham-Rogell redevelopment, there might actually begin to attract a good number of young people to live downtown as well.

Well, downtown does have Vintage, Push, Bishops and other spots appealing to young people. This will just add to that. And now with Fusion1560 and the Graham-Rogell redevelopment, there might actually begin to attract a good number of young people to live downtown as well.

Whoa, that is somewhat new to me. I didn't realize they had a plan in place, I thought they just sold it. But I found a website for it's redevelopment I guess: http://www.urbanstyleflats.com/

It looks pretty good, I mean better than the project look it has (or had).

Rent starting at $499 and you get a cleaning service for $15 a week? Not bad.

Fusion 1560 updates their website, it now says opening October 2010.

and here's a new imagehttp://www.fusion1560.com/images/Fusionrend.jpg

What I like most about that image is that, other than the Trop - which will be empty in a few years anyway - they portray the building in utter, splendid isolation. Here is you urban living in the middle of nowhere.

It's a render, I wouldn't expect any more or any less from it. The Towers at Channelside renders made it look like it was surrounded by 2 story office box buildings.

I'm guessing that that's the pool deck on top of the building, would I be correct?

What I like most about that image is that, other than the Trop - which will be empty in a few years anyway - they portray the building in utter, splendid isolation. Here is you urban living in the middle of nowhere.
Well, that's where it is. The rendering looks pretty much spot-on, with regards to depicting the surroundings from that angle.

Looks like a good anchor for the development to replace the Trop.

I just like that it helps fill in Central Ave, and populate the neighborhood.

St. Petersburg's City Place Senior Living opens to rave reviews

http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/realestate/st-petersburgs-city-place-senior-living-opens-to-rave-reviews/1121500

ST. PETERSBURG — Laid off at age 61, Diane Stewart has had a difficult past four years. She was forced to give up a comfortable beach apartment and downscale into more modest government-subsidized quarters.

A week ago, though, she moved into a spanking new apartment that makes her feel as though she has her old life back.

"I feel like I'm home, finally,'' gushed Stewart, 65, Tuesday. "This is the first time I've had new, new.''

Stewart and more than a dozen others began moving into City Place Senior Living, 298 Eighth St. N, over the Labor Day weekend. The affordable housing complex with four floors of apartments for people over 55 boasts granite countertops and laundry hook-ups in each apartment, silk draperies in lobby areas, a library, fitness room, computer room and covered parking for each of the 82 units. There is a shuffleboard court, a rooftop terrace and even a place where visiting grandchildren can play.

There are still vacancies for those who meet the income requirements, said building manager Jim Peace of Cambridge Management.

Her apartment is a godsend, said Stewart, a former compliance officer for a manufacturer.

"I live on $700 a month. I never expected to have anything this nice on my income,'' she said.

Besides, the downtown location is convenient. "This is my neighborhood. I spend most of my time here, at the Sunshine Center, and the library and St. Peter's (Episcopal Cathedral). Walgreens is just up the street. I just moved five blocks away. This is close to where I spend my life,'' she said.

Stewart said she watched the complex being built and called the day the sign went up. She didn't get one of the building's balcony units, but she is thrilled with the two-bedroom, two-bath apartment she's still decorating. Tuesday she showed off her new home, which she has furnished with finds from CASA and other thrift shops.

"I have a full-size kitchen,'' she said.

"This room,'' she said, pointing to the living room, "is going to be a pale gold. The kitchen is going to be a deeper gold.''

The second bedroom is for crafts and her computer work. The second bathroom, well, that's for her cat, Jasper.

Willie Mae McGarrah is just as pleased with her new apartment.

"I never dreamed this would happen to me at age 82. … Brand new everything,'' she said.

Like Stewart, she also moved from another low-income downtown complex. She'd read about the new building for seniors in the newspaper, and her daughter encouraged her to make the move.

"I feel comfortable here. I met so many of the neighbors here, and everybody is of one accord,'' said McGarrah, resplendent in a flowing pink dress accessorized with pink earrings, necklace and head scarf.

Tuesday she got a chance to meet Mayor Bill Foster, who attended the grand opening.

"I hadn't met him since he became mayor,'' said McGarrah, who took the opportunity to remind Foster that they once attended the same church.

The $15.5 million project was developed by Southport Financial Services with help from the Florida Housing Finance Corp., the agency that administers the low-income housing tax credit program. A $500,000 loan from the city of St. Petersburg at 1 percent interest aided its tax credit application. Pinellas County and Regions Bank also were involved in the project.

Waveney Ann Moore can be reached at wmoore@sptimes.com or (727) 892-2283.


. Fast facts
City Place Senior Living
298 Eighth St. N, St. Petersburg
• Open to residents over 55.
• Vacancies exist for those who earn at or below 60 percent of the area median income. Rent would be $565 for one bedroom and $671 for two bedrooms.
• The leasing office is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Call (727) 823-0307 or stop by City Place Senior Living.

The Graham-Rogell redevelopment is coming along well.
Here's a picture of an unfinished side:
http://i56.tinypic.com/2safpea.jpg

To after:
Notice the window tinting, you can see some unfinished windows and see the difference with and without it. Crazy difference.
http://i53.tinypic.com/2du04dy.jpg

and:http://i52.tinypic.com/psqw3.jpg

Also the site has new landscaping, I didnt get pictures of it though...

New developer presents pared-down plan for Largo Towne Center
By Dominick Tao, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Sunday, October 17, 2010

LARGO — When the Largo Towne Center project was first proposed, back when the economy was booming and the housing bubble fat, Largo commissioners swooned at the concept.

It would not merely be a shopping mall, but a destination. A hub for entertainment and commerce, where people from Largo and beyond would shop among multi-tiered promenades, browse high-end stores and relax around sidewalk cafe tables, slurping gourmet coffee.

Fast forward to 2010.

Gone now is the notion of such a mixed-use, consumerist wonderland. It was smothered by the recession.

But evidence that the darkest days of the downturn have waned is rising from the scrapped plan.

A new developer — the Sembler Co. — has replaced Weingarten Realty Investors, and drawn up a new vision for the Towne Center site at Roosevelt Boulevard and U.S. 19. They want to build again.

City commissioners received a preview Tuesday night at a work session.

Sembler proposed two big-box stores with a strip of smaller outlets in between. Gone are the cobblestone walkways. Out are the built-in condos. And instead of a parking garage, there is simply a vast asphalt field.

A mass transit hub was included in the new plans, but is at least a football field away from the largest of the stores.

The new normal, compared to the expectations of the recent past, underwhelmed a majority of those the developers sought to impress.

Commissioner Harriet Crozier: "I don't like this. I don't like the parking lot. I'd like more creativity."

Commissioner Woody Brown: "I think it could be much, much better."

Commissioner Curtis Homes: "It may be store-friendly, but it might not be customer-friendly."

And Commissioner Robert Murray: "It looks like a typical mall."

The developer, in a letter to the city, indicated that the new goal is conservative. The idea now is to "proceed with some type of development on the site."

But it is progress.

And city officials embraced it.

"We do believe there is substantial market interest," said Carol Stricklin, Largo's community development director, among major retailers.

The city staff was directed to work with developers on drafting a new or revised development agreement, and after the meeting, the suits from Sembler and other firms involved clustered in the City Hall lobby, a huddle before the next play.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/realestate/new-developer-presents-pared-down-plan-for-largo-towne-center/1128318

:bash:

But it is progress.

And city officials embraced it.
Hopefully they get voted out at the first opportunity too. As far as the salaried morons on city staff telling the council this is good stuff, they should not only be fired, they should probably have their licenses revoked.

THIS is why our region sucks.

Hillsborough is bad - Pinellas is hopeless.

Hillsborough is bad - Pinellas is hopeless.

North Pinellas is bad, South Pinellas (St.Petersburg) isn't as bad.

Publix just build a two story grocery/parking garage store near Tyrone at the Shoppes at Royale, and 4th street has been build into a more friendly walking street.

There seems to be a more interest in urbanizing St.Petersburg than anywhere else in the area, and Im not sure why.

North Pinellas is bad, South Pinellas (St.Petersburg) isn't as bad.

Publix just build a two story grocery/parking garage store near Tyrone at the Shoppes at Royale, and 4th street has been build into a more friendly walking street.

There seems to be a more interest in urbanizing St.Petersburg than anywhere else in the area, and Im not sure why.
North Pinellas is a hole, completely different from South Pinellas in terms of planning and really anything.

If Hillsborough is bad, Pinellas is hopeless, Pasco is a hopeless nightmare haha

Sembler really disappoints with the stuff they do locally. Sometimes nothing is better than just accepting anything.

Largo sucks anyways no surprise..

^I get the impression that too many parts of Pinellas can't effectively self govern. The voters simply don't have the education nor skills to fend for themselves against corruption and bad leadership. Pinellas shouldn't feel bad though, this is probably our biggest problem in America these days; too many people are too stupid to govern themselves, and the campaign process ensures they stay that way.

^I get the impression that too many parts of Pinellas can't effectively self govern. The voters simply don't have the education nor skills to fend for themselves against corruption and bad leadership. Pinellas shouldn't feel bad though, this is probably our biggest problem in America these days; too many people are too stupid to govern themselves, and the campaign process ensures they stay that way.
They tried in St. Pete Beach........ :lol:

Four newest downtown St. Petersburg condos nearly sold out

ST. PETERSBURG — Glance up at night at the four newest waterfront condo towers in downtown St. Petersburg and it's hard to believe: They are almost all sold out. For all the horror stories of Florida's real estate market it seems the gleaming high-rises are far from languishing.

Signature Place at 175 First St. S has just two units yet to sell for the first time, while 400 Beach has one. The tony Ovation at 180 Beach Drive NE, has 11 developer-owned units still on the market. Parkshore Plaza at 300 Beach Drive NE sold out a while ago.

The fact that 44 percent of the owners don't list their urban condos as their primary residence explains why the towers don't look more occupied.

"The uncertainty is gone. The uncertainty of what's going to happen at 400 Beach and what's going to happen at Signature is gone," said Tom Hallis, a sales associate with Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate on Beach Drive, who reels off downtown sales, square footage and prices as easily as his Social Security number. "They are almost all sold out. It's incredible. … We're stabilized now."

There are a total of 47 units on the market, most of them resales, at Signature, Ovation, 400 Beach, Parkshore Plaza, Bayfront Tower, Vinoy Place, the Florenzia and the Cloisters.

"Once they dropped the prices, that really stimulated things," said Jean Schramm, a sales associate with Remax Action First in St. Petersburg, who recently represented several buyers of downtown condos. "These people who are buying now are getting a fantastic deal. They thought they could never afford to be on Beach Drive or downtown."

After foreclosing on 400 Beach, Wells Fargo cut prices on the remaining 18 units there by about 35 percent in February. Eight units sold within a few days. Almost all sold within two weeks. Then in March, 500 people crammed into a hotel ballroom for a live auction of Signature Place. Fifty-four units sold.

"That repriced the building. They went for market value," said Deborah C. Newman of Newman & Associates Real Estate and the broker of record at Signature Place. She continued selling at "auction prices" that were about $100 a square foot lower than Signature's original prices. In April, 26 condos sold, 14 went in May and the closings trickled through the summer until there are just two left.

Deals and profits

As the Times reported last week, Signature developer Joel Cantor said he still made a profit despite big price reductions along the way.

There were definitely deals to be had downtown this year.

"A lot of people who bought a few years ago are probably never going to get out what they put in," said Jack Bowman, a broker with Keller Williams Realty Gulf Coast and developer of the Cloisters, which went up on Beach Drive in 1999. "A lot of these were bought as investments and people are going to realize it will be difficult to hold on to them long enough to see the market coming back if you bought at the top of the market."

A Times analysis of Pinellas County Property Appraiser sales data found buyers at 400 Beach and Signature who bought when the buildings first opened paid significantly more than those who bought March through July of this year.

At 400 Beach, early buyers paid $432 per square foot compared to recent buyers who paid $301 per square foot. So a 2,000-square-foot condo would have sold for $864,000 in early 2008 compared to $602,000 in 2010.

Early buyers at Signature Place paid $356 per square foot compared to recent buyers who paid $248 per square foot. Again, a 2,000-square-foot condo would have sold for $712,000 in the summer of 2009, compared with $496,000 in 2010.

The average price per square foot at Parkshore Plaza has risen $1 to $296 from the summer of 2006 compared with sales in 2010. At Ovation, the average price per square foot went up $43 from the fall of 2009 compared to sales March through July.

"We have not adjusted (prices down) yet. I don't know that we will," said Sue Haddad, Ovation marketing director. The building at 180 Beach Drive NE has 45 units, with just two on each floor. Standard units range in price from $1.5 million to $2.2 million for 3,660 square feet. Penthouse units boast 5,400 interior square feet and 800 square feet of terraces.

All four sold out a while ago, so Ovation developer JMC Communities is combining two separate units on the 22nd floor into a single, 8,000-square-foot home with eight terraces. It's priced at $4.8 million.

"Customers who have large, single-family homes are ready to be free of all the upkeep but they don't want to compromise their space, their lifestyle, the privacy, the security, the location," Haddad said. "The penthouses, we can't get over the demand and popularity of them."

Signature Place has the widest range of spaces and sizes. The two developer units left on the market are a three-story, 4,177-square-foot penthouse priced at $1.4 million and a 1,630-square-foot home priced at $390,000.

Newman at Signature said she knows of at least two original buyers who have broken even when recently reselling their Signature condos because the developer offered them 25 percent off at their closing in hopes of keeping them from walking away from their contract like many others did.

Sold, but not occupied

The fact that there is no longer an oversupply of condos downtown is great news for developers, bankers and real estate associates. But if 40 percent to 50 percent of those sold units sit empty, that's not great news for downtown businesses.

"I think downtown has been making it from the people who live in the community rather than the people who live in the high-rises," Bowman said. "Beach Drive has an energy because the demographic of St. Petersburg has changed a great deal. It's a lot younger than it used to be."

Hallis said some out-of-town buyers he has sold to, whether in Tampa or New Hampshire, say they plan on leasing their condo a year or two and then retiring there. "They are not snowbirds or investors, but they are not ready to move yet and they wanted to get in on the good prices," he said.

Even with 53 percent of Signature Place owners listing a different mailing address, nine of them out of the country, Newman said the building seems lively.

"I know that the people in our building are very involved in the community. Some are working with the Dalí Museum doing a fundraiser," she said.

Signature allows owners to sublease their units three times in 12 months for a minimum of 30 days. Most other buildings have stricter policies that allow just one sublease a year for at least six months.

So with about 30 downtown condos on the resale market, is there a need for a new building to rise up?

"I don't think you will see anybody building condos in downtown St. Petersburg for quite a while," Bowman said. "I think that as we start to turn these things over we've got enough inventory to satisfy the demand for a long time."

Times computer-assisted reporting specialist Connie Humburg contributed to this report. Katherine Snow Smith can be reached at (727) 893-8785 or kssmith@sptimes.com.


http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/realestate/four-newest-downtown-st-petersburg-condos-nearly-sold-out/1129000

"I don't think you will see anybody building condos in downtown St. Petersburg for quite a while," Bowman said. "I think that as we start to turn these things over we've got enough inventory to satisfy the demand for a long time."

Correction... We probably won't see any high end projects for quite a while in St Pete.

^^Agree. I suspect we may see more rental projects in the next round of building, market rate and affordable (i.e. low income housing tax credit developments).

^^Agree. I suspect we may see more rental projects in the next round of building, market rate and affordable (i.e. low income housing tax credit developments).

Fusion 1560, The Sage(unsold units became rentals), and the Urban Style Flats are either completed or opening soon. So in under two months, many new rental units will come available.

The good thing about this is The Sage starts around $1300/mo while the Urban Flats start about like $500-700/mo, and Fusion will probably be in the $1400-$2000 range. So there will be a mixture of pricing which is good for people who can't afford the $500K+ for a 2/2 unit.

Also, I haven't heard anything in a while on this project, but "The Portland" looks to have started groundwork. It's a 'workforce housing' building, the project is listed on: http://www.908development.com/ .

Not sure if construction is starting but it's at the site of the Portland, so maybe.

Where is the exact location of The Portland? I would like to know.

Where is the exact location of The Portland? I would like to know.
http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2010/01/11/focus2.html

908 Development Group is expected to break ground on its first large-scale construction project next month, a $17.7 million affordable housing tower at 819 Third Ave. N.

Even though the article was made in January.

What it is it that got built across the street?

What it is it that got built across the street?

Some senior apartments called City Place. It just opened over the summer.
http://cityplacestpete.com/

http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/tourism/st-petersburg-serpentarium-opens-on-central-avenue/1131091


St. PETERSBURG — The newly opened St. Petersburg Serpentarium is a narrow, dimly lit space on Central Avenue housing about 25 creepy creatures including cobras, copperheads, pythons, rattlesnakes, venomous lizards and scorpions. But Rob Siders, curator and an owner, has visions of something much grander.

"If the Rays leave, I want Tropicana Field. We have the animals. We have the permits," said Siders, whose partner has a Punta Gorda ranch with lions, bears, bobcats and other animals. "The corporate boxes would still be there. You can take the kids to the zoo, but mom and dad can still socialize and shop. Think about a zoo that is temperature-controlled. We would build cages half in the stadium (and half sticking out of the stadium) so it's indoors and outdoors."

Siders has spoken about his idea with St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster. "He sounded very open-minded," Siders said, adding that Foster wanted to hear more after corporate sponsors were lined up. "We're not trying to build Busch Gardens. We can build a moderate-sized zoo for $8 million to $10 million."

If the Rays don't leave Tropicana Field, his group would consider the Feather Sound area and is looking for other potential sites.

The newly opened St. Petersburg Serpentarium at 538 Central Ave. is the first step. It's open to the public on weekends and school groups during the week. There is no set price, but donations are accepted. Siders and his partners soon will try to secure corporate sponsorships to cover expenses.

Siders spent five months building a spacious habitat for each of the creatures in the 1,000 square feet of exhibit space. He spoke excitedly about the inhabitants recently above the almost constant background noise of an eastern diamondback rattlesnake's rattle, which mimicked a high-powered sprinkler system rapid firing blasts of water.

"It's a percussion instrument, but he's entirely deaf. I always wonder, does he even knows he's making this noise?" he said. Siders knows which snakes are shy, which are feisty and which will face the back of the cage as soon as they hear his voice ready for him to hand them their breakfast of frozen rats.

"I don't give them names, but I still adore them," Siders said.

The snakes have been collected over the years by Siders and one of his partners, David Weathers, who is also known as the "Cobra Kid."

"Everything is clean for both of these guys," said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokeswoman Gabriella Ferraro, who confirmed they have the necessary permits for the serpentarium.

Weathers owns a ranch in Punta Gorda, where he has permits for lions, tigers, bears, bobcats, monkeys, exotic birds and venomous and nonvenomous reptiles, Ferraro said. This would be the source of animals for a zoo.

Across the Internet, Weathers is seen fearlessly handling angry snakes by their heads and tails, wrestling alligators, kissing lions and cobras and, his signature move, holding a balloon in his mouth while a snake pops it with its venomous fangs. He has appeared on the Discovery Channel, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and in the movie, Jackass Number 2.

Not everyone has the training and experience with snakes that Weathers and Siders have. That's why the serpentarium also will be a depository for unwanted creatures. The serpentarium aims to be known as a place where people can safely drop off snakes that have gotten too big, animals from defunct circuses or other creatures that are no longer wanted. Siders sees this as a much better option than just releasing pets into the wild or the streets of St. Petersburg.

Without set ticket prices or any corporate sponsors yet, it's hard to see how the serpentarium will thrive financially, much less be the first building block of a zoo. Siders discounts this concern, saying he and Weathers already own the snakes and already pay feeding and veterinary costs. The only added overhead of opening their business is $1,500 a month in rent and utilities, which he hopes will be covered by donations and sponsors.

"Why would you have all of these (snakes) if you're not going to share them with the public?" Siders asked. "You can donate if you can, but we don't want people to have to spend money to walk in."

Katherine Snow Smith can be reached at kssmith@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8785.

Interesting idea for a zoo at Tropicana Field, but LP Zoo is established and I dont think there are enough people to support two zoos.

Occupancy is looking up at the Sage condo tower

http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/columns/occupancy-is-looking-up-at-the-sage-condo-tower/1131114

When it opened in 2007, the Sage was part of the boom in downtown development that touted urban living. But when the housing market crashed, it joined several other mostly empty condominium towers in St. Petersburg that loomed darkly in the night sky.

A one- or two-light night was not that unusual when looking up at some of the waterfront towers.

As recently as April, the $30 million, 12-story condominium at the corner of Fourth Street and Fourth Avenue S had sold barely more than a quarter of its units.

But things quickly changed after Southwest Properties Ltd., a Nova Scotia company that specializes in the "repositioning of existing properties," bought the remaining 75 units at the Sage on April 1 and began leasing them.

Now the tower is "at 70 percent occupancy," said Trina Sammann, assistant property manager.

Lease rates at the U-shaped building range from $1,219 to $2,400 per month for the mainly two-bedroom units.

With Fusion at 1560 Central Ave. near completion and Urban Style Flats in the former Graham-Rogall public housing complex recently hosting an open house, the downtown core suddenly has a bevy of trendy rental apartments.

Is the Sage worried about the competition?

"The thought in the industry is that Fusion would be the Sage's competition," said Sammann, "But we view our property differently.

"The difference is these are still condos. We're on a time frame (calling for) a rent-to-own option" in five years when the housing market rebounds.

"Condos are meant to sell, so the finishes are different, the quality is different."

How have the homeowners at the Sage received the new leasing structure at the complex?

"There are a lot of owners who are happy with us being here because it adds life to the building," said Sammann, adding that Southwest is paying the homeowners association fees of the renters.

Most of the new tenants are young professionals, she said, but there are also couples who are consolidating — former homeowners who no longer want to deal with maintenance.

• • •

Take a stroll along North Shore Drive near 12th Avenue NE and you'll see that the restoration of a 1930s sundial is taking shape. City workers have begun pouring cement on the outer ring, and the project's design is visible from the stakes in the ground.

The city of St. Petersburg crew has been working long days to have the project complete in time for a big bash Saturday.

That's when the city will celebrate the Waterfront Park Centennial with a daylong party stretching from North Shore Park, 901 North Shore Drive NE, to Albert Whitted Park, 107 Eighth Ave. SE. Bayshore Drive will be closed to traffic but open for bikes and pedestrians.

On Thursday, the project's first phase was near completion. The city's Kermit Anderson said the crew has been working in the corridor to complete both the city trail and the sundial project. There are two more phases to be completed, but they expect to be finished midweek.

Come Saturday, the stages — nine of them — will be set for one of the largest parties in the city's history.

I suggest wearing comfortable shoes to get your stroll on.

Condos are meant to sell, so the finishes are different, the quality is different."
lol

I bike rode downtown today and I assume that the 908 development project is breaking ground. There's a 908 flag onsite and there's a crane and a lot of activity.

http://908development.com/

12 stories and 68 units of affordable/workforce housing

USF St. Petersburg to build student center, without city help

ST. PETERSBURG — Days after they turned down an offer from city officials for help in financing a $20 million student center and dormitory, University of South Florida St. Petersburg officials say the project is still on and should start construction by March.

The facility will be 81,000 square feet and include nearly 200 beds, a food court, and meeting and game rooms. It will help increase the on-campus living percentage to about 10 percent of the 6,000 full-time students.

It is being paid for with an increase in student fees.

USF officials are pushing for the project because of the high demand for dorms. Campus housing is so scarce that about 30 students are housed at the Hilton. City officials support the project because they believe development of the campus helps downtown.

"The stronger they are, the stronger we are," said council member Jim Kennedy.

On Monday, the City Council was set to approve a city bond issue of $67 million to pay for a host of water and wastewater projects. Like many cities and counties in Florida, St. Petersburg is issuing bonds that are part of the $787 billion federal stimulus approved in February 2009. The bonds allow local governments to borrow money for projects. Unlike other municipal bonds, they aren't tax exempt. But their enticement is sizable tax rebates from the IRS.

The city offered USF St. Petersburg about $3 million of its $6 million rebate from the bond issue, which would have been allocated over 30 years. USF St. Petersburg could use that pledge to help finance the project.

City officials said they had discussed this deal with university officials for months. But on Friday, Fell Stubbs, the executive director of the USF financing corporation, told them that it would be cheaper if the university issued its own bonds.

It turns out that the ones the city was issuing have some strings attached. Even though they come with a lucrative rebate, they also require that those hired to work on the project are paid wages that don't fall below local wage levels set by the U.S. Labor Department.

That can vary from project to project, but Mike Connors, the city's administrator of public works, said he calculates the requirement typically will increase cost by 2 to 3 percent.

"They thanked the city for the support, but said they would float their own debt," said Anne Fritz, the city's finance director. "Labor costs are an important part in making a decision in how to finance a project. It was in their interest to go with another bond issue."

The higher wages are tied to the Davis-Bacon Act, which was passed in 1931 by Congress to assure workers a fair wage while working on projects financed with federal money.

Stubbs said the higher labor costs played a role in the decision to decline the city's help. The university is planning to issue bonds with a smaller tax rebate that don't have the requirement for the higher wages. The university will issue an $18 million bond issue in mid December that will pay for the project, Stubbs said.

The building is expected to be complete by the 2012 fall semester, said Kent Kelso, vice chancellor of student affairs at USF St. Petersburg.

Michael Van Sickler can be reached at (727) 893-8037 or mvansickler@sptimes.com.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/usf-st-petersburg-to-build-student-center-without-city-help/1136345

When I think of the Gulf, frequently I think, OIL( oil spill, oil rigs, dirty industry). With that in mind, wouldn't it be a good idea, economically to change the name of Gulf Blvd to Seaside Highway or something that doesn't include "Gulf". "Gulf", IMO is not very marketable. "Seaside" is a much better, pleasant term. I know it would be costly to change, but It seems to me to be worth it.

I bike rode downtown today and I assume that the 908 development project is breaking ground. There's a 908 flag onsite and there's a crane and a lot of activity.

http://908development.com/

12 stories and 68 units of affordable/workforce housing

Tampa Guy - We are the architects for the project - the construction is in full swing. Should start to see vertical action in the next week.

Tampa Guy - We are the architects for the project - the construction is in full swing. Should start to see vertical action in the next week.

Awesome!
Thanks for the update, it's good to see a workforce housing project rising even in this economy.

Any info on 908s other projects?
I read somewhere that they had some other projects downtown planned.

Welcome to the forum, and thank you for the update.

I would also like to welcome you to the boards jarchietek.

I got a question, hows the options of dining in that area? With the senior apartments across from the Portland project and likely many families moving into this project, creating areas for them to dine and eat very close by should be a priority for either the city or the developers of both projects. just my two cents.

I would also like to welcome you to the boards jarchietek.

I got a question, hows the options of dining in that area? With the senior apartments across from the Portland project and likely many families moving into this project, creating areas for them to dine and eat very close by should be a priority for either the city or the developers of both projects. just my two cents.

There's not much in that area of downtown, but a three block walk will take you to the trolley that will take you up and down central. There's numerous places to eat there.

There's not much in that area of downtown, but a three block walk will take you to the trolley that will take you up and down central. There's numerous places to eat there.
I know Central Ave. have some nice sleek places to eat at, but maybe for the senior residents it might be too much to walk and get on the trolley. Guess when something else comes around, retail space for some restaurant can be discussed.

Opening of club, restaurant in downtown St. Petersburg delayed
Tampa Bay Business Journal - by Mark Holan
Date: Wednesday, December 8, 2010, 2:53pm EST


The opening of the highest nightclub on Florida’s west coast has been pushed back until next year, but a street level restaurant associated with the project is opening next week.

That’s the word from Vintage Ultra Lounge co-owner James Guttridge, who had hoped to open both ventures this fall in the Bank of America Tower at 200 Central Ave. in downtown St. Petersburg.

Both spaces, including the 19th floor nightclub, were to be called Atria.

Guttridge said the opening date and a new name for the first-floor martini bar and Pacific Rim cuisine restaurant (think sushi) will be released any day.

He said the 10,000-square-foot nightclub project “is taking longer than anticipated” due to issues related to the structural capacity of the high-rise and how many people the city will allow to occupy the nightclub, which also features outdoor terraces.

Plans also include banquet space that should provide business opportunities for caterers, wedding planners and event coordinators.

“We are still moving forward,” Guttridge said.

He promised to call us with the new restaurant name and opening date, which will post on this blog.

http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/blog/2010/12/opening-of-downtown-club-delayed.html?ed=2010-12-08&s=article_du&ana=e_du_pub

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=68359749


Atria is going to be legit.
Great views of the city...

Their website is under construction:
http://atrialounge.com/

Also on an interesting note the Bank of America sign was removed form the "shoe box" building because BoA has moved locations. Who knows what name will go on the building now.

I would also like to welcome you to the boards jarchietek.

I got a question, hows the options of dining in that area? With the senior apartments across from the Portland project and likely many families moving into this project, creating areas for them to dine and eat very close by should be a priority for either the city or the developers of both projects. just my two cents.

I dont think dining has changed....typically housing needs to become established before retail (food) can be supported. I dont know too much about the senior living across the street, but most senior centers have a lot of in-house eating, no?

As far as the priority of developers....I know community is important to a lot of them, but priority number one is getting a project built. It was 908's vision to be a catalyst for the neighborhood. Hopefully the affordable project that doesnt look affordable will give residents pride and be able to encourage future entrepreneurs to the area.

My four cents....

http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/blog/2010/12/opening-of-downtown-club-delayed.html?ed=2010-12-08&s=article_du&ana=e_du_pub

He said the 10,000-square-foot nightclub project “is taking longer than anticipated” due to issues related to the structural capacity of the high-rise and how many people the city will allow to occupy the nightclub, which also features outdoor terraces.

What??? That doesnt sound valid unless they build the tower out of Legos.

I dont think dining has changed....typically housing needs to become established before retail (food) can be supported. I dont know too much about the senior living across the street, but most senior centers have a lot of in-house eating, no?

As far as the priority of developers....I know community is important to a lot of them, but priority number one is getting a project built. It was 908's vision to be a catalyst for the neighborhood. Hopefully the affordable project that doesnt look affordable will give residents pride and be able to encourage future entrepreneurs to the area.

My four cents....
Priority number one is definitely getting the project built, something I hope the Portland accomplishes. I don't really know how senior apartments work so I can't say if they do or do not have in-house eating. I would think some in the apartments would be able to venture out for dinner or lunch once in a while.

I'm sure everyone knows, but the Dali opens Tuesday.

The Times has a good interactive site on the museum: http://www.tampabay.com/specials/2011/reports/salvador-dali-museum-st-petersburg/

I can't wait to visit.

I was looking at the agenda from March 10 for the St. Pete City Council and Grand Bohemian was on it. Not anything newsworthy, something about the Letter of Credit, but the attachment to the agenda item does say that Kessler still has interest in constructing the hotel but current economic conditions prevent them at this time. They expect March 2012 for construction to start.

March 2nd's Development Review Meeting has the Approval of 12-story residential tower at the 145 4th NE Ave. by the Wannemacher Jensen Architects. They also worked on the Progress Energy Tower.

^^^ Yeah this was the development that people in the next door tower were complaining about saying it would block their view and cause them to not get any sunlight. Hopefully it gets built.

^^^ Yeah this was the development that people in the next door tower were complaining about saying it would block their view and cause them to not get any sunlight. Hopefully it gets built.
Hopefully man.

I went to St Pete about 2 weeks ago, I believe it was the workhouse housing that I saw near the lake almost topped off. Am I right? Almost had a heart attack when I saw a crane in St Petersburg. lol

There were two cranes I believe - one for The Portland (workforce housing) and another for the St. Anthony's expansion.

Also, USF-SP broke ground on the new Student Center and dormitory for another infusion of youth into downtown.

There were two cranes I believe - one for The Portland (workforce housing) and another for the St. Anthony's expansion.

Also, USF-SP broke ground on the new Student Center and dormitory for another infusion of youth into downtown.
Oh yeah, forgot about the St. Anthony's expansion. Thanks Jahi. And great to heard about the new Student Center and dormitory.

Other news, Children's Hospital was unable to sell off their old building, so they will be tearing it down and placing greenspace in its place.

Also, the ping pong club SPiN will be opening this summer. Now, I guess we missed some news because I thought the location was planned for Baywalk. Instead, it will instead be placed in Jannus Landing. Here's an article on what will be included.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/pingpong-social-club-opening-this-summer-in-st-petersburg/1164079

^^What would set downtown off now is a real retail core. BayWalk by itself is not enough space. But BayWalk, the Midcore Garage and Tropicana Block combined would be enough space to build a substanial retail core. If only all that property could come into the hands of one owner with vision.

Hopefully the John Hopkins connection will bring some spinoff - maybe some R&D space could be built on that land where the old hospital land.

^^What would set downtown off now is a real retail core. BayWalk by itself is not enough space. But BayWalk, the Midcore Garage and Tropicana Block combined would be enough space to build a substanial retail core. If only all that property could come into the hands of one owner with vision.

Hopefully the John Hopkins connection will bring some spinoff - maybe some R&D space could be built on that land where the old hospital land.
The city has a lot of oppurtunity within the Central Ave. corridor that I'm surprised no one in the city has addressed yet. Just look at it from Google view, if no one can see the possibilities just from there, than I don't know what else to do. I see the empty plots of land east of Tropicana, empty parcels along Central Ave, and so much oppurtunity and I have to wonder, who the hell is in charge of development in that city?

I say they at least need to place a vision for that area and put in big bolded wording DON'T ALLOW 2 STORY PARKING GARAGES HERE OR YOU'LL BE FIRED". If there is no vision and no guidelines set in stone, I think we have seen pretty well in other areas of the region what happens. cough cough USF Medical building cough cough and cough cough 4-story apartments in Channelside cough cough.

And JH will play a large part for All Children's and St. Petersburg and I won't doubt that they will bring some R&D to St. Pete in the future. Just like much of St. Pete, there is plenty of space for them to expand.

I got a question, any idea why St. Petersburg never captalized on the canal they have running through the city? To me, they treat it like it's some type of drainage. I don't see why they can't make it something like what San Antonio did except of course the financial cost. Would still had been cool to potentially link a Riverwalk with a Baywalk (no the retail center).

I say they at least need to place a vision for that area and put in big bolded wording DON'T ALLOW 2 STORY PARKING GARAGES HERE OR YOU'LL BE FIRED".

Which parking garage are your referring to? or are you just referring to two story garages in general?

[QUOTE=TampaMike;76524231]The city has a lot of oppurtunity within the Central Ave. corridor that I'm surprised no one in the city has addressed yet. Just look at it from Google view, if no one can see the possibilities just from there, than I don't know what else to do. I see the empty plots of land east of Tropicana, empty parcels along Central Ave, and so much oppurtunity and I have to wonder, who the hell is in charge of development in that city?
QUOTE]

Central Ave has GREAT potential to be one of the premier urban corridors of the region. It's already almost completely walkable from Beach Dr to 28th Street - still a couple of gaps left. And it has a pretty urban feel all the way down to the Gulf. I say buildings no less buildings in the 5- to 7-story range all the way down, no less than 3-story though. Add in a modern streetcar down Central from Downtown to the Gulf and reduce the parking requirement (in exchange for paying a small fee to fund the streetcar) and we have a winner. But, I don't think our leaders are willing to put forth a vision like that.

I don't know why the city never capitalized on the canal. However, when the city put out that RFP for redevelopment of the Trop land, the winning proposal did make it more of a feature than just a utility.

Which parking garage are your referring to? or are you just referring to two story garages in general?
The one on the corner of Matin Luther King and 1st Ave. S. I know its pretty much private property, but still, come on. That should be a no-no for much of St. Petersburg that has potential that exceeds two story parking garages.

Central Ave has GREAT potential to be one of the premier urban corridors of the region. It's already almost completely walkable from Beach Dr to 28th Street - still a couple of gaps left. And it has a pretty urban feel all the way down to the Gulf. I say buildings no less buildings in the 5- to 7-story range all the way down, no less than 3-story though. Add in a modern streetcar down Central from Downtown to the Gulf and reduce the parking requirement (in exchange for paying a small fee to fund the streetcar) and we have a winner. But, I don't think our leaders are willing to put forth a vision like that.

I don't know why the city never capitalized on the canal. However, when the city put out that RFP for redevelopment of the Trop land, the winning proposal did make it more of a feature than just a utility.
I don't want tall building in that area either. Some low-rise residential buildings, maybe one or two boutique hotels, and plenty of retail and restaurants. Streetcar should be mandatory and I've looked through some documents from the city that envisions a streetcar, but it should be in the planning stages at this moment..... that's if I was in the city government though.

Proposed Toytown project in Pinellas seems adrift
The area known as the Toytown landfill was mentioned as a possible Tampa Bay Rays stadium site.

By MICHAEL SASSO | The Tampa Tribune
Published: April 22, 201

TAMPA - The developer of a would-be shopping and office complex – and possibly a stadium – at the old Toytown landfill in St. Petersburg appears to be missing in action.
A group called Florida Gateway Development I LLC is under contract to buy the landfill site from Pinellas County, and it must put down a $350,000 deposit by July 1 if it wants to keep moving forward.
However, for now, no one at the county knows whether the deal is still alive or dead and the developer's not talking.
Florida Gateway Development is a group that includes a big development firm, Industrial Realty Group of Los Angeles, and people affiliated with Bear Creek Capital of Cincinnati. It has been negotiating with Pinellas County to buy the 247-acre property at Interstate 275 and Roosevelt Boulevard since at least March 2007, hoping to turn an old landfill into a bustling multi-use development.
If the project were to be completed, people would live in its multifamily housing, work in its office towers, eat and shop at its stores and restaurants and play in its park space. At least 70 acres were to be devoted to public recreation.
Some community leaders talked about Toytown as a potential Tampa Bay Rays stadium location, and the developers seemed to be receptive to building one. However, the team never acknowledged an interest in the Toytown site, and the stadium idea has never gone beyond the hypothetical.
For now, county leaders are wondering if they still have a deal with the developer.
Florida Gateway Development was supposed to dig below the landfill's surface to see how stable it is by June 30, but it hasn't yet started drilling, said Mike Meidel, Pinellas County's economic development director.
And, it hasn't given the county any indication whether it will put up the $350,000 deposit that's due July 1. It's allowed to satisfy some of that deposit by showing the pre-development expenses it has already incurred, Meidel said.
The Tribune was unable to reach anyone at Industrial Realty Group or Bear Creek Capital.
Bill Tippman, a consultant working for the developers, declined to comment on the project's status Thursday.
And, Todd Pressman, another consultant for Florida Gateway Development, said he hasn't been involved in the project for at least nine months and doesn't know its status.
Meidel said he doesn't know if the developer has given up on the project, but he wouldn't be surprised either way.
"It's a tough climate," he said.
Norm Roche, a Pinellas County commissioner, said he's been concerned about putting a dense office and shopping development on top of a landfill for some time. He has the same concerns about a ballpark.
"You can't really build a Rays stadium there," he said.
msasso@tampatrib.com

I love the part about "office towers". That would be a towering 4-6 floors max for this Toytown area. What a laugh.

I think I remember reading somewhere that Gateway Mall was originally proposed for Roosevelt and I-275, but local government convinced the developers to put it at its current location on MLK and 77th Ave N. What a total planning failure. We could have easily had another Westshore-like area. Now we have an inactive landfill on prime real estate.

I would hope that these developers would see that this is prime real estate still -- one of the last large, underveloped tracts in Pinellas County with frontage along one of the busiest stretches of I-275 -- and the project is worth moving forward with.

Leave it empty until another building boom comes along, maybe we'll get something decent and not half assed.

^^^ Yeah this was the development that people in the next door tower were complaining about saying it would block their view and cause them to not get any sunlight. Hopefully it gets built.
Well no surprise, the residents from the Townview Condos and Presbyterian Tower are appealing the decision from the Development Review Committee.

It's these type of residents that piss me off. Not just that they can't help to realize that they live in a city and that other taller towers have rose down the street from them, but the appeal letter states that a representative from the architecture firm "threatened" them to accept the design. It's always a threat with these NIMBY's. They want to paint theirselves as the biggest victims ever and it was someone else that forced them to move to a city that of course will only produce more towers like THERES!

Grayl's Hotel has new owner with big plans
http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/grayls-hotel-has-new-owner-with-big-plans/1170764
ST. PETERSBURG — Grayl's Hotel, at 340 Beach Drive NE, has been bought for $1.8 million by Chuck Prather, a developer of federal buildings around the country. He paid cash for the 21-room inn that Cornerstone Community Bank took control of after the former owners defaulted on $2.1 million.

"It's such a great property," Prather said. "I can't think of anywhere else in the state like Beach Drive."

He plans to invest a lot more money, gutting much of the hotel and adding a fifth floor with open space for receptions and a rooftop deck. All rooms will be renovated and redecorated, a new updated kitchen will be built, and an upscale restaurant will open where the current kitchen exists. All renovations and refurbishments will be done in keeping with the hotel's original 1922 style so that it can receive historic designation.

Southwind Hospitality will continue to manage the property, and all employees will keep their jobs. But one thing will change, the name.

"We're going to call it the Birchwood Inn," Prather said. His father developed a subdivision in Tennessee decades ago and named it Birchwood after "Mr. Birchfield," the farmer who sold him the land.

The patio restaurant and hotel will remain open as much as possible during renovations. Prather has contractors and architects standing by and plans to start work as soon as possible with hopes of finishing everything within a year.

^^That's good news for Beach Drive

I like the Grayl's Hotel, so I hope they can keep the architectural design of the building.

I really wish the city heavily pushed for the whole Beach Drive area be filled in with 5-7 story structures. Both modern and historical designed. I would say add clubs, but maybe restaurants and shops would just be nice.

I like the Grayl's Hotel, so I hope they can keep the architectural design of the building.

I really wish the city heavily pushed for the whole Beach Drive area be filled in with 5-7 story structures. Both modern and historical designed. I would say add clubs, but maybe restaurants and shops would just be nice.

There are 7 buildings that are 10+ stories on Beach Dr.
Most of Beach Dr is condo towers with large bases, are you talking about the bases being 5-7 stories?

There are 7 buildings that are 10+ stories on Beach Dr.
Most of Beach Dr is condo towers with large bases, are you talking about the bases being 5-7 stories?
Bases or regular buildings. Like I would really like a nice 5-7 story structure replace Moon Under Water right next to the hotel. Just fill up that whole stretch. Its almost there, but there's areas that need a look at.

Great news for that strip. A new labor of love for SP.

German-based group looking at Pinellas County for major solar energy project

http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/energy/article1175710.ece

ST. PETERSBURG — A German-based renewable energy group is looking to build the first major solar electricity farm in Pinellas County and bring as many as 160 solar manufacturing jobs to St. Petersburg.

The group of about 10 German business people have scheduled a three-day visit June 27-29 to Pinellas County to meet with Progress Energy, business leaders and city and Pinellas County officials.

"This is a real, financially backed manufacturer that has the ability to open up a factory here," said St. Petersburg City Council member Karl Nurse.

Because of confidentiality, Progress Energy and local government officials would not disclose the name of the German businesses or many of the details of what they are proposing.

"I can confirm we have a meeting relatively soon with a company as you described out of Germany," said Tim Leljedal, a spokesman for Progress Energy. "It's a basic introductory meeting."

The group is reviewing possible sites for the solar farm and a permanent facility to manufacture solar panels. Nurse said the group is considering setting up the manufacturing operation by the Pinellas Technical Education Centers in the Midtown area of St. Petersburg. The site of the solar farm is unclear.

Mike Meidel, economic development director for Pinellas County, said a solar energy company was among businesses to express interest in building at the old Toytown landfill.

Developers recently backed out of a contract for a proposed Toytown development project — which included plans for 2,100 housing units, 1.5 million square feet of shopping and 2 million square feet of offices. That frees the way for the solar company to possibly visit the site.

But Meidel suggested the county would have to think hard about a solar energy farm at the county-owned 247-acre site, which is next to Interstate 275 near Roosevelt Boulevard.

"As it's definitely not the highest and best use, just a solar farm would not line up with the criteria set by the Board of County Commissioners when they initially looked at the site," he said. "And for that matter, it obviously would not involve as many jobs. . . . It'd be a long shot."

Part of the problem is the project wouldn't be a big job creator once constructed, Meidel said. He questioned putting a solar site on land he considers very valuable.

Toytown is a tough site for building. The old landfill sits atop an aquifer that feeds into Tampa Bay. A solar array might not present as many engineering or environment challenges.

County Commissioners Susan Latvala, Norm Roche and Ken Welch said they had not heard of the solar company's interest. But they didn't rule out interest in having a solar energy operation at the old landfill since the economy has dashed development plans.

The market has changed dramatically since the county last asked developers to bid on the site.

"Maybe something like solar would be a better short term use," Latvala said. "Originally, we wanted jobs. But it's very, very expensive to build (a major housing or business development) on that site."

The company would develop and produce solar electricity that would be sold to Progress Energy to supply to its customers.

Progress already has contracts with other solar power developers to buy electricity when it becomes available, but most do not have deadlines for construction. Progress is looking to third-party developers to build solar farms because the utility says it is too expensive to do it itself. The proposal by the German business group is not one of the existing contracts.

Construction on Progress Energy Florida's first large-scale solar electric source is set to begin next month on roughly 200 acres of rural land in Lake County. Progress contracted with Blue Chip Energy to build the facility, which would power about 8,000 homes.

It's unclear whether the Germans are proposing a solar farm as large as Blue Chip's.

Like Blue Chip, the German group would sell electricity to Progress based on the cost of electricity at the time it is purchased.

For the developers, the cost of producing the energy — including development and construction — must fall below the price they can sell it to the utility to make it worth their while.

"The developer's goal is to be able to build the plants at a profit," said Scott Sutton, a spokesman for Progress Energy. He says there are signs of technological improvements and decreases in the price of solar that increasingly are making it attractive for these types of developments.

This would be awesome for the area's high tech industry.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/energy/german-officials-planning-solar-project-have-whirlwind-tour-of-st-pete/1177989


The german group wants to use the Toytown site for a solar farm, what do you think of that? The developer just pulled out of the Toytown development.

Should this be the site of a solar farm?

http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/energy/german-officials-planning-solar-project-have-whirlwind-tour-of-st-pete/1177989


The german group wants to use the Toytown site for a solar farm, what do you think of that? The developer just pulled out of the Toytown development.

Should this be the site of a solar farm?
I still wouldn't trust me, or anyone for the matter, living on a former landfill site. Is there a 100% study that shows it's safe harmless to prove me wrong?

I do like the idea of the solar farm on the site though, even though I guess Pinellas might be hesitant on giving full support when it means allowing a site that was once planned for a Rays stadium. And it is likely still a location for a Multi-model station for light rail and their hopes of getting HSR over the bay whenever Florida gets HSR.

Well one of the biggest problems with loss of energy in the transmission process in the length of the run. So this makes sense in getting in close to the user. Sounds like a good use of the land. I'd never live there because it was a landfill and is close too close to the existing incinerator.

I'd move the multi-modal site to the south end of SP-Clwter Int'l, as its not like that airport is going gang-busters with its flight schedule and is an existing public asset. It would than make sense to run your LTR routing along the Feather Sound corridor to pick up all the existing job centers there and than down to the 4th St corridor in SP. I don't think HSR ever had a realistic chance of making it to Pinellas. Its too much for too little reward.

It is clear that the City and County are hesitant to let Toytown go to this company, as Toytown is probably the best hope for keeping the Rays in Pinellas. However, we need the jobs, and it could bring new industry to Pinellas.

The transit corridor studied now (www.pinellasontrack.com) will still run up I-275 then follow Roosevelt from I-275 into Largo. The rail stop could probably go on the west side of I-275 opposite of Toytown on the La Entrada development where Valpak is now. That would jumpstart more development there and also serve the Gateway Centre office park across 28th Street (using shuttles).

Its also utterly amazing that every other country in the world, particularly those in western Europe, manages to shoehorn in transit stations and multimodal stations into small areas. If a multimodal station needs to be there, and a mfg plant/farm, than get creative. Heaven forbid FDOT, TBARTA, PSTA have to actually think outside the box a little.

Portland apartments will offer lower-income renters higher-end amenities in St. Petersburg

http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/realestate/portland-apartments-will-offer-lower-income-renters-higher-end-amenities/1182495

ST. PETERSBURG — A new 12-story building downtown is nothing to scoff at. But the $17 million Portland apartments, going up across the street from the City Place senior apartment complex, represent more than a new addition to the city's skyline.

For developer Alex English, it's the realization of his company's first high-rise project. For city housing director Joshua Johnson, it's another success in the city's effort to offer affordable housing options. For some residents in City Place, it's a chance to leave a building plagued by controversy since it opened for a new home across the street.

English, a Houston native, is a former football player, a wide receiver who once suited up for the University of Wyoming and, more recently, founded 908 Development Group in Tampa in 2005. The 68-unit Portland, at 300 Eighth St. N, is the first high-rise they have supervised from the ground up.

He says he wants to offer affordable housing that "looks and feels like market-rate housing," with amenities usually reserved for higher-end buildings: a gym, a putting green and programs for residents.

English is not alone. Johnson says the Portland, which opens in October, is the latest in a trend of apartments that cater to lower-income residents but look and feel like luxury buildings. His department helped secure more than $1 million in funding for the Portland and has contributed funds ranging from $500,000 to $3 million to similar projects over the past five years.

Most of the Portland's construction costs — $14.1 million, to be exact — are funded through affordable housing tax credits from the state. In exchange, English and his company had to secure significant city support before construction.

Apartments range from a 543-square-foot one-bedroom unit to a 904-square-foot unit with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. To qualify for an apartment, a four-person household, for example, would have to report an annual income under $33,900 in 2011. The complex will also set aside at least 10 percent of its units for families who make just 35 percent of the area's median income. In those cases, a family of four would have to make less than $19,775 per year.

Rents are limited as well, ranging from $371 a month for a one-bedroom apartment to $882 a month for a three-bedroom apartment.

English said he received 20 applications within the first week his leasing office was open for business and expects to have all 68 units filled by October.

"We're aiming to enhance the quality of the lives of our tenants through the building and its living spaces," English said. "The level of interest and response we've gotten so far has been incredible."

That was the vision behind City Place, an affordable housing complex across the street geared toward residents 55 and older. But increasingly, some City Place tenants are considering moving to the Portland.

"There's a lot of people that are seriously considering making the move from here to there," said Diane Stewart, who moved into City Place in December. She's worried those people don't realize the Portland will be full of families.

City Place opened in September to much fanfare, but managers began fielding concerns when the complex allowed families to move in alongside seniors. Residents complained that children were running up and down hallways and using computers in the community room and that a "criminal element" was present in the building. Police made two drug arrests there in the spring.

Stewart, 65, says she knows a number of residents who are looking into moving into the Portland. That's not for her, though.

"For me it's a noise factor. It's not like I dislike kids — I had a bunch of them. But the point is, I had a bunch of them," she said, laughing. "As much as I love them, I don't want them invading my space."

Stewart says she has mixed feelings about the Portland.

"I think it'll help because we'll have more residential buildings in the neighborhood," she said. "Do I like to see a bunch of kids? Not really. They don't have any place to go, and that bothers me."

^^

The Portland also updated their website: http://theportlandapartments.com/

Kind of wish they catered to graduated college students as well. There's a lot of college students who graduate now that move back with their parents, probably not something they want to do. But with rents pretty high in cities and unable to afford something nice and decent to live in close to major employment areas, having affordable apartments for them to live in while working would go a long way.

Kind of wish they catered to graduated college students as well. There's a lot of college students who graduate now that move back with their parents, probably not something they want to do. But with rents pretty high in cities and unable to afford something nice and decent to live in close to major employment areas, having affordable apartments for them to live in while working would go a long way.

Urban Style Flats caters to that group:
http://urbanstyleflats.com/

Although I'd assume The Portland would be nicer. But Urban is more college friendly, I went to tour it and I noticed a lot of students.

Urban Style Flats caters to that group:
http://urbanstyleflats.com/

Although I'd assume The Portland would be nicer. But Urban is more college friendly, I went to tour it and I noticed a lot of students.
Thanks for that! :)

Now if Tampa could do the same. Have these affordable apartments in Channelside and you could have some long-term residents who have an apartment after graduating and work their way up to owning a condo.

Not a bad reuse of a fugly building. If only St. Pete govt could something well other than supervise the development of downtown housing. . . which probably works well because the St. Pete govt stays mostly out of it.

Urban Style Flats caters to that group:
http://urbanstyleflats.com/

Although I'd assume The Portland would be nicer. But Urban is more college friendly, I went to tour it and I noticed a lot of students.
Wow that is pretty cool! I hope to see more of that in downtown St. Pete. If I do stay in Florida or go to USF downtown I would consider living there.

Wow that is pretty cool! I hope to see more of that in downtown St. Pete. If I do stay in Florida or go to USF downtown I would consider living there.

Yeah I toured it with my mom(she's in the rental biz) and they have made a lot of improvements to the buildings. But you can tell that they cheaped out on certain things, like they have old stoves in some of the units, and the fridge is sometimes sitting in the open out of place. It's strange. But besides the kitchen everything else seems more updated.

They're suppose to be adding a pool, but I don't know when that's coming.

Side note: I haven't been downtown (St. Pete) on a Saturday night in a while. The wife and I went downtown tonight, and I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of activity. Central Avenue from Beach Drive to MLK felt like a real city with the amount of people walking the sidewalks. That all important critical mass is coming together piece by piece with each new restaurant, art gallery, lounge, etc. It's time for large-scale project though. A retail core in downtown is the missing piece, to me. Between BayWalk and the empty Tropicana block, it could happen, if someone had the vision.

^Still needs more office space, residences and hotels. A few million sqft worth.

I think good thing is that there are still a good amount of empty lots. It's good that they didn't just turn into a crap project during the boom.

You should go back when SP!N opens in the fall, I think it'll be pretty cool. http://stpete.spingalactic.com/spingalactic/

^Still needs more office space, residences and hotels. A few million sqft worth.
Central Ave. would be a good location for one or two boutique hotels. Add some historical features to it but also a little modernization. Put an art gallery in one to keep with the atmosphere of that whole stretch.

I always manage to walk down Central when I'm there, I just like the whole artsy feel to it. Imnot really fond of some of the office buildings there though, kind of takes away from the corridor.

^Still needs more office space, residences and hotels. A few million sqft worth. Agreed. Although I see downtown St. Pete taking the Vancouver, BC route, with residential, hotel and retail dominating.

^^Probably true as Vancouver is quite the tourist destination too.

Electric car charging stations coming to downtown St. Petersburg


http://www.tampabay.com/news/electric-car-charging-stations-coming-to-downtown-st-petersburg/1185303

ST. PETERSBURG — Electric cars aren't exactly a staple on the roads here — but city officials are betting that will change soon as they prepare to install 10 electric car charging stations in downtown St. Petersburg.

The stations are part of the Get Ready Tampa Bay initiative, a regional partnership that aims to prepare cities for the widespread use of electric vehicles in the near future, said Mike Connors, the city's public works administrator.

The partnership — a local version of a national movement — includes 10 cities, three counties and the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, as well as several area businesses and utility companies. The area could see as many as 100 to 200 charging stations installed in the next year, said Avera Wynne, planning director of the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council.

The federally funded Charge Point America program will pay for the stations themselves — cylinders with a payment scanner and an outlet — which cost roughly $14,000 apiece. The city will pay to install and maintain them, Connors said.

The city is still working out what its costs will be, Connors said.

Anthony Iannaccone, who owns a New Port Richey company that installs many charging stations in the Tampa Bay area, said installation fees can range from $1,500 to $9,000.

He said his company, A.A.&I. Electric, expects to install 30 to 40 stations in locations like Tampa, Dunedin and Oldsmar within the next few months. (City employees will install the St. Petersburg's stations)

"Once the cars are actually being sold, then you're going to see the infrastructure really move," Iannaccone said. "Our hardest problem is getting people to be proactive. If you don't have the infrastructure, who's going to buy the car?"

No one knows how many electric cars already are being driven on area roads, but the city is home to an electric vehicle dealership.

Richard Nimphie opened Suncoast Electric Vehicles at 2401 Fourth St. N in January. It's the only dealership in the Tampa Bay area to trade exclusively in electric cars.

Since he opened, he said he's sold about a dozen electric cars and has about a dozen people on a waiting list for the just-released Wheego LiFe, the electric car company's first model capable of driving on a highway. It sells for about $32,995, but buyers are eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit.

"We're very pleased and very excited about the charging stations coming," he said. "It just lends further credence to the viability of electric vehicles."

Potential customers tend to worry about electric vehicles' range, Nimphie said. Lower-end models can travel only about 40 miles on a single charge. The availability of charging stations alleviate those concerns, he said.

"This is just the beginning," he said. "The infrastructure is basically going to grow from here in terms of charging stations all over."

For Bette Damouny, a 62-year-old yoga instructor who bought a Wheego LiFe last month, the charging stations mean she can charge her car more quickly and take longer trips.

"[Charging stations] are so much faster. If my car has a 50 percent charge and I want to go to Tampa, I can go downtown and plug it in for half an hour and get a coffee," she said. "It's kind of scary if it's not available when you do need it."

Normally, it takes 10 hours to fully charge her car in her garage.

In St. Petersburg, drivers will pay $5 to $10 for a 3- to 4-hour charge — enough to fully charge a standard 220-volt electric car.

Damouny said she wouldn't trade her car for the world.

"I just want to be part of the solution," she said. "And it's been so much fun — it's just a riot to drive around."

New Navy ship to visit St. Petersburg
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Date: Friday, August 12, 2011, 9:59am EDT

The USS Independence, one of a new class of U.S. Navy warships, will visit St. Petersburg and be open for tours during Labor Day weekend.

The visit, arranged by U.S. Rep. C. W. Bill Young, is the first time the Port of St. Petersburg will have hosted a visit by a Navy warship, the congressman said in a statement.

The 418-foot ship is the lead vessel in the new class of Littoral Combat Ships and has a shallow draft, with a 40-person crew.
http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2011/08/12/new-navy-ship-to-visit-st-petersburg.html?ed=2011-08-12&s=article_du&ana=e_du_pub

I didn't even know there was a Port of St. Petersburg. lol I'm such a horrible resident in this area. But I'm excited that this is coming to the city. Maybe we can get a permanent one for the city....

The LCS is a new concept. The Independence and her sister ships are trimarines and based on a commercial ferry design. They are kind of undergunned, and without a doubt very light in the armor category. But worth a look.

The PORTLAND has opened an office in MLK at 3rd - 1 block from the building.
They are calling the building "upscale affordable apartment living. It will not be an age restricted building.
Units will be 1/1: 543 SqFt - $558
2/1: 711 to 796 SqFt - $659
and 3/2: 885 and 904 SqFt - $762

Occupancy is expected by mid October
They report getting 4 to 5 applications per day.

The mockup looks very chic and the kitchen is contemporary.

I read an article recently that said The Portland(http://theportlandapartments.com/) is already 40% resereved even though it won't open until November. They said they strongly believe they'll be 100% filled by completion.

Lots of people can't qualify for any kind of mortgage anymore after what the recession did, or don't have the downpayment even if they do.

Bill Edwards poised to buy struggling BayWalk

http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/retail/bill-edwards-poised-to-buy-struggling-baywalk/1189606

ST. PETERSBURG — BayWalk, the city's crown jewel that turned to a pumpkin, is about to be bought by a new owner who promises to make it a vibrant part of downtown once again.

The buyer is Bill Edwards, a longtime mortgage magnate and music producer who has become downtown St. Petersburg's preeminent entertainment and development player.

"It's a great piece of property that needs to be rejuvenated and put back together," Edwards said after confirming the pending sale Friday night. "I'm an ex-Marine, so I want to stop the bleeding, treat the wound and stop the shock."

He plans to close on the largely empty complex on Sept. 15. He would not reveal a sale price.

Edwards said he will likely change BayWalk's name to disassociate the complex from its sharp fall from glory.

He also wants to move the escalators and public restrooms. Beyond that, he said he doesn't have a clear plan for the makeup of tenants or redesign of the 74,500-square-foot retail center.

"I've walked around that place for about 12 hours in the sun for the last two weeks and I've looked at this and looked at that," he said. "This probably sounds kind of crazy to buy it and not know exactly what you're going to do with it, but we're going to redevelop it and make it very special for downtown."

Edwards said he has spoken indirectly with local and national anchors.

"I'd love to see something like a Victoria's Secret downtown, not that I've talked to them. I'd like to have (stores) that should be closer by so people wouldn't have to go to International Plaza for everything," he said.

At one time BayWalk was home to national retailer Ann Taylor and it's still hanging on to two national chains: Chico's and White House Black Market.

What can Edwards do differently to attract not just the retailers but also the shoppers needed to support them?

"I'd like to make it more user friendly and people friendly. There are a lot of people downtown and they're rocking, they're doing things. There are things at night that could attract people to the area. I'm bringing in some designers and talking with the city."

Known as a creative yet also contentious force, Edwards, 66, is a Treasure Island businessman who wears many hats. He is chief executive of Mortgage Investors Corp., president and CEO of The Club at Treasure Island and head of his own music production company.

Edwards' mortgage company, which did $4.1 billion in loans last year, has been scrutinized, and cleared, for aggressive sales tactics to veterans.

In April, his music promotion company was awarded the job of managing and operating the city-owned Mahaffey Theater on the premise that he could transform the sleepy facility into a bustling complex. He partnered on a $1 million renovation of Jannus Landing, only to pull out after it reopened last year. After buying the bankrupt Treasure Island Tennis & Yacht Club, he invested in a makeover and brought Vegas-style acts and a few Grammy winners.

With Mahaffey and now potentially BayWalk, Edwards has two of downtown's most crucial but under-performing assets.

"Given his track record with entertainment and his history with what he's doing with the Mahaffey and downtown, this could be great for BayWalk," said City Council member Leslie Curran. "BayWalk needs someone who will look out for the best interest of downtown, and it seems like Bill Edwards is doing that."

When BayWalk opened in 2000, it was deemed a success. Visitors flocked to the complex's upscale shops, nightclubs and restaurants. It seemed like a wise investment of the $20 million in taxpayer money it took to finance it.

But it soon struggled after a peculiar series of well-publicized events involving protesters and wayward teens. At times, the complex seemed cursed. During a 2008 concert, a large stereo speaker fell 20 feet and landed on a 3-year-old's head, leaving him with severe brain damage.

A group of investors, CW Capital Asset Management, took part ownership of the complex in 2009. BayWalk's fortunes took another turn when CW Capital lobbied to privatize the entrance in front of the complex so protesters, homeless people and teens could be turned away.

The move drew a storm of protests from homeless advocates and free speech supporters, but the City Council approved the move in one of the most controversial votes in recent city history.

Yet BayWalk continued to struggle and became more vacant. The property was put on the block for $8 million in March. According to Colliers International Tampa Bay, there were 18 written offers for BayWalk. But with no subsequent sale, those close to the complex grew restless. By July, BayWalk's last remaining major tenant, Muvico Entertainment, sued BayWalk owners for neglect of the downtown property and breach of contract.

BayWalk's current owners couldn't be reached Friday. Kyle Parks, a spokesman for Colliers, said he couldn't comment.

"We're not comfortable with making a public announcement of the sale until there's a closing and we can announce that," Parks said.

But Edwards couldn't hide his enthusiasm for the project.

"I think it's a great opportunity," he said, "and I love challenges obviously because that's a hell of a challenge I'm looking at."

This could be great for Baywalk, a person who actually cares about St. Pete and the area.

Lots of big projects going at once. The best part is that he is personally commited to the community.

Since he wants to keep it semi-upscale, White House/Black Market and Chico's are hanging in there. Maybe he should go for a Coldwater Creek or something along those lines to further catch more that crowd. I also think a Williams-Sonoma or something along those lines might do well. Then a shoe store like Nine West or Steve Madden. Through in a Tommy Bahama or Brooks Brothers for the men. Apple would be a hit and draw for the entire center. Add a couple of restaurants upstairs, recognizeable chains that we don't have in Pinellas like PF Changs and Seasons 52, and we have a winner.

I just wonder what will happen with the theater company that's in there now.

Good models for what BayWalk (and other combined properties) should have been and can still be:

CityCreek in Salt Lake City, UT
www.downtownrising.com

River Park Square in Spokane, WA
www.riverparksquare.com

By Mark Puente, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Friday, September 30, 2011
After three years and steep price cuts, all 56,000 square feet of office and retail space at the base of St. Petersburg's iconic Signature Place has finally sold.
Once occupied, the space will house 13 businesses with about 100 employees, said developer Joel Cantor, who pioneered the $170 million project that transformed the city's waterfront skyline.
"Everything will sell if it is priced right," he said.
The 244 residential units in the 36-story building sold out last year.
Businesses owning space in the complex include ZGrille, Bull Fitness, the Mahaffey Co., Gulf Atlantic Communities, RKM Commercial Real Estate and Wee Galleries.
Signature Place, at First Avenue S and Second Street, is considered one of the most innovative projects in the bay area. Most of the residential units have a view of the bay, courtesy of the building's slim, sail-shaped profile.
But in the economic downturn, it took deep prices cuts to attract buyers.
The first commercial customers of Signature Place paid more than $200 per square foot for office space. Recent buyers paid about $100 per square foot.
St. Petersburg's downtown office vacancy rate for the best office space hovered at 26 percent at the end of June. In Tampa, it was about 20 percent.
Colliers International brokers Alan Feldshue and Melanie Jackson handled the sale of commercial space at Signature Place. About 18,000 square feet will be devoted to retail; 38,000 square feet will be used for offices. The commercial space had been on the market since 2008. None sold in 2009 or 2010. Nearly two-thirds sold this year.
"We didn't anticipate this market," Jackson said. "We adjusted the prices to today's market."
The building drew buyers because other downtown office buildings lack new, vacant spaces between 1,000 and 8,000 square feet that can be bought, Feldshue said.
"It's a better value to own than lease," he said. Feldshue and Jackson also credit the selling to a partnership with space planners and architects who helped sell the vision for the empty spaces and quickly provided cost estimates for potential customers.
Jeffrey Bullock recently moved his Bull Fitness into 5,000 square feet at the bottom of the building, facing Tampa Bay. The space and build out cost about $700,000. He expects to lure clients from the nearby residential towers. The grand opening is in October.
"We're close to people with financial means," Bullock said.
Mark Puente can be reached at mpuente@sptimes.com or (727) 893-8459.

[Last modified: Sep 29, 2011 09:09 PM]

Glad this building is going well as mixed-use in this economy.

March 2nd's Development Review Meeting has the Approval of 21-story residential tower at the 145 4th NE Ave. by the Wannemacher Jensen Architects. They also worked on the Progress Energy Tower.
Looking over the Development Review Commission's agenda for Oct. 5, there's two things to bring up;

1) St. Anthony's Hospital received approval for a site plan modification for a 107,000 sq. ft. office building and 6-story parking garage
2) The 21-story residential by Wannemacher Jensen received approval to eliminate 4 conditions of approval for project. Now, I suck with these terms and such, so what does this mean? Is it cancelled or does it just mean they had conditions to meet to get approval of the project?

Looking over the Development Review Commission's agenda for Oct. 5, there's two things to bring up;

1) St. Anthony's Hospital received approval for a site plan modification for a 107,000 sq. ft. office building and 6-story parking garage
2) The 21-story residential by Wannemacher Jensen received approval to eliminate 4 conditions of approval for project. Now, I suck with these terms and such, so what does this mean? Is it cancelled or does it just mean they had conditions to meet to get approval of the project?

1) I'm interested to see where St. Anthony's plans on building these structures... it seems like they've built out their current land, but maybe they'll just build over the new parking lot they just built. Good to see them expanding again.

2) I didn't realize this project was still alive..

The Portland is complete, or at least the exterior is:
http://i52.tinypic.com/ohmed4.jpg

Sorry for the power lines, I was too lazy to get out of my car. It looks good.

Some other updates:
Urban Style Flats is renovating their second of three buildings, the first building is completely occupied and they've begun construction on the pool.

The USFSP student center is topped out. They have a webcam you can view to watch the progress here: http://www.usfsp.edu/aboutusf/construction.htm

Wow. Looks way better than before!

World of Beer is opening in St. Pete. For anyone that likes a good beer or 10...... ;)

http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/princess-martha-sold-world-of-beer-opens-in-downtown-st-petersburg/1202948

Looking at the Princess Martha pic on the link, kind of wish it was a hotel. First floor exterior would need a lot of redo to make it more appealing and a lot of interior work likely to match what a hotel would need, but would definitely make a nice hotel like the Floridan. If I just had about $10 million to buy the place and throw into renovation.

Grayls Hotel, which will be called the Birchwood Inn, will be adding a floor and a rooftop event area.

http://downtownstpete.ilovetheburg.com/user_uploads/image/BirchwoodRendering(1).jpg
(addition in gray)

Chuck, President of Birchwood Development Corporation has ambitious plans for the hotel’s rebirth, including the addition of an entirely new floor; a 220-seat ballroom with 13-foot, arched ceilings. Above the ballroom, a 200-seat rooftop terrace, with a mixture of casual seating and private cabanas, will be the first place in the city--outside of the Yacht Club--to offer a rooftop view of the bay as you dine.


More here: http://downtownstpete.ilovetheburg.com/article/Grayls-to-Transition-into-Birchwood/3319

I don't know. I like the addition and especially the rooftop area (wish both cities had more of them), but at the same time I hate it. I like the Grayls Hotel as it stands and I think the addition ruins a good part of what makes it great. If the addition does a great job of matching the original architecture, I'll be fine with it. Just the rendering in gray makes it hard for me to visualize it.

The Portland, according to a post on their facebook page, is 100% occupied and is accepting wait list applications.

Also, I've heard that Urban Style Flats is full and they're waiting for the next building to be renovated for more units to come available.

Looks like 908 Development is building another affordable building:

The Lansing

http://908development.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Lansing-Elevations-DRC-Submittal.jpg

The Lansing will be new construction of 70 units of affordable housing serving seniors in the Intown West CRA area of downtown St. Petersburg. Rental units will include one- and two-bedroom apartments. The construction of The Lansing will contribute to the significant lack of affordable housing for St. Petersburg’s downtown senior population. Rents will be affordable to seniors who earn at, or below 60% of the area median income. At least 10 percent of the units will be set-aside for extremely low-income seniors who earn 33% of the area median income. The motivation for the developer to construct the building utilizing green practices and materials is to improve the indoor air quality and environment for the residents, reduce the impact on the surrounding environment, and reduce energy consumption and thus operating expenses.

http://908development.com/the-lansing

Here's where they were approved for a St. Pete loan or tax credit(I think?):
http://www.stpete.org/LegisStream/MG243056/AS243057/AS243072/AI243713/DO244804/DO_244804.PDF

From that link it says the address is 1050 1st Ave N.

No Vacancy In Popular Upscale Affordable Apartments, Downtown St. Petersburg
TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2012


ST. PETERSBURG
After overcoming initial skepticism upon the announcement in the summer of 2011 of construction of a new 12-story affordable apartment project in downtown St. Petersburg, The Portland is now full and enjoying a good reputation.

Currently 100 percent leased, The Portland hosted a ribbon cutting in November 2011, welcoming a 100,000-square-foot 68-unit high-rise complex onto Eighth Street in St. Pete. Perhaps the best affordable housing available in St. Petersburg, rents range from approximately $380 to $900 per month.

“We caught a lot of criticism when the project first went public,” says Jonathan Moore, principal of ROJO Architecture who worked on the design of The Portland. “But I believe the project's intentions of bringing 'high design' to an often over-looked archetype -- affordable housing -- will allow The Portland to become a catalyst for the area while giving a unique sense of pride to the building's tenants.”

Featuring 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom units, the $17 million 908 Development project includes three stories of secure parking, as well as an Internet cafe, workout room, rooftop patio and practice putting green.

Interior sustainable design features such as Energy Star appliances, low emissivity windows and recycled materials throughout has made The Portland one of 2011's greatest examples of successful construction projects in the Tampa Bay region.

“I think The Portland will really encourage future projects to 'step up' and bring exciting, sustainable design to the St. Pete area,” says Moore. “It was such an exciting project to work on, with many hurdles in design, funding, approvals and construction, but the finished project is a trophy for the City of St. Pete and the residents who reside.”

Taking approximately 12 months to complete, the project was funded through several public funding sources including the City of St. Pete, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: Tax Credit Exchange Program.

“From Mayor Bill Foster to city staff, St. Pete was a true asset to the project, providing constant support and communication,” says Moore.

http://www.83degreesmedia.com/devnews/portland11712.aspx?

^^Hope the current backwards thinking can be reversed by such success! Good to see a dense urban project doing well in St. Pete.