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CRA OKs plans for high-rise tower in downtown St. Pete
The St. Pete Community Redevelopment Agency has greenlighted a plan to redevelop the Masonic Temple in downtown St. Pete into a high-rise condo building.
On Thursday, the St. Petersburg City Council, meeting as the Community Redevelopment Agency, found developer Blake Whitney Thompson’s $40 million plans for the site at 114 4th St. S. to be consistent with the Intown Redevelopment Plan.
Thompson is proposing to build a 20-story, 51-unit condominium building on the site home to a former Masonic Temple and a vacant drive-thru bank.
“We are going to convert two properties that aren’t functioning at all in St. Pete,” said Don Mastry, a shareholder at the St. Petersburg office of the Trenam law firm who is representing the applicant.
Rendering of the Blake Building at 114 4th St. S.
“I know the building onsite was going to be renovated, but that turned out to not be feasible,” St. Petersburg City Council member Gina Driscoll said. “The plan that has been submitted is a ‘Plan B’ and it’s a very good [plan] and relates well to what is around it. I see it really does check all the boxes of the IRP.”
The Intown Redevelopment Plan was created to promote revitalization for certain areas in the city under certain requirements.
The 20-story building will have 16 residential floors above a four-floor base that includes three levels of enclosed parking and a lobby, and commercial space on the ground floor.
To take advantage of the downtown views, there will be outdoor terraces on the east and west elevations of the building, and an outdoor amenity pool and garden will be located on the fifth floor of the building.
The development entails having 10,400 square feet of the building committed to commercial space and a 111-space private parking garage at the northeast corner of 2nd Ave. and 4th St. South.
The developer plans to salvage and replicate elements of the former Masonic Temple building to use for the storefront of the new building.
Rendering of the Blake Building at 114 4th St. S.
Leo Cor
July 13, 2021at6:59 am
Ericka, please define inflation.
Ericka
July 10, 2021at10:40 am
This is beyond insane!!! Amazing that the talk about “affordable housing” space is years down the road as a “possibility” at the Trop site. Meanwhile all this gentrification is killing the small businesses where their rents continue to increase beyond what they can bear.
Jim jackson
July 10, 2021at7:54 am
The Masonic Temple was a small historic building was so worthy of preservation..I thought there were other plans for it Every parcel does have to rise up. Thus is my neighborhood.I face south and only see the blight of high rise development from the rooftop of my building
But l,walk or drive the area daily. The congestion doesn’t bode well for all of us we can do better . Good design costs the same as more boxes.
Jina Rey
July 10, 2021at6:05 am
Great job turning St.Pete into looking like Miami!
Katharine
July 9, 2021at10:51 pm
Just another high rise for the rich. No one is looking out for the low income people that are working there butts off in keeping the downtown area alive. Sick of it!
Bill
July 9, 2021at8:44 pm
Great stuff! Nice design in the right spot.