DRC approves car-free apartment project amid concerns

When The Metro apartment complex traded hands earlier this year, it was converted into The Mint House, an apartment-style hotel with short-term rentals. Several St. Petersburg Development Review Commissioners fear the same transaction and transformation may happen with a newly proposed car-free apartment building. 

During a Wednesday DRC meeting, commissioners tussled with the request before them – approval of a site plan to construct an eight-story building with 97 dwelling units and floor area ratio (FAR) bonuses. Unlike the many projects the commission reviews, this micro-unit complex would not offer on-site parking. 

The building would consist of furnished micro-units that are less than 750 square feet. The city code doesn’t require on-site parking for the units, said attorney Katie Cole.

A rendering of a proposed apartment building.

Cole’s firm Hill Ward Henderson represents the applicants Craig Bazarsky of BendinRoad Development LLC and Christopher Bicho of Landings Real Estates Group, the joint venture partners behind the $25 million project. 

“We are attracting people who don’t have a lot of stuff and likely don’t have a car. We will have 101 bike storage units. You can walk to retail, restaurants, the grocery store, and we have public transportation with the SunRunner,,” Bazarsky said to the commissioners, explaining the project will encourage more residents to use micro-mobility alternatives and become less reliant on single-occupant vehicles. 

DRC member Charles Flynt questioned the development team on the terms of the residential leases and how this project deviates from The Mint House. 

“The Mint House is not relevant to this,” Cole assured, stating commissioners shouldn’t draw parallels between the two projects. 

DRC member Michael Kiernan later remarked that while the city “got hoodwinked” on approving the original plan for The Metro, it would be unjust to “paint it [this project] with the same brush.” 

Bazarsky echoed Cole’s previous comment. He reiterated how the St. Pete project wouldn’t be the team’s first attempt at building a non-car-centric complex. The developers are building a seven-story complex in Tampa’s Water Street District with 104 units ranging between 400 to 450 square feet. The building will have seven parking spaces. 

Renderings showing the different perspectives of the building, including the courtyard and a lounge space. 

In St. Pete, the team would have a partnership with Circuit, a fully electric ride-share service that would exclusively provide rides for residents to destinations within a two-mile radius. 

Bazarsky also noted that the micro-units would bring more affordable housing options to the city as rental rates due to the small square footage. 

The units would be furnished and equipped with an automated furniture system from company Ori. The systems allow residents to lift beds to the ceiling, creating an expandable living space. 

Although the units were pitched as a solution to help bring more affordable housing to St. Pete, it doesn’t meet the definition of affordable housing and the team is not seeking to qualify the project as affordable housing. 

“We have a serious workforce housing issue, and this will do nothing for that,” DRC member Todd Reed commented, telling fellow commissioners that he looked at the project holistically and has “real reservations about it.” 

City staff said if the use of the complex were to change, the group would have to return to the DRC for a public hearing and approval. 

The DRC ultimately approved the site plan for the proposed apartment project. Commissioners Reed and Flynt cast the opposing votes. 

The development team is working with Jacksonville-based architect firm Bold Line Design and engineering consultant group Kimley-Horn on the project. 

The application did not indicate a timeline for the development.