Next phase kicks off for mixed-use project on Central

Dirt has turned for the second phase of Driftwood on Central, a mixed-use development in the Kenwood neighborhood in St. Pete’s Grand Central District.

The groundbreaking for the second phase of the Driftwood on Central project. The second phase will take eight months to complete. Photo courtesy of Nick Janovsky.

The new phase officially kicked off the first week of the new year for the 11-unit complex at 2875 Central Ave., with concrete already poured for the new five townhomes in a second building that will feature ground floor commercial/storefront space, with three stories on top for residences. 

There are multiple surrounding townhome developments underway in the immediate area, including Uptown Kenwood at 2536 13th Ave. N.; Six Point Row at 2611 1st Ave. N. and David Weekly’s Grand Central Townhomes at 98 29th St. S., among other residential projects. 

“This is the only mixed-use development underway in the city with commercial and townhomes at the same site,” said Nick Janovsky with Premier Sotheby’s International Realty, serving as a consultant with the developer St. Pete Development Company.

“We always wanted to have live-work space that maintained the uniqueness of Grand Central. The name Driftwood was formed as this is the middle point between the Gulf of Mexico and Tampa Bay,” Janovsky said. 

Michael Kramer, an architect from BSB Design Inc., and Ben Gelston from Canopy Builders LLC are also on the development team. 

The St. Pete Development Company purchased the then-vacant site in 2019.  

Six townhome units were completed in 2022 solely for residential use. Four of the six existing townhomes have sold.

Rendering of a townhome unit in Driftwood on Central.  

The luxury units are priced from $875,000 and include impact-resistant windows, quartz countertops, walk-in closets and high-end finishes.

For the new townhome building with storefronts included, at least one of the spaces will house a medspa. The group envisions lawyers, accountants and potentially artists occupying the remaining spaces. Janovsky said the storefronts will not include restaurant uses. 

The team expects to complete the second phase in fall 2023.

Rendering of Driftwood on Central.