The development group behind The Coastal Collection, a five unit, premium waterfront townhome in Treasure Island, held its groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday. The luxury development is a joint partnership between Build America LLC and Barkett Realty. The development, at 11793-11801 1st Ave. East, currently has two available units remaining. Construction on the project is expected to be completed in 2022.
The Tampa Bay Rowdies won their ninth-straight match on Thursday, and are now just one win from clinching the Atlantic Division of the United States Soccer League for the second year in a row. The Rowdies can clinch the division on the road Sunday when they face the third-place Pittsburgh Riverhounds. The team has already locked down a home playoff game at Al Lang Stadium and recently broke their single-season points record with 61 and counting. The Rowdies made it to the USL Championship game last October, but the match was canceled after numerous positive Covid tests.
Royal Caribbean will resume its operations at Port Tampa Bay starting on Oct. 16-making it the first sailing since the pandemic started in March 2020. Royal Caribbean International’s Serenade of the Seas will depart for the Bahamas from Port Tampa Bay on that date. Since the pandemic started and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a no-sail order, the port has lost millions in revenue.
The South Florida-based investment firm 1754 Properties, which owns the TradeWinds Resort in St. Pete Beach, announced it has bought the historic Floridian Palace Hotel in Tampa. The sales price of the 212-room hotel and the parking lot was not disclosed. The hotel, at 905 N. Florida Ave., was previously owned by Theros Parking and Antonakos Florida. It opened in 1927 as Florida’s first skyscraper.
The National College Attainment Network recognized LEAP Tampa Bay College Access Network for it's work to close equity gaps in postsecondary attainment for all students. It's the first time a Florida based organization has won the award. Launched in 2016, LEAP Tampa Bay is a network of more than 60 community partners committed to changing lives by connecting residents to education and training beyond high school.
The City of St. Petersburg is seeking the public’s opinion on the e-scooter sharing pilot program. The city, in collaboration with USF researchers, is collecting the data to help find opportunities to improve the program. The survey is anonymous and will take residents about 15 minutes to complete. The survey is open until Nov. 7 and can be found here.
A fall festival and pumpkin patch will greet visitors to the St. Pete Pier, beginning Saturday. The lawn underneath the Bending Arc net sculpture will be packed with thousands of pumpkins and hay bales, and there will also be refreshments and a free photo booth. The pumpkin patch will be on display until Oct. 17. In addition, the Pier is also hosting a Fall Festival Saturday from noon to 8 p.m., and on Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. The festival will feature kids' activities, music and food vendors.
Tampa Bay poet Gloria Muñoz interviews author Lorraine Monteagut from 7 to 8 p.m. today in the Tombolo Books courtyard. Monteagut is the author of Brujas: The Magic and Power of Witches of Color, dealing with the cultural resurgence of witchcraft and spirituality led by Afro-Latinx immigrants and indigenous Americans.
The toxic algae bloom continues to persist in Pinellas County and other regions. The latest information from the state indicates that the organism responsible for red tide, K. brevis, was detected from low to high concentrations in and offshore of Pinellas County. Cases of fish kills and respiratory irritation cases related to red tide were reported in Pinellas County. Low concentrations were found in Hillsborough County, low to medium concentrations were found in Manatee County and low to high concentrations were found offshore of Sarasota County.
Greystar Development East LLC, a subsidiary of South Carolina-based Greystar Real Estate Partners, has filed a stormwater application pertaining to the development of 675,000 square feet of industrial space and 412 multifamily units on a site that Jabil Inc. owns. St. Pete-based manufacturing giant Jabil is under contract to sell more than 93 acres of the land, which it once was considering as the location for its HQ, to Greystar. The land is on the northwest corner of the Gandy Boulevard and Interstate I-275 interchange. The proposed industrial project will be the largest industrial development Pinellas County has seen in some time. The developer estimates that the industrial project will result in at least 3,300 jobs, according to city documents. Greystar would be able to develop up to 500 multi-family units on the site with the requirement that 20% of the units would be dedicated to workforce housing restricted to those making under 120% of the area median income.
Fans in need of a cheap way to get around during the American League Division series now have another option – and it is completely free. Starting tonight, the City of St. Petersburg is offering a free shuttle to take Rays fans, and to a lesser extent Red Sox fans, around the Tropicana Field area and Central Avenue. Buses, minibusses and trolleys will all provide free shuttle service beginning two and a half hours before the games and ending an hour after each game is over. The trolleys are equipped with a wheelchair lift. The shuttles will stop at 2nd Street S. between Central Avenue and 1st Avenue S., and at 16th Street just south of 3rd Avenue S. A complete map can be viewed here.
The developers behind the Orange Station at the EDGE, which received a final round of approvals from the St. Petersburg Development Review Commission at its meeting this afternoon, have been granted a demolition permit. The developers can now demolish the St. Petersburg Police Department headquarters on Central Avenue and the abatement on the existing building is underway. The physical demolition will begin soon and is expected to take approximately three to four months to complete. Groundbreaking for the new build is slated for June 2022. The project is being developed by a joint venture of local companies, including J Square Developers, DDA Development and Backstreets Capital LLC.
