The City of Tampa, East Tampa Community Redevelopment Area and local developer Urban ReWorx have broken ground on The Vicente, an affordable housing community in the Nebraska Avenue corridor. According to a prepared statement, "the project will transform a former car wash site in the V.M. Ybor neighborhood into 20 new affordable rental homes and approximately 950 square feet of neighborhood-serving retail space." For more information, visit this link.
WalletHub has ranked St. Petersburg No. 13 nationally among the best cities for Hispanic entrepreneurs, giving the city a total score of 56.66. St. Pete ranked No. 10 for Hispanic business-friendliness and No. 63 for Hispanic purchasing power in the 2026 WalletHub study, which compared 182 cities across 23 metrics including Hispanic-owned businesses, entrepreneurship rates, business revenue growth, affordability, income growth and unemployment.
Allegiant Air is expanding service between St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport and Flint, Michigan, adding flights to the existing nonstop route beginning Feb. 11, 2027. The expanded schedule will offer service between PIE and Flint Bishop International Airport on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays as part of Allegiant’s latest expansion.
Pinellas County Government offices will be closed Sept. 7 in observance of Labor Day. This includes departments under the Board of County Commissioners, Clerk’s Office, Tax Collector, Property Appraiser and Supervisor of Elections.
The City of St. Petersburg will hold two virtual meetings to seek resident input on the Sidewalk Master Plan. The sessions are scheduled for Sept. 15 (at 6 p.m.) and Sept. 22 (at 6 p.m.). According to a prepared statement, the plan will "provide a framework for identifying, evaluating and prioritizing future sidewalk improvements throughout St. Pete." For more information, visit this link.
The University of Tampa has introduced a required course focused on generative artificial intelligence. According to a prepared statement, the class will introduce students to "AI tools and large language models." Additionally, it will provide learners with an opportunity to explore the technology. This can help them determine when to use AI systems.
Waymo, a subsidiary of Google parent company Alphabet, Inc., officially launched its public driverless vehicle service in Tampa today. Customers can download the app and sign up for the service. The organization will accept riders over time. Earlier this month, Waymo representatives met with St. Petersburg officials for an initial meet and greet and expressed interest in expanding to Pinellas County. The company also launched services in Denver and San Diego today.
Pinellas County Mosquito Control is expanding its efforts to reduce mosquito populations. According to a prepared statement, there are"more than 30 confirmed cases of locally-acquired Dengue Fever." Currently, Pinellas County crews are performing ground inspections and "dawn fogging in the Palm Harbor and St. Petersburg areas." For more information, visit this link.
St. Petersburg-based WOWorks, the parent company of brands such as Saladworks, The Simple Greek and Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh, has opened 23 restaurants so far this year. According to a prepared statement, 15 locations are "currently in development." New restaurants have launched in states including Ohio, Missouri, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Florida, Alabama, Virginia, Georgia and Texas.
Go Greek Yogurt will officially open its St. Petersburg location at the Sundial entertainment complex, at 153 2nd Avenue N., Sept. 12. The Mediterranean-inspired concept was launched in 2012 in California.
Pinellas County will launch the 2026 Parks for Pollinators BioBlitz science initiative Tuesday. Throughout September, residents and guests are encouraged to visit a Pinellas County park or preserve and take photos of pollinators or pollinator-friendly plants. They can then upload their observations to the iNaturalist app. Three community events are scheduled as well. Each will take place from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The first is Saturday at Raymond H. Neri Park, at 4300 Duval Park Blvd. in St. Petersburg. The second will be hosted Sept. 12 at the Patti Johnson Farm, at 6199 94th Ave. in Pinellas Park. A third gathering will be held Sept. 19 at Moccasin Lake Nature Park, at 2750 Park Trail Lane in Clearwater. For more information, visit this link.
The Florida Department of Transportation will hold a community meeting Wednesday at the City of Pinellas Park Community Resources Building, at 6051 78th Avenue N., regarding transportation improvements along Park Blvd. and 66th Street N. Pinellas Park residents are encouraged to share input on safety, roadway maintenance, pedestrian features, aesthetics and bicycle features. The gathering will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. For more information, visit this link.
