Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay (RTTB) will distribute free hurricane relief kits at the St. Petersburg office it shares with Habitat for Humanity of Pinellas and West Pasco Counties. The giveaway is Thursday at 1350 22nd St. S. from 3 p.m. through 5 p.m. or while supplies last. RTTB provides home repairs, housing, education and other assistance at no cost.
Bankers Financial Corporation will move its corporate headquarters from north St. Petersburg’s Carillon area to downtown after leasing roughly 53,000 square feet of Class A space in Duke Energy’s office tower. The financial services firm will occupy the ninth through 11th floors of the 14-story building at 299 1st Ave. S. Architectural firm Gensler will design the offices, and Bankers plans to commence the move in June 2025.
A judge recently ruled that the St. Pete Beach officials acted lawfully when appointing four new members to a five-person city commission following a series of resignations that began in late December 2023. The July 2 summary judgment was in response to a lawsuit filed by the Protect St. Pete Beach Advocacy Group earlier this year that accused the municipal government of violating its city charter. Every commissioner but Mayor Adrian Petrila alternately resigned and appointed a new member over nine days as more stringent financial reporting laws took effect.
NetPark Tampa Bay, a nearly one million-square-foot shopping mall turned office complex in Hillsborough County, has sold to a New Jersey-based investment firm for $45 million. Saxum Real Estate Partners closed on the 98-acre property, once home to the East Lake Mall, on July 3. CBRE Group Inc. represented the seller, California-based Bluett Capital Realty Inc., and said NetPark is the largest office property sold in the Southeast since 2022.
According to the St. Petersburg Police Department, a man faces several charges after shooting a gun into the air outside of a crowded bar Sunday night. The report states that an officer watched Dwight Williams, 45, fire multiple shots as he drove past the Catalyst Lounge at 903 22nd St. S. The incident occurred just before 8:30 p.m., and Williams was subsequently arrested for discharging a firearm within 1,000 feet of a person, driving under the influence, using a firearm while under the influence of alcohol and possession of marijuana.
WalletHub recently compared over 181 cities across 39 metrics to determine work, financial, family and health & safety stress scores. St. Petersburg was the least stressed city studied in Florida, at No. 141 overall. Tampa placed 103rd, and the personal finance platform ranked Cleveland as America’s most stressed city.
The Florida Board of Governors recently released state university performance metrics, which influence funding allocations. The University of South Florida finished in a tie for third with Florida State University and will receive $47.7 million. The board considers graduation rates, affordability, post-graduate salaries and several other factors to determine performance scores.
Local soccer fans will have a rare opportunity to watch Premier League action in Tampa Bay Aug. 3 at Raymond James Stadium. London rivals West Ham United and Crystal Palace will face off in the inaugural Stateside Cup finale. The match begins at 7 p.m., and tickets are available here.
A recent Coworking Café study of “America’s Boomtowns” found that “picturesque St. Petersburg” is the nation’s fourth-best mid-size city for economic growth. According to the report, the number of business applications has soared by 81% since 2018. The city’s gross domestic product increased by 36% in the same period. Tampa placed seventh among mid-size cities.
The St. Pete Catalyst office will be closed Thursday and Friday, July 4 and 5, for the Independence Day holiday. We will resume publication Saturday, July 6.
The Tampa Rays have traded starting pitcher Aaron Civale to the Milwaukee Brewers for infield prospect Gregory Barrios. Civale struggled throughout the season, and the move clears space in what will soon be a crowded pitching rotation as Shane Baz and Jeffrey Springs return from injury. Barrios, 20, has shown promise in the minor leagues, and the Rays will save roughly $2.5 million by sending Civale to Milwaukee.
WalletHub recently compared the nation’s 100 largest cities across 18 metrics, including alcohol costs, firework display duration and weather forecasts, to rank the “Best & Worst Places for 4th of July Celebrations.” St. Petersburg placed 77th, 20 spots below Tampa. The personal finance platform ranked St. Pete 75th for overall celebrations and 49th in affordability.
