Picture progress: Condo towers, apartments take shape

The sounds of hammers pounding and machines drilling echo throughout downtown as construction crews ready for the next phase of high-rise towers and apartments coming online in the Sunshine City. 

These projects that are visually progressing in St. Petersburg:

Construction of the Residences at 400 Central as of May 2023. 

The Residences at 400 Central 

Last week, 650 concrete trucks began pouring the foundation for the Residences at 400 Central, a luxury 46-story condominium and office tower that will become the tallest building on Florida’s Gulf Coast. 

Red Apple Real Estate, headed by New York billionaire John Catsimatidis, is developing the 1.3 million-square-foot project on Central Avenue that will include 301 luxury condominiums with views of downtown and the Gulf of Mexico.

Red Apple has a penthouse under contract for $5 million. Catsimatidis claimed another penthouse for himself. 

The complex will also feature retail, restaurants and a rooftop terrace and office space. 

Catsimatidis said he was planning to double the 40,000-square-foot office space due to the demand, and to make the mixed-use tower a live-work-and-play destination. 

Construction of the Moxy Hotel as of May 2023.

The Moxy Hotel 

The interior construction is underway for the Moxy Hotel by Marriott at 1234-1246 Central Ave., across from Tropicana Field.

The 163-key hotel topped out a few months ago, marking the successful completion of the structural phase of the project. 

The hotel, being developed by Miami-based PTM Partners, will feature 5,000 square feet of retail, which includes a large lobby on the ground floor with a coffee shop and bar. There will also be a rooftop pool and bar. 

Managed by the Philadelphia-based Wurzak Hotel Group, the Moxy is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2024. 

PTM Partners is working with Everald Colas and Jose Miranda from the St. Petersburg-based Storyn Studio for Architecture and Grace Escano-Maniatis from the New York-based firm GEM et AL, serving as the interior designers.

Construction of The Nolen as of May 2023. 

The Nolen 

Construction crews are actively working on the next phase for The Nolen, a 23-story boutique residential tower at 146 4th Ave. Northeast. 

The deep foundation work was recently completed and starting this week, the team will begin pouring concrete for the first floor. 

Construction of The Nolen as of May 2023. 

The Nolen will include 31 units, a three-story parking structure and 1,260 square feet of ground-floor retail space. 

The Tampa Bay-based project team includes DDA Development, Backstreets Capital, Place Architecture, Melissa Kelly Design Studio, EWI Inc., Ellison Construction, and Smith and Associates Real Estate as the exclusive broker. 

Construction is expected to be completed by next year. 

Construction of the Central Food Hall as of May 2023. 

Central Park Food Hall 

The structural construction is progressing for a new food hall at 551 Central Ave.

The Hi Hospitality Group broke ground late last year for the five-story Central Park St. Pete food hall at the site of the old Woolworth building.

The 27,700-square-foot food hall will have 11 dining concepts, a rooftop bar, private dining and event spaces, according to the project’s website.

The development team includes Tampa-based InVision Advisors, St. Petersburg-based Behar and Peteranecz Architecture, Barr and Barr, and SA, a global firm specializing in hospitality design and consulting for food and beverage operations.

Construction of the Evo apartments as of May 2023. 

Evo Apartments 

Construction is nearly complete for the 24-story apartment building at 332 2nd Ave. South.

Developer American Land Ventures topped out the Evo Apartments building in 2022. Tenants have recently started moving into the 220-unit apartment tower. 

The building features over 13,000 square feet of retail, a 10,000-square-foot pool deck, a co-working area and an amenity room. 

Coastal Construction is the general contractor. 

American Land Ventures is the same developer behind the 17-story AER apartment tower, now named the Camden Pier District Apartments. 

Construction of the Innovation Townhomes as of May 2023. 

Innovation Townhomes 

A new townhome development at the northeast corner of Dr. MLK Jr. Street and 6th Ave. South is well underway. 

Innovation Townhomes will be a 26-unit community developed by The Davis Companies, which also developed the 69-unit Uptown Kenwood townhome community. 

The complex in St. Pete’s Innovation District will have four buildings. The luxury units will have three floors of living space and a rooftop entertainment deck. 

Peregrine Construction Group is the general contractor. An opening date has not been announced. 

Construction of the ARK Innovation Center as of May 2023. Tampa Bay Innovation Center Linkedin image.

ARK Innovation Center 

The ARK Innovation Center (also referred to as the Tampa Bay Innovation Center) is nearing completion. 

The center, at the southwest corner of 4th Street South and 11th Avenue, will be a 45,000-square-foot facility with programming and co-working space for startups.

When it opens this year, it will have 30,000 square feet on the first floor for incubator companies. St. Petersburg-based ARK Invest’s research arm will be located in the anchor tenant space, and the ARK Foundation will have an office on the third floor with TBIC, according to Ken Evans, the managing director at TBIC.

The center will also have 2,000 square feet for a prototyping lab, a 200-person event space, a café, two dedicated classrooms and podcast studios.

Brandes Construction is the general contractor. 

Construction for Echelon Site 9 as of May 2023. 

Echelon Site 9 

Although it’s not located in the heart of the city, Echelon City Center is one of the most anticipated master-planned developments in the Carillon Office Park. 

One of the newest buildings undergoing construction is a development dubbed Site 9, located at 112 Main St. N. 

The 17-story, 176-unit luxury residential complex is next to the WaterView residential development.

Floors seven through 15 will house one- and two-bedroom apartments, and floors 16 and 17 will consist of eight large townhomes. A residential amenities deck will be on the top floor.

It will also feature over 16,350 square feet of retail and restaurant space. 

The Echelon development team is working with ARC3 Architecture Inc. on the project.