New 540-space garage supports EDGE District’s growth 

St. Petersburg residents and visitors now have 540 much-needed new parking spaces as a $200 million development’s first phase has concluded. 

The expansive garage nearly doubles the number of parking spaces in St. Petersburg’s booming EDGE District. City officials and Ellison Development celebrated the facility’s opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday morning. 

The public parking garage is one component of a mixed-use project called The Central, which also features a 15-story Marriott Autograph Collection Hotel and an 11-story office tower, known as Halcyon. Mayor Ken Welch credited Tampa-based Ellison Development for investing and “believing in our community.” 

“Having this parking problem is not something we ever had growing up here in St. Pete,” Welch said. “It is a good problem to have, and it shows the growth of St. Pete.”

Mayor Ken Welch said the influx of parking would support the opening stages of the Historic Gas Plant District’s redevelopment.

Welch said the 540 new spaces will make a “huge difference” in the rapidly evolving EDGE District. Rates start at $2.50 per hour or $21 daily. Limited monthly parking is also available, with packages starting at $100.

The garage at 1301 Central Avenue is open continuously and managed by Universal Parking. Visitors can pay for spaces through the Park with U mobile app.

“Today is more than an opening of a garage,” said Casey Ellison, CEO of Ellison Development. “We’re lifting the gate to the future of the district.” 

Several EDGE District stakeholders attended the ceremony. Mark Ferguson, owner of Ferg’s Sports Bar & Grill, said he frequently hears from customers who must park three or four blocks away. 

Ferguson noted an increasing number of people live, work and play in the district, and the one downside to that growth is a lack of parking spaces. “And now we have it,” he said. 

“It’s not just about Ferg’s,” Ferguson said of his long-standing business across the street. “It’s the whole EDGE District. We want people coming down, parking here and going to five or six places. 

“This EDGE District is just great for people to walk and see different things, and bring your pet with you.” 

Roger Curlin, the district’s executive director, said the area previously had 400 free, two-hour parking spaces and 200 paid spaces, primarily on private property. Area businesses often lose customers who cannot find a place to park, and he said the garage provides a “massive” public benefit.

Curlin said people no longer have an excuse not to visit the EDGE, and his organization will highlight how to use the new garage on its website and social media channels. He called it a “huge lifeline” for area small businesses during a “difficult time.”

Curlin also noted The Central’s construction team would utilize the facility during weekdays. “So, instead of sending 100 to 200 vehicles out into the greater community, we’re bringing them all in here,” he said. 

Many developers would have waited to build a project’s parking garage, and Ellison will not complete The Central for another 2.5 years. “We’re not only helping the EDGE District, but we’re minimizing the impact on the outer areas,” Curlin added. 

Ellison said his firm completed the “high-quality, purpose-built” structure in 10 months. He also believes it will support the “walkability and vibrancy that make the neighborhood so special.” 

Crews have already laid the 168-key hotel’s foundation. Ellison called the 140,000-square-foot Halcyon the city’s first “trophy office tower” since the 1980s. 

Stakeholders credited the public-private partnership between the city and Ellison Development for bringing the project to fruition.

The 2.1-acre site once housed the police department’s headquarters. Plans for what was initially dubbed Orange Station began in 2019 under former Mayor Rick Kriseman and underwent several changes. 

A seven-story residential building will offer 42 apartments for households earning up to 120% of the area median income. “We’re proud to include workforce housing because we believe the people who serve our city should have a place in its future,” Ellison said.

The Central’s public courtyard and “jewel box” retail pavilion will honor St. Petersburg’s history. Renowned artist Ya La’Ford’s concrete, steel, aluminum and bronze sculpture, with a blue LED luminary, will pay homage to the Courageous 12, a group of Black police officers who successfully sued the city in 1965 to receive the same rights and treatment as their Caucasian counterparts. 

Ellison will dedicate 400 of the garage’s spaces to the community once construction concludes on The Central. Welch plans to redevelop the Historic Gas Plant District’s outer parcels without the Tampa Bay Rays, and the facility will also support those efforts. 

“Parking is something we’re going to need for all those developments going forward,” Welch told the Catalyst. “So yeah, it’s going to be very helpful.” 

Construction on the Central should be completed in mid-2027. Rendering: Ellison Development.