Owner flips 100-year-old property into event space

The Savant on Second property in St. Petersburg, one of the oldest buildings in the city, has finished undergoing a multi-year renovation that’s created a new premier event space. 

However, the plan to flip the nearly 100-year-old property at 634 2nd Ave. S. into a 5,500-square-foot event venue wasn’t the initial vision when Bob Glaser, president and CEO of Smith and Associates, purchased the building a decade ago. 

The newly renovated space inside Savant on Second.  

“We wanted to reutilize the space for something, but we weren’t sure exactly what it could be and worked with Tim Clemmons [owner of Place Architecture]. Through engineering reports, we found the space wasn’t structurally significant and decided it would be worth the investment to repurpose it,” Glaser said.

Smith and Associates own several properties surrounding the building, constructed in 1925. 

Glaser’s team tinkered with the idea of leasing the space to a coffee shop operator and retailer, but the preliminary concept failed due to the building’s layout. 

Another potential business plan emerged on creating a private club, which Glaser scrapped after consulting with seasoned land use attorney Don Mastry, finding the private club concept wasn’t feasible with the city’s code; however, an event space did fall under the code. 

Five years later following the purchase and forming a formal development plan, the team, working with Ed Seifried Construction and Clemmons, pursued the full renovation by installing a new roof and windows, building a kitchen, adding bathrooms and a sprinkler system among other necessities.

Savant on Second.  

Through the completed $500,000 restoration project, the building now boasts 20-foot-high interior ceilings with skylights hand painted by the internationally acclaimed local artist Ya La’ford. 

Glaser said they were able to keep the original octagon tiles, which have been restored, and the team has redesigned an outdoor terrace, allowing guests to have open-air bar set-ups, cocktail tables, a live band and a dance floor.

Edward Leonard is leading the event management for Savant on Second.