Places This Week: New affordable housing; Restaurants relocate

A weekly roundup of local real estate deals.

Home of St. Pete’s ‘founding mother’ sells 

The property at 1400 Beach Drive NE, known as “The Flora Wylie Villa,” has a new owner. 

The property at 400 Beach Drive NE. Images provided by Playbook Public Relations.

The home, which is also referred to as “The Gargoyle House” for its original European stone gargoyles, has sold for roughly $3.35 million. The buyer took out a $2.514 million loan from Mortgage Electric Registration Systems Inc. to purchase the property. Earlier this month, the St. Pete Catalyst reported that the estate was pending a sale.

The home was built in 1923 in the Historic Old Northeast neighborhood. It was the vision of Flora Wylie, one of St. Pete’s “founding mothers,” and designed by the famed architect, Henry L. Taylor, who also designed the Vinoy Hotel.

The property at 400 Beach Drive NE. Images provided by Playbook Public Relations.

Inside, there are five bedrooms and four full- and one-half bathrooms. The formal and grand foyer is adorned with a stone fireplace and original wood and glass built-in bookshelves. There’s also an in-law suite on the first floor with an en-suite bathroom, beverage bar, walk-in closet and private courtyard.

Outside, it features a resort-style pool deck, heated pool and spa, tropical landscaping and a turf-covered yard.

Rebecca Malowany with Smith and Associates was the listing agent. 

It last sold in 2013 for $1 million.

Two Clearwater hotels are converted into affordable housing units

A Miami investor has converted two extended-stay hotels in Clearwater into an affordable housing development called Pelican Lake Apartments. 

Eagle Property Capital Investments bought the former TownePlace Suites by Marriott St. Petersburg Clearwater and Residence Inn Marriott St. Petersburg Clearwater for $20.5 million in May.

The Pelican Lake Apartments, the new 183-unit complex at 13200 49th St. N., is hosting an open house today (July 29) from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. 

The complex features 183 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments. The studios start at 360 square feet with pricing starting at $1,075 per month, and the two-bedrooms start at 590 square feet with rent starting at $1,565 monthly. 

Developer closes on church site for senior housing project

The Grace Connection Church at 635 64th St. S. will become the site of an 85-unit affordable housing development for seniors. 

Grace Connection Church, 635 64th St. S. GoogleMaps. 

The Pinellas Housing Finance Authority Trustee entity purchased the 4.66-acre church property in a $1.75 million deal. 

The project called Bear Creek Commons (it’s adjacent to Bear Creek) is being developed by Blue Sky Communities, the same developer that was behind the 65-unit Skyway Lofts affordable housing development in the Skyway Marina District. 

The developer received approval from the Development Review Commission in June for the project, which involves the demolition of the church. 

Bear Creek Commons will house all of the units in one four-story building. The building will consist of 46 one-bedroom, one-bathroom units and 39 two-bedroom, two-bathroom units. 

Nine of the apartments will be dedicated to senior households earning up to 30% of the area median income (AMI), while 76 would be for senior households earning up to 60% of the AMI. 

Restaurants on the move 

The popular Shiso Crispy and Meanchi’s Peruvian Inspired Sandwiches have found new homes. 

Shiso Crispy, a local food truck business known for its handmade dumplings, had to relocate one of its trucks/trailers from Magnanimous Brewing in Tampa to M and M Video Games Superstore in Pinellas Park. 

M and M Video Games Superstore in Pinellas Park. GoogleMaps.

On Facebook, Shiso Crispy owner Ronicca Whaley stated the employees in the trailer have been robbed three times. The post said that the robbers bashed sledgehammers into the trailer while the employees were inside. 

The trailer is located behind the retro arcade and video game store. 

Additionally, Shiso Crispy moved its other trailer from the Par Bar location in St. Petersburg to HOB Brewing Company’s property in Dunedin. 

“This is literally a dream come true. I’ve been waiting for this spot for almost a year,” Whaley wrote, also stating that her plan of occupying a brick-and-mortar space on Central Avenue isn’t coming to fruition. 

While Whaley has exited the Par Bar location, another local hot spot, Meanchi’s Peruvian Inspired Sandwiches, based in Tampa, moved to the location. 

“This move is going to allow us to get way more creative and open up what we can offer in due time. This is what most excites me,” the owner wrote on the restaurant’s Facebook page. 

New apartment complex for 16th Street

TRB Development, owned by Neptune Flood CEO Trevor Burgess and Jon Carlon, is planning to build a new mixed-use apartment complex at 821 16th St. N. 

TRB Development’s proposed apartment building at 821 16th St. N. Rendering provided.

TRB purchased the 0.70-acre lot in January for roughly $1.4 million.

The planned four-story building will contain 42 apartments. The market rate units will likely be less costly for renters compared to a downtown apartment tower, Burgess said. 

The building will have an 895-square-foot retail space that could be occupy a gym or coffee shop. 

Construction is expected to start this year and will be completed in 2023.

TRB will demolish the office building currently on the site.