Plans for shipping container residential complex near Booker Creek move forward

The St. Pete Community Redevelopment Agency supported a St. Petersburg startup’s plans to create a residential complex using shipping containers. 

On Thursday, the St. Petersburg City Council, meeting as the Community Redevelopment Agency, unanimously approved Path Communities’ proposed project to build 31 small apartments from shipping containers at 1700 Burlington Ave. as it is consistent with the Intown West Redevelopment Plan. 

The land is currently vacant and is in the Dome District. 

A rendering of the apartments planned by Path Communities.

The units would be 320 square feet each from the stacked 40-foot shipping containers, which are made from recyclable materials.  

The use of shipping containers in modular buildings is a growing trend that provides cost savings, that in turn make units affordable. The concept isn’t new for the area. In Pinellas Park, there’s a container house used as an art studio in the Pinellas Art Village. It was created with seven shipping containers. 

Site plan for the proposed development that entails creating residential units with storage containers. Image from city documents.

Path Communities’ project, valued at $2.34 million, will consist of two main buildings connected by a second-floor walkway. The multiple storage containers will be attached on an elevated platform. 

The units potentially would rent for between $1,000 and $1,300 per month, Brandon Casten, who is partnering with Scott Brien in Path Communities, previously said. 

A large green space will be located along the southern side of the subject property between the proposed buildings and Booker Creek.

There will also be a bike storage room and a laundry room in the building that will be located along Burlington Avenue North.

Carbon Design & Architecture in St. Petersburg and Sarasota has designed the project, and the general contractor is Stress Free Construction in Tampa, led by Jonathan “Buck” Sands. The shipping containers are being manufactured by Innovar Structures, a Sarasota company with a factory in Wauchula.