Former restauranteur to open urban food hub in St. Pete

A $500,000 project has begun at an urban farm in St. Petersburg.

Construction is underway at 15th Street EcoFarm to add an Urban Food Park. The half-acre farm in the heart of downtown St. Pete has been a nonprofit community garden since 2016, but a new 2000-square-foot building will add space for a full commercial kitchen, complete with a baking station, a spacious walk-in cooler and a wood-fire brick oven outside. 

The main draw for the new building will be an event space where the urban farm will host community dinners for 30-60 people, and allow guest chefs to use the space and the garden’s fresh vegetables to test out new recipes. EcoFarm founder Emmanuel Roux said they will also provide the kitchen and bakery space as a business incubator.

“People who want to supplement their income and have an idea will be able to come and test it here,” said Roux. “Not only will they have a facility to test the product, but also, because of the people that we have coming here for the dinners, they will be able to market-test it and promote it.”

Construction of the new Urban Food Park is underway at 342 15th Street N.

Roux said once the Urban Food Park is fully established, it will be self-sustaining, utilizing the over 80 different types of organic fruits, vegetables and herbs currently produced at the farm. The Urban Food Park will also have an on-site produce store and will host cooking, gardening and wellness classes. Roux, a former restaurant owner who opened his first business in St. Pete in 1993, hopes this new passion project will be a hub for education, entrepreneurship and food tourism.

“Creating social bonds is the essence of what this place is about. It is a place where you’re going to meet people that you would not have had the opportunity to because we are sharing food and everything is going to be served family style. It creates an experience that goes way beyond just having dinner.”

15th Street EcoFarm already hosts educational and outreach programming, but Roux believes the Urban Food Park will expose more people to the idea of urban farms, creating an impact that goes beyond breaking bread at a community dinner.

A volunteer pots a plant at 15th Street EcoFarm.

“I estimate that there are between 1,000 and 3,000 acres of available land in the Tampa Bay urban areas, and that can create a lot of jobs. Not only can it create a lot of jobs, but it can have a positive impact on the health, education and social environment,” Roux said.

“We are a model of how you can add value to the community, and not only an economic value but an educational and social value. Those are things that are more difficult to value in monetary terms, but they are very real.”

Roux said the project is made possible through a privately funded loan, which the nonprofit will pay back through fundraising initiatives. While there are still a few more boxes to check, including adding a small parking lot and securing additional permits from the city, Roux aims to launch the Urban Food Park in January 2024. 

“The therapeutic aspect of just being in a green environment is tremendous,” Roux added. “It is an antidote to consumerism.”