The City of St. Petersburg is now accepting applications from organizations that uplift youth academically, socially, emotionally and civically through dynamic and engaging summer programs. Applicants with demonstrable experience engaging at-risk or underserved youth can request up to $35,000 until April 22 from the Community Impact Summer Enhancement Grant initiative. For more information, visit the website here.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor and other city dignitaries joined Greg Hollander, President and CEO of the David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts, Monday morning in a groundbreaking ceremony for the Tampa arts venue's $100 million expansion. Construction is expected to be complete by June 2027. The Straz Center opened in July 1987 as the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.
City officials briefly closed the St. Pete Pier "in an abundance of caution" due to a boat strike Sunday morning. A social media post stated that public safety teams investigated the incident after the unoccupied vessel "made contact" with the concrete pier. Officials deemed the facility safe for public access by 11:45 a.m. Sunday.
The Tampa Bay Rowdies announced Friday that former midfielder Yann Ekra is back in St. Petersburg as an assistant coach. Ekra helped the Rowdies become an established USL Championship contender from 2019 through 2023, when the club won two Eastern Conference titles and perennially made the playoffs. Ekra's 277 regular-season appearances rank third in league history.
MarketBeat recently surveyed about 3,000 entrepreneurs to rank the top 150 metro areas for startup support. Tampa Bay placed No. 5, behind Dallas, Austin, Houston and Orlando. The business platform credited local business leaders and accelerators for driving growth and networking events for connecting founders to resources.
Gogo Charters, which offers rentable buses, minibuses and motorcoaches, has established a new route from St. Petersburg to Orlando as part of a wider expansion. The St. Petersburg service will begin at the AC Hotel downtown and travel to Tampa, Lakeland and Celebration before arriving in Orlando. Chartered buses feature reclining seats, Wi-Fi and onboard restrooms.
Downtown St. Petersburg's Paradeco Coffee Roasters has quietly opened a second location in the SkyBeach Resort at 6800 Sunshine Skyway Ln. S. SkyBeach recently replaced the former Magnuson Hotel Marina Cove at the 18-acre waterfront property. The poolside coffee shop offers the same menu as the downtown location with additional seasonal drinks and food options.
Lakewood High School girls' basketball coach Necole Tunsil has partnered with former WNBA star Rushia Brown and the National Police Athletic League to host a free basketball clinic. The event is from 3-6 p.m. at 1400 54th Ave. S. and features two hours of elite skills training and an hour-long presentation on "how to stand out and succeed." To register, visit the website here.
EVOS, a fast-casual restaurant known for airbaking rather than deep frying food, has abruptly closed all three locations, including one in St. Petersburg. The Tampa-based concept has served "Feel Great Food" to busy consumers for the past 31 years. EVOS also had locations in South Tampa and Carrollwood.
The second annual Saturday Shoppes SoulFest takes place Saturday (April 5) from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Co-sponsored by the City of St. Petersburg, the free, kid-friendly "block event" at 16th Street and 5th Avenue South will feature live musical performances, food trucks, vendors and more. Visit www.saturdayshoppes.com for additional details.
Personal finance platform WalletHub recently analyzed the 180 largest cities according to 29 metrics related to happiness, including depression rates and average daily leisure time, to determine the happiest places in America. St. Petersburg ranked No. 69, one spot above Tampa. While the Sunshine City placed 25th in the "income & employment" category, its "emotional & physical well-being" ranking was a distant No. 82.
Small business owners in St. Petersburg can now apply for disaster assistance funding. City officials allocated $200,000 from the We Are St. Pete Fund to help small businesses that have yet to reopen or resume normal operations due to Hurricanes Helene and Milton. For a list of eligibility requirements and application information, visit the website here.
