Northern Trust Builders broke ground on a $4.7 million project that will bring 17 townhome-style apartments to a once-vacant property near the intersection of 1st Ave and 34th Street South. The developer bought the land for $255,000 in August 2024. Each two-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bathroom unit encompassing roughly 2,400 square feet will rent for around $5,000 a month.
St. Petersburg Fire Rescue is welcoming residents to tour their local station and meet first responders at the department's annual Open House event. Stations citywide will open their doors for an interactive and educational experience Saturday, Oct. 4, from 10 a.m. to noon. Fire Rescue will provide hands-on demonstrations and serve light refreshments.
St. Petersburg-based Climate First Bank has selected investment firm Piper Sandler to explore a planned initial public offering (IPO) in 2026 or 2027. The environmentally-focused community bank surpassed $1.3 billion in assets earlier this year and launched a $100 million capital raise in April 2024. A public listing would help Climate First achieve its ambitious goal of reaching $10 billion in assets by 2031.
St. Petersburg-based BayFirst Bank will sell its Small Business Administration 7(a) loans for $103 million, about 97% of the combined unpaid principal balance, and exit the business. South Florida-based bank Banesco USA will also acquire the servicing rights for the purchased loans. BayFirst, one of the nation's most prolific SBA lenders, encountered a sharp rise in payment delinquencies and defaults earlier this year.
A woman died after being run over by a Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) bus Saturday night in the Clearwater Mall parking lot. Clearwater police said Sunday morning that the woman tried to get the driver's attention by "banging on the side of the bus" as it pulled away from a stop, then lost her footing and fell underneath the rear wheel well. Angela Wymer, 39, was pronounced dead at the scene, and authorities have yet to release any additional information.
The Clearwater Ferry, which currently transports residents and visitors from downtown to the beach, will expand to Dunedin starting Oct. 9. The service will run from Thursday to Sunday, and tickets cost $8 for a one-way trip or $4 for seniors and passengers with disabilities. Hurricane Helene impeded previous plans for the Dunedin stop.
Tampa Bay residents looking for a low-fare flight to Montego Bay, Jamaica, will soon have another option at Tampa International Airport (TPA). Breeze Airways has announced that it will offer a seasonal route to Sangster International Airport from TPA starting Feb. 11. Tickets for a one-way trip start at $99 during the introductory promotional period.
A new study from QR Code Generator analyzed bar density, Tripadvisor ratings and average prices to determine the nation's best cities for bar crawls. St. Petersburg ranked No. 4 due to its high customer satisfaction and 7.48 bars per square mile. However, its affordability score was significantly lower than the top three cities: Portland, New Orleans and Cincinnati.
The Tampa Bay Rowdies have opened registration for the fall season of their little and junior leagues, which provide kids with a fun, active introduction to soccer. While the leagues are open to children aged 2-12 who live in Tampa and St. Petersburg, spots are limited. For more information, visit the website here.
The Pinellas Coalition to End Domestic Violence has unveiled the county's first memorial honoring victims of intimate partner homicide in Largo. The City of Largo, Largo Police Department, Gold & Diamond Source and EmpowHERment, Inc. also partnered on the Frieda Wideara Silent Witness Project. The exhibit features life-sized silhouettes painted in purple and cracks filled with gold. A public unveiling ceremony is from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 1 in the Parkview Room at the Central Park Performing Arts Center.
The City of St. Petersburg is installing flood panels at the Northeast Water Reclamation Facility, 1160 62nd Avenue) to prepare for any future storm threats. This will help keep the complex open during major hurricanes. One hundred panels were purchased for the project at a cost of approximately $1 million.
Personal finance platform WalletHub recently compared over 180 of the nation's most populated cities across 33 key indicators of "disability-friendliness," including physicians per capita and park accessibility. St. Petersburg ranked No. 48. While the city placed No. 24 for affordability, its health care ranking was a distant No. 98.
