Stakeholders celebrate construction progress at The Central

St. Petersburg residents and visitors will soon have 540 much-needed new parking spaces as construction progresses on a $200 million project.

The expansive parking garage with rooftop landscaping and amenities is part of The Central development in St. Petersburg’s booming EDGE District. The project, formerly dubbed Orange Station, includes a 15-story Marriott Autograph Collection Hotel and an 11-story office tower, the Halcyon.

Tampa-based Ellison Development will open the garage and break ground on St. Petersburg’s first downtown Class A office space since the 1980s in March or April. Wednesday evening, local stakeholders celebrated the long-awaited project advancing.

“That parking garage is something that is going to make our city better,” said Mayor Ken Welch. “It’s going to address a need we’ve had for a long time because of the growth in downtown.”

Mayor Ken Welch addresses attendees at the private event, held at Hawkers Asian Street Food in St. Petersburg’s EDGE District. Photo by Mark Parker.

The progress is significant due to the project’s scope and history. The 2.1-acre site at 1301 Central Avenue once housed the St. Petersburg Police Department.

Plans for what was then dubbed Orange Station began in 2019 under former Mayor Rick Kriseman and underwent several changes. The joint venture between Ellison Development, J Square Developers, Backstreets Capital and DDA Development broke ground on The Central in February 2024.

Welch said the 140,000-square-foot Halcyon providing the city’s first-Class A office space since 1987 “blows my mind.” A seven-story residential building will offer 42 apartments for households earning at or below 120% of the area median income.

“The folks that make our city run – the folks that work across the street at the police station – need to be able to live in our city,” Welch said. “So, thank you for keeping those 42 units of workforce housing.”

The Central’s public courtyard and community gathering space will honor St. Petersburg’s history with a monument paying tribute to the Courageous 12. In 1965, 12 Black police officers successfully sued the city to receive the same rights and treatment as their Caucasian counterparts.

Local artist Ya La’Ford’s concrete, steel, aluminum and bronze sculpture with a blue LED luminary will feature prominently in the courtyard. Welch told the Catalyst that the developers “work with us” and “checked all the boxes.”

“There have been some challenges in the overall economy over the last year, obviously, but to have 42 units of workforce housing, the Class A office space, the 500-plus public parking spaces that are desperately needed – I think it does meet the priorities of our community,” he added. “I think it’s a good use of that land.”

Ellison Development unveiled new renderings of the office building’s lobby, which will feature commercial space and public artwork.

The 168-key, four-star Central Hotel is also a welcome addition to the city, which recently generated over $1 million in monthly bed tax revenue, a 6% surcharge on overnight stays, for the first time in history. Welch noted it would provide an additional option for visitors and add to Pinellas County’s tax base.

Casey Ellison, CEO of Ellison Development, noted an open-air amenity deck on the parking garage’s rooftop will feature native plants and landscaping rather than additional spaces. “So, it’s like having almost an acre of park space in downtown St. Pete.”

Ellison called St. Petersburg “the best urban market in the area” and believes the “highly amenitized” office space will attract new companies. A fourth-floor corridor will connect the Halcyon and the hotel.

Ellison said the office building will feature a “world-class” restaurant and gym. “With your app, you’ll be able to order food from our restaurant to your office.”

The $200 million project’s site plan.

“We really appreciate your faith in us and this project,” Ellison said. “Having faith in us in one thing, but you should have all the faith in the world in downtown St. Pete. I think the traction you’ll see here over the next 20 years is going to be truly remarkable.”

Jordan Star, chief development officer, said the firm would break ground on the residential building once the parking garage opens in March or April. He expects to commence construction of the Central Hotel in June.

Star hopes to begin building the Halcyon in August or September. However, that will essentially remain a shell until tenants lease the space.

He said the steel construction would rapidly progress and “catch up” to the hotel. Star believes those facilities will open in the second quarter of 2027.