The Florida Holocaust Museum in downtown St. Pete is planning a $15 million renovation that will create an immersive theater for interactive Holocaust survivor testimonies and expanded exhibition space.

Located at 55 5th Street South, the museum will renovate existing first- and third-floor spaces rather than expand the museum’s physical footprint.

The new first-floor Immersive Theater will become a larger home for Dimensions in Testimony, a digital experience that allows visitors to ask questions of Holocaust survivors and receive answers drawn from pre-recorded interviews.

Developed by the USC Shoah Foundation, the technology uses voice activation and natural-language processing to match visitors’ questions with relevant recorded responses.

“Each survivor has been asked over 1,000 questions,” Museum President and CEO Eric Stillman said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “When a viewer asks a question, the technology picks up certain words and responds with the survivor’s recorded response from the earlier questioning. It becomes like a real in-person dialogue.”

Dimensions in Testimony is already available to museum guests, but the current setup is limited to a small number of participants. The new theater will accommodate 68 people in a single session, with movable seats and a microphone visitors can use to ask questions directly through the platform.

The experience currently includes testimony from four Holocaust survivors. The recordings were made in 2021, and three of the four survivors have since died. Stillman said a grant will help the museum add recordings from two additional survivors.

“This museum used to be an old bank building,” Stillman said. “What used to be the old vault will be converted into the new Immersive Theater that can host over 60 people. With the theater, entire groups of school kids can hear the questions and participate.”

The theater will also show new introductory films about each survivor, a wrap-up film following each testimony, and an introductory film about Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel.

The renovation’s second major component, The Wiesel Experience, will take shape on the third floor.

The Florida Holocaust Museum was selected in 2024 to become the permanent home for Wiesel’s entire collection, library, and works, including many materials that have never been publicly displayed.

Wiesel taught at Eckerd College for nearly 30 years and cut the ribbon when the Florida Holocaust Museum opened downtown in 1998.

Although visitors can already see a sneak peek of the collection, including photographs and artifacts, the expanded experience will recreate Wiesel’s office and feature touchscreens allowing access to his full digitized collection.

It will also include manuscripts, recordings, personal artifacts, a library and writing workshop, and a dialogue space.

The Wiesel Experience will replace an auditorium and office space on the third floor. The museum will also reconfigure its classroom and remaining third-floor space to maximize use of the area.

The Immersive Theater is estimated to cost $5 million, while The Wiesel Experience is expected to cost $10 million. The museum has already received approval for $1.5 million in Florida Fixed Capital Outlay funding for the theater and $2.5 million for the Wiesel project.

The project is currently in permitting, with construction expected to begin once the City of St. Petersburg approves the plans.

The museum hopes to open the Immersive Theater in 2027 and The Wiesel Experience in 2028.

The renovation plans follow an $8 million project completed last year that added a new entrance with enhanced security features, an open-air second-story balcony, and a temporary installation featuring elements of the Wiesel collection.

The museum also expanded the gallery housing the Danish rescue boat Thor, one of several fishing boats used to evacuate Jewish people from Nazi-occupied Denmark to Sweden in late 1943. The rescue effort saved more than 7,000 people.

After a sudden opportunity arose just four blocks from its current shop, Pete’s Bagels is preparing to move into a new space twice the size of its current location in the Grand Central District.

The local bagel company will relocate from 2361 1st Avenue South to 1900 1st Avenue South, a 4,200-square-foot repurposed Quonset hut that most recently housed the vegan restaurant Good Intentions, which closed earlier this summer after four years in business.

Pete’s plans to close its current shop for one day on Monday, October 5th, while its team moves equipment and furnishings overnight. The new location is expected to open Tuesday, October 6th.

Owner Steven Peterman said Pete’s was not actively searching for a larger space, but its current landlord planned work to the property that would have required the business to close temporarily.

The owners of the Good Intentions building, who also own Pete’s former production kitchen, reached out about the available space.

“We love our current home and the neighborhood and were not looking at new spaces, but this opportunity came about so we acted quickly,” Peterman said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising during a recent tour of the building.

Workers are now repainting the interior, refreshing the landscaping, and preparing the space for its quick turnaround.

Much of what customers recognize from the current location will come along with them, including Pete’s booths, artwork, familiar menu, and Look Alive Coffee program.

But with roughly twice as much room, Peterman said the business can get closer to a vision he has had since opening Pete’s in 2019.

“I’ve always dreamed of having a vintage diner, and we tried to give the 1st Avenue South shop that feel with having a couple of booths and tables,” Peterman said. “With this bigger space, I can get closer to accomplishing that dream.”

The new shop will have 12 booths, additional tables, bar seating, and room for nearly 100 guests once fully built out. The current location has seating for about 42 people. Outdoor seating along 1st Avenue South is also in the works.

There will also be a larger retail section stocked with useful home goods, food items, supplies, and branded merchandise. Peterman said the shop is leaning into the original idea behind Pete’s General, with more everyday products rather than simply gift items.

A branded photo booth from Majestic Photo Booths is expected to arrive shortly after opening. Its photo strips will feature Pete the Manatee, the company’s mascot.

For opening week, the menu will remain largely the same, including Pete’s bagels, breakfast sandwiches, house-made cream cheeses, and coffee. The business currently offers nine bagel varieties boiled and baked fresh daily.

However, Peterman said the team is working toward a weekend brunch service with straightforward diner staples such as waffles, pancakes, and eggs.

“We are not reinventing anything,” Peterman said. “We just want to be a comfort food place where people come with their families.”

The team also hopes to serve the neighborhood’s vegan community, which Good Intentions previously served. Pete’s bagels are naturally vegan, and the shop already offers vegan options, but Peterman said the expanded kitchen could allow the business to offer more.

Peterman said the plan is still coming together, but he hopes to eventually serve beer, wine, and cocktails in the evenings.

In addition to the new location, the company recently opened a production kitchen in Gulfport, giving it much more capacity for bagel production.

It also allows Pete’s to return to a more traditional bagel-making process, using bagel boards, which are essentially wooden planks wrapped in burlap and soaked in water. The bagels are placed upside down on the boards for part of the bake, helping create a crisp exterior and soft interior.

“Over the next week, we’re going back to the really traditional way of making the bagels,” Peterman said. “We had to change the process a while ago to keep up with demand, but we’re going back to using bagel boards and the traditional revolving oven that we couldn’t fit in our old space.”

Pete’s Bagels first opened in St. Pete’s Historic Uptown in 2019. The company now operates its Grand Central shop, a drive-thru location in south St. Pete, a sister location in Ybor City, and a newer café in Tarpon Springs.

Peterman also owns Seymour’s, a New York-style bagel shop in downtown St. Pete’s Snell Arcade.

For now, the immediate focus is getting the new shop open, keeping the staff working, and giving Pete’s customers a place that feels familiar while offering more room to stay awhile.

“We want this to be a community hangout,” Peterman said. “We want you to come, work here, hang out, bring your family, bring your kids. Even if you’re just buying a coffee and sitting there, we want to be that daytime place.”

Be sure to follow Pete’s Bagels on Instagram and Facebook to stay up to date.

After nearly three years in the EDGE District, The Sourdough Co. is preparing to relocate to one of downtown St. Pete’s most recognizable historic buildings.

The bakery and café will move from 1113 Central Avenue to the former Union Trust bank building at 895 Central Avenue.

The 1926 building has remained vacant since its last bank tenant left in 1996.

The Sourdough Co. will occupy nearly 11,000 square feet across the building’s ground floor, mezzanine, and basement.

Owner Ariana Duksa announced the move on social media Monday.

“From baking inside our home to filling a historic building in the heart of St. Pete… we can hardly believe we get to say that,” Duksa wrote. “Thank you to every person who has ever purchased a loaf, pastry, coffee or meal from us. From a cottage bakery, to our first storefront, to this beautiful historic bank.”

Before opening its first storefront in 2023, The Sourdough Co. operated as a cottage bakery out of Duksa’s Seminole home.

The business built a following through its naturally fermented sourdough loaves, pastries, breakfast sandwiches, soups, wraps, and sandwiches before moving into the former Karma Juice Bar & Eatery space next to Intermezzo Coffee & Cocktails.

The current café gave the business a place to grow, but Duksa said The Sourdough Co. needed more room and a more permanent home.

Its landlord would only agree to one-year lease terms, leaving the business without the long-term certainty it wanted before making further investments.

“We knew we needed a bigger space anyway,” Duksa said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “We considered commissary kitchens and baking off-site while keeping our retail operation here. We looked at several different options, but ultimately, our lease wasn’t secure. We wanted to find a space we could grow into, with more room for our team and our customers.”

The new location will give The Sourdough Co. room to expand its food and coffee offerings, increase bakery production, and add more grab-and-go and retail items.

Duksa said the café is still working through its future menu, but expects to add more breakfast and lunch options beyond its current sandwich- and wrap-focused selection.

The larger space will also change how customers use the café.

People will continue ordering at the counter before finding a seat, but they will be able to choose from several levels of the building.

Duksa said the basement will have a quieter, moodier atmosphere for customers who want to work or settle in with a coffee, while the former bank vault will be open daily for seating.

The café also plans to use its additional room for private events and collaborations with other businesses.

“It should be a place where someone comes, eats, hangs out,” Duksa said. “They can come on a daily basis.”

For Duksa, the building’s character was a major part of the appeal. The former bank has high ceilings, arched windows, exposed brick, and a large vault, many of which will remain part of the finished café.

“We have the honor of bringing this building back to life while protecting what makes it so special,” Duksa wrote in her announcement. “We’re preserving its beautiful windows, original brick and massive bank vault with deep respect for its history.”

Tricera Capital

Tricera Capital

Tricera Capital

Tricera Capital

The renovation will include building out the two existing kitchens to meet The Sourdough Co.’s needs.

Duksa said the team is considering refinishing the floors and incorporating walnut wood, marble, and gold finishes that fit the building’s original character.

She also hopes to display historic photos, checks, and other memorabilia from its years as a bank.

“A lot of it did get torn out, and we don’t want to tear any of that out,” Duksa said. “Why would you cover it up? Why would you get rid of it?”

The Union Trust building was constructed during St. Pete’s first major real estate boom. It was expanded in 1938 and again in 1967, although those additions were eventually demolished for the neighboring Camden Central apartments, leaving the original bank structure.

The historic building has attracted several proposals since NationsBank, now Bank of America, moved out in 1996.

In 2023, entrepreneur Jim Fiore announced plans for J. Fiore’s Contemporary Steakhouse at the property, though the project never materialized.

Duksa said The Sourdough Co. hopes to open in early 2027, although permitting and construction could affect that timeline.

Until then, the bakery and café will remain open daily at 1113 Central Avenue.

Be sure to follow The Sourdough Co. on Instagram for updates.

Multifamily Landscape Design Associates

Multifamily Landscape Design Associates

Multifamily Landscape Design Associates

Construction is underway on Azalea Cay, a planned 1,000-unit apartment community on the former Raytheon property in west St. Pete.

Tampa-based Metro Development Group, St. Pete-based Porter Development, and local elected officials broke ground Monday morning on the first phase of the project at 1501 72nd Street North, near Azalea Park and Tyrone Square Mall.

The $109.8 million first phase will bring 341 apartments, including 102 income-restricted homes.

Fifty-one apartments will be reserved for households earning up to 80% of the area median income (AMI), while another 51 will be available to households earning up to 120% of AMI.

“I look around and I envision someday teachers, nurses, first responders coming home from a tough day at work and calling Azalea Cay home,” Les Porter, president of Porter Development, said during the ceremony. “Maybe one of the big reasons why they’re still able to live in St. Pete is because of the rent associated with their apartment.”

The units were initially planned to remain affordable for at least 30 years; however, it was extended to 50 years after negotiations with city and county staff, Porter said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising during the ceremony.

The remaining 239 apartments will rent at market rate.

The project, formerly known as Azalea Gateway, is planned across three phases and will ultimately bring about 1,000 apartments to the 29-acre site. About 300 of those homes are expected to be designated as affordable or workforce housing.

The first phase will feature one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments across three buildings. Plans also call for a clubhouse, leasing office, fitness center, yoga room, game room, pool, and pet spa.

Metro Development Group’s involvement marks a new direction for the Tampa-based developer, which is best known for large master-planned communities in Pasco County.

Azalea Cay is the company’s first multifamily community.

“This is a super exciting project,” Porter said. “I look forward to seeing it come to fruition and couldn’t be more excited to be part of something as big as this in the city of St. Petersburg.”

The development is supported by $11.25 million in public funding. The City of St. Petersburg committed $6 million to the first phase, while Pinellas County provided $5.25 million through Penny for Pinellas funds.

Earlier this month, the development team secured $75 million in construction financing from Valley Bank for Azalea Cay’s first phase.

Mayor Ken Welch said the investment would help create homes for the people who keep the city running.

“$6 million that will help deliver 341 new apartments, including 102 affordable or workforce apartments,” Welch said. “For the firefighters, for the teachers, for the city workers, for folks who make our city work, they’ll be able to live here in 102 of those homes in the first phase.”

The property has seen a number of proposals before reaching this point.

Porter began pursuing redevelopment plans in 2019, when an early proposal called for a 150,000-square-foot sports tourism complex, a public recreational lagoon and beach area, and apartments.

The plan drew neighborhood opposition, and Forward Pinellas denied the needed land-use amendment for the sports facility.

Porter withdrew that proposal and later shifted to the apartment community now under construction.

“What initially attracted me to this site was its size. It’s hard to find land of this scale in Pinellas County. We are taking what was an environmentally tainted land and making it something that will make a difference for the community,” said Porter, who purchased the site in 2021 for $10.5 million.

The residential development was approved in 2023 using a state housing law that allows residential development on industrially zoned land when at least 30% of the units are designated as affordable or workforce housing.

The property was used from 1958 through 2008 by E-Systems, later acquired by Raytheon, for communications hardware and defense-electronics manufacturing. It later underwent environmental remediation, and FDEP has approved the site for redevelopment subject to ongoing restrictions.

On Monday, however, the focus was on the future—and on the affordable and workforce housing Azalea Cay will bring to St. Pete.

“We know there’s no single project or policy that can solve that challenge,” Welch said. “But it takes sustained investment, creative solutions, and strong partnerships. And Azalea Cay is a great example of what that partnership can accomplish.”

According to an updated timeline, construction for Phase 1 is expected to take 24 months, with completion and leasing to begin by early 2029.

Porter said it would take about two years for each phase once construction commences. 

After 12 years in the EDGE District, Brooklyn South has permanently closed.

Karen Kramer, who has owned the sandwich shop at 1437 Central Avenue with her husband Mark since 2024, told St. Pete Rising they “just couldn’t keep up with rising costs.”

The financial pressure had surfaced before the closure. In a response to an online review last year, Kramer wrote that Central Avenue rent and food costs had become overwhelming and that she had made significant sacrifices to keep Brooklyn South going.

It was work, she said, she did for the joy it brought people rather than for the money.

Brooklyn South opened in July 2014 under founder Matt Bonano, a trained chef whose route to St. Pete ran through the cheese world. Bonano had worked at Atlanta’s Alon’s Bakery & Market and later became wholesale production manager for Murray’s Cheese in New York.

He moved from Brooklyn to Gulfport and named the deli Brooklyn South because St. Pete reminded him of the “Brooklyn of the South.”

The original shop was a small, largely takeout operation with limited seating and walls covered in cheese labels Bonano had collected since the 1990s.

Its early menu brought together a cheesemonger’s sensibility and a sandwich counter, including inventive grilled sandwiches, such as Rosemary Chicken with fresh mozzarella, Vermont Cheddar with fig jam, Jerk Chicken with chèvre and mint, and corned beef with Peter Luger sauce.

The menu also included custom sandwiches, knishes, homemade muffins, personal cheese plates, sliced meats, and specialty groceries.

Bonano sold the business shortly before the COVID-19 shutdown in early 2020.

Under the next owner, chef Edel Fernandez, the shop held onto many of its staples while adding Cuban influences, including ropa vieja and a Cuban sandwich that quickly became one of its best sellers.

The business expanded into the adjacent storefront in 2022, doubling its footprint. That same year, Yelp named Brooklyn South Florida’s best cheese shop in an all-time ranking based on customer reviews.

Kramer and her husband took over in 2024 and continued Brooklyn South’s longstanding focus on sandwiches.

The shop reinvented itself again, this time as a tiny mom-and-pop sandwich shop with more than 40 specialty options, including ciabatta melts, pressed hoagies, and grilled rye sandwiches.

The Italian, Turkey Fig, Turkey Melt, Jerk Chicken, Cuban, and Reuben remained among Brooklyn South’s most popular items.

The shop fit naturally into the rhythm of the neighborhood, whether it was a quick lunch, a pregame sandwich and bottle of wine before heading to Tropicana Field for a Rays game, or a stop for cheese, charcuterie, and conversation.

The closure does not necessarily mean Mark is done making sandwiches though. Kramer said he may sell sandwiches across the street at Ferg’s in the future, although nothing has been finalized.

For now, Brooklyn South’s closing means the loss of a small business that endured through multiple ownership changes, a pandemic, and rising costs, while continuing to serve the food and hospitality that made it a Central Avenue staple.

For generations of St. Pete residents, The Chattaway has been the kind of place people do not simply visit. They return to it.

They come back for the cheeseburgers, the beer, the photos and plaques crowding the walls, and the leafy courtyard that feels tucked away from the city around it.

Some remember riding bikes there as kids. Others had first dates beneath its trees. Nearly everyone has a story.

Today, that story enters a new chapter.

The Chattaway has reopened at 358 22nd Avenue South after Cullen Mahoney, Ferg’s Sports Bar owner Mark Ferguson, and Shrimpy’s Waterfront owner John John Delladonna purchased both the restaurant and the 0.70-acre property beneath it.

Customers returning today will find the familiar restaurant, with several practical upgrades designed to make it work better day to day.

The new owners added another outdoor bar and an overhead canopy with fans, allowing the patio to remain usable when rain would have previously forced the restaurant to close.

The Chattaway also now has a full liquor license.

The menu retains its longtime favorites, including the burger Mahoney has called “the holy grail” of The Chattaway experience. New additions include fresh seafood options inspired by Shrimpy’s, Ferg’s famous wings, and vegan options.

The new owners also made several updates inside the restaurant.

The bathrooms will remain largely as they are, although the front restroom now features a new mural by Doodles by Lu.

The owners also plan to address aging equipment, safety needs, and the deteriorated floor in the tea room, which will become a more regularly used dining space.

New Chattaway merchandise is also in the works, including shirts featuring vintage photographs from the restaurant’s past.

The restaurant’s future was uncertain earlier this year, when the property went under contract and its longtime owners prepared to close the business.

Mahoney was initially sent the site as a potential redevelopment opportunity, with townhomes or mixed-use retail envisioned for the 0.70-acre property.

His reaction, he said, was immediate.

“We have to find a way to preserve this,” Mahoney said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “There’s no other place like this on the south side.”

Mahoney, who lives within walking distance of The Chattaway, had already made memories there with his girlfriend.

He had invested in restaurants before, but had never operated one when he put the property under contract and began looking for partners who shared his desire to keep it intact.

Ferguson, who grew up in Lakewood Estates and has his own childhood memories of biking to The Chattaway, joined the effort.

Delladonna, whose restaurant Shrimpy’s Waterfront is known for its seafood, rounded out the ownership group.

Their shared objective was not to recreate The Chattaway in a more polished image. It was to give the institution the attention it needed to keep going.

“We care about every photo that’s under polyurethane stuck to the bar,” Mahoney previously told St. Pete Rising. “We care about every plaque screwed into the wall. We’re keeping it what it is because that’s what makes it important to St. Pete.”

The restaurant dates to 1951, when Helen Lund purchased the business. She was later joined by her son, Everett Lund, and eventually his wife, Jillian Frers.

Over the decades, it grew into one of St. Pete’s most enduring gathering places, known as much for its eclectic personality and afternoon tea service as its food.

The new owners hope that personality remains intact while the restaurant takes on a broader role in the neighborhood.

They are considering live music, community events, and weekend markets, but Mahoney said the goal is not to turn The Chattaway into a crowded sports bar.

Instead, he sees it as a place for neighbors, families, children, and dogs to gather as development continues to move through St. Pete.

Mahoney said the group owns both the land and the restaurant, allowing them to protect it from redevelopment and preserve it for the long term.

“We want to hold onto it in perpetuity,” Mahoney said. “Now that we own it, we want to ensure it doesn’t go anywhere.”

For now, the message to longtime customers is simple: The Chattaway is still here. The burgers are still here. And the garden, the stories, and the slightly imperfect character that made the place worth saving are still part of the experience.

For years, the second floor of a downtown St. Pete beer and wine bar has been used mostly for private events and overflow seating.

This weekend, Green Bench Brewing will turn that space into a new concept of its own.

Upstairs at Webb’s will begin service Friday, September 25th, at 4 p.m. above Webb’s City Cellar, Green Bench Brewing’s specialty beer and wine bar at 1133 Baum Avenue North.

The new bar and lounge will launch during Green Bench’s 13th anniversary celebration, offering a beverage program built around a somewhat unexpected idea: texture.

“The menu itself is completely built around the concept of texture and how you can use texture to manipulate the experience with products,” Green Bench Brewing owner and brewer Khris Johnson said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “It’s supposed to be exploration-focused, a deep dive into not just products, but service and hospitality centered around beer that you just don’t get anywhere else.”

That idea will shape nearly every drink served upstairs.

A beer poured downstairs or next door at Green Bench may also be available upstairs, but it will not necessarily taste or feel the same.

Upstairs at Webb’s will sometimes use specialized side-lever faucets and Japanese-inspired pouring methods designed to change a beer’s carbonation, foam, and mouthfeel.

One of those methods is a Matsuo-style pour, named for Tokyo bartender Kohei Matsuo, whose technique creates a dense, creamy head of foam.

Another is a sharp pour, which emphasizes carbonation.

Upstairs at Webb’s will also develop a house pour that combines elements of both approaches.

The opening tap list will include Mega Crisp, a new rice lager made with whole-grain rice and designed as Green Bench’s take on Asahi Super Dry.

Johnson said the beer may eventually appear elsewhere in the Green Bench orbit, but the particular experience created by its upstairs pour will remain exclusive to the new bar.

The program will also introduce cask-conditioned English beer, a style Johnson has wanted to bring into the fold for a long time.

Unlike most draft beers, which are force-carbonated and served cold, cask beers continue naturally conditioning in the vessel. They are less carbonated, served warmer, and pulled by hand from the cellar through traditional beer engines.

Green Bench will begin with Goodwin Sands, an English-style summer ale made with Tampa’s Late Start Brewing, and Mighty Fragile, a London porter. Both are made with traditional English ingredients and processes, including housemade invert sugar.

“The reason cask conditioning is important is because it completely changes the texture of the products,” Johnson said. “These beers are naturally carbonated instead of the forced carbonation. They’re also served at a warmer temperature, so we’re playing with temperature to manipulate texture as well.”

Beer is at the center of the program, but not the only medium. Upstairs at Webb’s will also offer sparkling wines, ports, ciders, and a small menu of wine-based mixed drinks.

The bubbles in a sparkling wine, the silky body of a port, and the spritzy or velvety character of a mixed drink all fit into the same larger conversation.

That sense of discovery has always been central to Webb’s City Cellar, which has built a following around Belgian beers, barrel-aged releases, spontaneous fermentation, and other styles that often require a little explanation before the first sip.

Upstairs at Webb’s will continue that tradition, with staff guiding guests through not only what they are drinking, but why it is being served that way.

The decision to finally activate the space came after several years of rebuilding momentum at Webb’s after the difficult post-pandemic years.

In 2024, the bar was named a James Beard Award semifinalist for Outstanding Bar, recognition that Johnson said gave the team a meaningful boost.

“It was huge for us and a big morale boost for the team because we all were working really hard to try to get Webb’s back to where it was and get people interested in these products again,” he said.

Upstairs at Webb’s will initially be open Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 4 p.m. to midnight.

Johnson said the team will let the concept grow organically, focusing first on getting every detail right.

In addition to Green Bench Brewing, Webb’s City Cellar, and Upstairs at Webb’s, Johnson and his partners Nathan Stonecipher, Steven Duffy, and Brian Wing recently opened a taproom in downtown Tampa.

Follow Webb’s City Cellar on Instagram for the latest information about Upstair’s at Webb’s, including its rotating tap list and operating hours.

Wannemacher Jensen Architects

Wannemacher Jensen Architects

Wannemacher Jensen Architects

Wannemacher Jensen Architects

Wannemacher Jensen Architects

St. Petersburg’s oldest arts institution is preparing for the most ambitious expansion in its more than 100-year history.

New renderings have been revealed for the first phase of Arts Center Association, Inc.’s $34 million expansion at 719 Central Avenue in downtown St. Pete.

The redevelopment calls for a new five-story arts center on an existing surface parking lot at the corner of 8th Street and Central Avenue, bringing the Arts Center and the Chihuly Collection, currently located across the street at 720 Central Avenue, under one roof.

Designed by Wannemacher Jensen Architects, the new building would feature a largely white exterior wrapped in slender vertical fins.

At street level, a sweeping, wave-like opening would rise from the ground floor and fold into the façade, creating a sculptural entrance inspired by the fluid forms and luminous colors of Dale Chihuly’s glasswork.

“We are at a consequential moment in the evolution of the Arts Center,” Arts Center Executive Director Howayda Affan said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “This redevelopment is about far more than expanding our physical footprint; it is an opportunity to reimagine how an arts institution can serve a growing and increasingly dynamic city.”

The lower level is designed with expansive glass walls, a recessed public entrance, gallery space, and a gift shop. A series of sculptural spiral staircases would connect the floors.

The second level would house the Chihuly Collection while upper floors would include artist classrooms and administrative offices.

“By bringing the Chihuly Collection, contemporary art exhibitions, education programs and community initiatives together in one integrated arts center, we can create a more cohesive and compelling experience for our audiences while significantly expanding our capacity for creativity, learning and engagement,” Affan said.

Construction is currently anticipated to begin in late 2027 and take about 18 months.

A second phase, which would entail the demolition of the existing arts center, is projected to follow between 2028 and 2030, although details could continue to evolve as fundraising and design move forward.

Pinellas County commissioners are scheduled to give final approval of a $2.225 million funding agreement for the project at their September 24th meeting. The funding, which would come from the county’s Tourist Development Tax, commonly known as the bed tax, would support the first phase of the Arts Center’s redevelopment plans.

According to Affan, the project has generated significant interest from the community, donors, and partners, and the Arts Center is continuing to build the private support needed to advance the redevelopment.

The fundraising effort will continue alongside design and construction as the organization moves toward this significant investment in St. Petersburg’s cultural infrastructure.

As part of the funding agreement, the Arts Center would work with Visit St. Pete-Clearwater on tourism promotion and visitor engagement over a 10-year period.

The agreement includes permanent recognition signage, marketing collaboration, media-tour opportunities, and annual visitor reporting.

The redevelopment is expected to increase annual attendance and expand the Arts Center’s capacity to serve both local residents and visitors.

Founded in 1917 as the Art Club of St. Petersburg, the Arts Center has played a central role in the city’s arts community for more than a century.

The organization now operates the Arts Center and Chihuly Collection downtown, and the Morean Center for Clay in the Warehouse Arts District.

The organization was also recently recognized as a City of St. Petersburg Legacy Business, reflecting its longstanding role in the cultural life of the community.

Today, the Arts Center’s mission is to connect people with art, with a particular focus on making art accessible to everyone.

Its programs reach children, seniors, veterans, people living with dementia and others who may face barriers to participating in the arts.

The redevelopment will expand the organization’s capacity to provide these experiences while strengthening its contribution to St. Petersburg’s cultural and economic vitality by attracting visitors and creating additional opportunities for residents and tourists to engage with the arts. 

“Our plan is to build an institution that reflects the vitality of St. Petersburg today and has the vision, capacity and relevance to contribute to its cultural life for decades to come,” Affan said.

Madeira Beach’s longtime grocery store is reopening this week in a new format.

Aldi will debut this Thursday, September 24th, at 15200 Municipal Drive in Carter Plaza, across from Archibald Beach Park and R.O.C. Park.

The store replaces the former Winn-Dixie, which closed last year after more than 50 years in business. The Municipal Drive store was built in 1975 and had operated as a Winn-Dixie ever since.

Winn-Dixie Liquors will remain open.

To mark the grand opening, the first 200 customers in line Thursday will receive a bag of branded items and a “golden ticket,” an Aldi gift card worth up to $100. Employees will also distribute free Aldi shopping totes throughout the day.

The store will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Aldi said the Madeira Beach location will offer fresh and organic produce delivered daily, along with cheese, wine, gluten-free products, and plant-based options.

Known for its streamlined store model, Aldi carries a curated mix of products that is heavily weighted toward its own exclusive brands. The company says those brands account for about 90% of its inventory and that families who switch to Aldi-exclusive products can save nearly $4,000 annually.

The shopping experience also differs from a traditional supermarket. Customers bag their own groceries, bring reusable bags or purchase bags in-store, and insert a quarter deposit to unlock a shopping cart. The quarter is returned when the cart is brought back.

Aldi will occupy roughly 22,000 square feet, or about half of the former 44,000-square-foot Winn-Dixie. The remaining 22,000 square feet has been reserved for a future tenant. Colliers, the brokerage marketing the remaining space, said it is in discussions with several prospective tenants but has not yet signed a lease.

The 64,000-square-foot Carter Plaza shopping center is also home to Bronze Lady Home Furnishings, Colette’s Fashions, Smoke Bros, and a CVS Pharmacy outparcel building. Dollar Tree closed earlier this year.

The Madeira Beach opening is part of Aldi’s broader conversion of former Winn-Dixie locations following its March 2024 acquisition of Southeastern Grocers.

Aldi said it has converted and opened nearly 90 former Southeastern Grocers stores across Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi, with plans to convert more than 200 locations by the end of 2027.

With the Madeira Beach opening, Aldi now has 17 stores in Pinellas County, including five in St. Petersburg and two in Pinellas Park.

Side note: During our research for this article, we found a January 13, 1975, St. Petersburg Times ad announcing the grand opening of Madeira Beach’s Winn-Dixie. The store occupied the property for more than 50 years before closing last year.

A St. Pete native and former USF basketball star is preparing to open what he calls a love letter to his hometown.

Love Language 727 Restaurant & Lounge will open in October at 3063 Central Avenue in the Grand Central District.

The space was previously home to 31 Grand, a sports bar that closed in late 2024 following back-to-back hurricanes. Before that, it housed Punky’s Bar and Grill, an LGBTQ-friendly establishment that closed in 2022 after nearly seven years in business.

Owner Jimmy Devon Baxter is returning to St. Pete after nearly two decades in Atlanta, where he said he was inspired by the city’s experience-driven restaurant and lounge scene.

After graduating from Boca Ciega High School, he played basketball for the University of South Florida from 2000 to 2004.

During his senior year, Baxter received the NCAA Award of Valor for helping rescue two men trapped inside a vehicle following a violent crash. The City of Tampa also presented him with a key to the city for his efforts.

After graduating from USF, Baxter moved to Atlanta, where he was based while playing professional basketball throughout Europe.

He said Love Language will blend restaurant service, a full bar, hookah, and entertainment in a setting that feels more polished than a traditional bar without becoming a nightclub.

“I’m bringing an Atlanta feel to St. Pete,” Baxter said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “Atlanta is known for having restaurants with a sexy, party vibe. We want to create an atmosphere where it’s a step above a bar, but not a club.”

The 2,500-square-foot restaurant will accommodate about 100 guests across its dining room, large bar, and 1,500-square-foot covered patio.

Baxter said the interior will feature low lighting, leather furnishings, red accents, and an elevated lounge atmosphere. Guests will be able to smoke hookah indoors or on the patio, where cigars will also be permitted.

The dinner menu will lean into Southern comfort food, with blackened salmon, baked oysters, seafood mac and cheese, steaks, pasta, and the Love Language burger among the planned offerings.

A quicker lunch menu will include salads, burgers, catfish bites, wings, and Alfredo pasta.

Sunday brunch will feature dishes like chicken and waffles and fish and grits, along with mimosas and a complimentary fresh-fruit bar.

An Atlanta-based mixologist is developing three signature cocktails: a rum punch, margarita, and Long Island iced tea. Additionally, several drinks will be named after Baxter’s children, all of whom are Division I athletes.

Baxter said he wants to keep prices accessible, with drinks generally priced around $10 to $11.

Love Language plans to serve lunch from noon to 3 p.m. and dinner beginning at 3:30 p.m., with the kitchen taking its last orders at 1 a.m. Baxter expects to operate seven days a week.

The restaurant will be family-friendly during the day, while guests must be 25 or older after 6 p.m.

The lounge will also host karaoke, open mic nights, DJs, and occasional performances by local musicians.

Planned recurring events include Wind Down Wednesdays, Karaoke Thursdays, R&B Fridays, Pride Day Saturdays, Jersey Sundays, and a monthly Gospel Sunday.

Baxter said safety will be central to the operation. In addition to the restaurant’s on-site lot, he has arranged evening overflow parking with nearby businesses and plans to offer complimentary valet service for women. Security guards will monitor the restaurant and surrounding parking areas.

“The love language came from my love of being a father, my love for family,” Baxter said. “Now I’m opening my doors to extended family. St. Pete is my extended family.”

A popular Venezuelan food concept known for its stuffed arepas and empanadas will soon open its first brick-and-mortar restaurant in St. Pete.

Carúpano Kitchen plans to open by mid-November at 1040 4th Street North, a 1,070-square-foot space previously occupied by a catering kitchen and Urban Canning Company before that.

Andrea Osorio debuted Carúpano Kitchen at Foodie Labs, a commercial kitchen incubator in the Warehouse Arts District, in 2025 with her mother, Diann Cedeño, and wife, Lauren Haley.

The menu centers on arepas, naturally gluten-free Venezuelan corn cakes that are grilled or fried, sliced open, and filled with meats, cheeses, seafood, and vegetables.

Osorio said the new restaurant will keep Carúpano Kitchen’s core recipes while adding new, healthy options for the lunch crowd.

“There’s a lot of changes coming, but overall it’s the same menu and recipes,” Osorio said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “It’ll just be an elevated version that caters to this new location.”

For someone trying an arepa for the first time, Osorio recommends La Pelúa, which is filled with slow-cooked shredded beef and gouda cheese.

Other offerings include La Reina Pepiada with avocado chicken salad; La Tropical with sweet plantains, avocado, and Venezuelan cheeses; and La de Chicharrón, a fried arepa made with pork belly in the dough and filled with queso de mano.

Osorio’s favorite is La Carupanera, which features Venezuelan chorizo and morcilla, or blood sausage, topped with tomatoes and garlic-cilantro sauce.

The restaurant also serves gluten-free empanadas filled with beef, chicken, cheese, seafood, or cazón, which is marinated shark meat.

The restaurant is named for Carúpano, a small fishing town on Venezuela’s coast where Osorio’s grandmother grew up and operated an arepa restaurant, with her mother and aunts helping in the kitchen as children.

The restaurant was ultimately short-lived, but cooking remained central to the family.

Osorio said preparing Venezuelan food gives her a way to share that history with customers.

“When I cook for people, I am bringing with me the ways that my mother, aunts, and grandmother cooked for me when I was a child,” Osorio said. “I can give a part of my entire world to somebody.”

Osorio was born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, and moved to the United States alone at 17 through a student exchange program in Ohio.

She later built a nearly 12-year career in sales before becoming burned out and taking a break from corporate work in 2025.

During that time, she spent more intentional time with her mother, and their conversations often returned to a longtime idea: opening a restaurant together.

“I love cooking and I love hosting and I love feeding people,” Osorio said. “That’s one of my biggest passions, sharing a part of my culture through Venezuelan food.”

Osorio and her wife moved to St. Pete about five years ago after looking for a more LGBTQ-friendly place to live in Florida. The city has since become the place where they bought their first home, got married, and started their first business.

Foodie Labs provided a lower-risk place for the team to test the concept before committing to a traditional restaurant lease and buildout.

Early foot traffic was slow, but social-media videos and pop-ups at breweries and markets helped customers discover Carúpano Kitchen.

“When we started doing pop-ups, that’s when we really found ourselves as a business and our identity,” Osorio said. “We didn’t have to wait for people to come to us.”

As business picked up over the past few months, the team began considering a food trailer before the 4th Street North space became available.

The former canning and catering space already had a commercial hood, plumbing, and sinks, allowing Carúpano Kitchen to avoid some of the most expensive parts of a restaurant buildout.

Osorio said the business is intended to welcome diners with a broad range of tastes and dietary needs. In addition to meat and seafood dishes, the menu includes vegetarian and vegan options, and the arepas and empanadas are naturally gluten-free.

“I want to be a place where everybody eats,” Osorio said. “I want everybody to feel comfortable trying something new.”

Once Carúpano Kitchen’s new location opens in mid-November, the Foodie Labs location will close.

Be sure to follow Carúpano Kitchen on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on grand opening plans, new menu items, and more.

A new family-owned restaurant serving pizzas, burgers, empanadas, and other Argentinian dishes is preparing to open in Pinellas Park.

Pizzardis will open at 7820 49th Street North, near England Brothers Park and the Pinellas Park Performing Arts Center. The building was previously home to Pinellas Park's Fresh Produce.

Owner Victoria Fecarotta said she and her husband expect to welcome their first customers during the last week of September.

For Fecarotta, the restaurant is rooted in memories of food bringing people together in Argentina, from long Sunday lunches to Friday nights spent sharing pizza with family.

She moved to the United States in 2001 and, after years in the restaurant business and previously owning a restaurant with her husband in Chicago, is ready to open a place of her own in Pinellas County.

The couple has spent more than two years transforming the 1,582-square-foot former produce store into a full-service restaurant.

The project required a change of use, a new kitchen and hood system, and a complete renovation.

Back-to-back hurricanes in 2024 also slowed construction shortly after they signed the lease.

Pizzardis will draw from Fecarotta’s Argentinian background while offering a large menu that includes American dishes.

“We are opening this restaurant to share a little bit of Argentinian street food with people in Pinellas County,” Fecarotta said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “But I don’t want to be put in an Argentinian food box, because the menu is much more extensive than that.”

The menu will include half-pound burgers, chicken wings, homemade meatballs and meatball sandwiches, salads, and two styles of pizza. One is a hybrid Neapolitan-style pizza cooked in an Italian electric oven, with housemade sauce, fresh toppings, and the charred “leopard spots” common with high-heat pizza.

Pizzardis will also serve three Argentinian-style pizzas, which are pan-cooked with thicker, doughier crusts and a light amount of sauce. The restaurant will use imported Argentinian cheese on those specialty pizzas.

One option is fugazzeta, a sauce-free pizza topped with caramelized onions and a generous amount of cheese. Another, jamón y morrones, comes with ham, roasted peppers, and green olives.

The Argentinian portion of the menu will include baked empanadas with beef, chicken, or ham-and-cheese fillings; choripán, a beef-and-pork chorizo sausage sandwich served with housemade chimichurri; and milanesa, a thin breaded and fried beef or chicken cutlet. Diners can order milanesa with sides or as a sandwich.

Pizzardis will also cook its wings to order rather than pre-cooking them, so they may take a little longer to reach the table.

To drink, the restaurant will offer Argentinian Malbec, domestic beers, and a small selection of Italian beers planned.

Dessert options will include torta fritas, fried dough finished with cinnamon sugar, and panqueques, thin Argentinian crepes traditionally filled with dulce de leche.

For now, the restaurant will seat 28 guests between its dining tables and intimate bar. Fecarotta said an outdoor patio is planned for the future.

She hopes Pizzardis becomes the kind of casual neighborhood restaurant where families can gather after a game at nearby England Brothers Park, couples can enjoy an easy dinner, and guests can try something new without feeling intimidated by the menu.

“I want this to be where people come with their spouse or family and have a nice dinner without having to get all dressed up,” she said. “But they’re still getting good food.”

Pizzardis will offer takeout, catering, and delivery.

After opening, Pizzardis plans to operate from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday.

Be sure to follow the restaurant on Facebook for opening updates, food specials, and more.

More than 1,500 panels of white Brazilian granite are now being installed on the Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement’s five-story expansion at 355 4th Street North in downtown St. Pete.

The 11,300-square-foot expansion will add four galleries to the 137,000-square-foot museum, which opened five years ago in September 2021.

The Arts and Crafts movement emerged in the late 19th century as a response to mass-produced goods, placing an emphasis on handcrafted objects, natural materials, and simple, functional design.

The St. Pete museum is the only museum in the world dedicated exclusively to the American Arts and Crafts movement.

The existing five-story museum includes more than 40,000 square feet of gallery space, along with a grand atrium, skylights, and its signature spiral staircase.

Barr&Barr

Barr&Barr

Barr&Barr

Barr&Barr

Barr&Barr

The new galleries will include photography and color woodblock prints that have appeared in previous MAACM exhibitions, alongside textiles, clocks, jewelry, and other works from the movement.

The galleries will open in phases throughout 2027 with the first expected to debut in late February.

The expansion will also include conference rooms, work rooms, offices, curator and object-work areas, and storage.

Barr&Barr is building the project, and Tampa-based Alfonso Architects, which designed the original museum with founder Rudy Ciccarello, is handling the expansion’s design.

Founded by Ciccarello and funded by the Two Red Roses Foundation, MAACM’s collection includes furniture, pottery, tiles, lighting, textiles, photography, woodblock prints, metalwork, and more.

Artists and designers represented in the collection include Gustav Stickley, Charles Rohlfs, Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Comfort Tiffany, the Roycrofters, William Grueby, and Newcomb Pottery.

Peacock Home, a shop specializing in vintage finds, globally sourced décor, and locally made goods, will open October 1st in St. Petersburg’s Grand Central District.

The 1,100-square-foot store will occupy the second floor of the building at 2635 Central Avenue, home to Hostess, a gift shop and event space.

It is the first brick-and-mortar retail venture from longtime St. Pete resident and interior designer Erika Basher.

Peacock Home grew out of a five-day pop-up Basher held at Hostess six months ago.

She rented a moving truck, brought in a collection of furniture, décor, and other finds, and sold nearly everything within five hours of opening.

“I’ve always been into interior design. It’s 100% a passion of mine,” Basher said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “I’ve made my living doing it, but I’ve never opened up a retail store.”

That response led Hostess owner Michelle Whiting to offer Basher the building’s upstairs space, which had recently operated as an Airbnb.

Basher is now converting it into Peacock Home, with several rooms staged to feel more like someone’s home than a conventional store.

“I want people to feel like they can walk in, walk around, and sit down and really take it in,” Basher said. “I want people to shop like they feel like they’re in my house.”

Guests will enter through “Peacock Alley”, a new entrance between Twisted Indian and Hostess, before taking a winding staircase to the shop.

Peacock Home will combine vintage pieces with new home goods, furniture, original art, ceramics, jewelry, accessories, apparel, leather goods, branded pillows, and smaller giftable items.

“An interesting part of the shop is that you’re not going to be able to tell what’s new and what’s old,” she said.

Much of the merchandise will be one of a kind. Basher recently returned from sourcing trips to France and Italy and is traveling to Marrakech before the opening, where she plans to look for textiles, rugs, jewelry, handbags, leather goods, and other finds.

Future trips to Mexico and Scotland are also on the horizon.

The store’s inventory will change frequently as Basher brings in new pieces, meaning shoppers who see something they love may not find it again on a later visit.

“I love instant gratification with design,” Basher said. “If this is a piece I love, I have to have it. But once it’s gone, it’s gone.”

Peacock Home will also carry work by local makers, including handmade Peacock Home ceramics by Caylee Biddison of Bahja Ceramics and artwork, cards, and other pieces by Danielle Armstrong of Decadent & Dainty. Basher is also developing a pillow line using vintage materials sourced locally.

She describes the shop’s aesthetic as eclectic, colorful, layered, and a little kitschy, with nods to Old Florida, Palm Beach, Southern California, and the places she visits abroad.

“I want it to be really funky, St. Pete,” Basher said. “A little kitschy, a little fun, and some seriousness all thrown in there.”

During its initial soft-opening period, Peacock Home’s hours will mirror Hostess’ schedule: 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, noon to 9 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. Basher expects to expand hours as the business gets established.

Customers will also be able to book private shopping appointments and reserve Peacock Home for small gatherings. A grand opening celebration is expected in late October.

Follow Peacock Home on Facebook and Instagram for updates on its opening and new inventory.

CASA Pinellas, the county’s certified domestic violence nonprofit, has purchased the former Cellarmasters wine bar and bottle shop at 1005 1st Avenue North in the EDGE District for $1.75 million, creating room to expand its neighboring thrift store and generate additional funding for survivor services.

The 2,190-square-foot building, which CellarMasters vacated after closing in November 2025, sits next to CASA’s 17,000-square-foot building at 1011 1st Avenue North, which houses the nonprofit’s thrift store on the first floor and Family Justice Center on the second.

CASA, which stands for Community Action Stops Abuse, will turn the newly acquired building into a donation-receiving, sorting, and processing center, relocating back-of-house functions now housed within the thrift store.

The move will allow the nonprofit to expand the thrift store’s sales floor by about 20%.

CASA CEO Lariana Forsythe said housewares are the store’s biggest seller and generate its highest margins. The additional sales floor will allow CASA to carry more merchandise, particularly in that category.

The thrift store generates about $1 million annually in unrestricted revenue for CASA, according to Forsythe. The organization estimates the additional retail space could produce roughly $200,000 more each year.

For CASA, unrestricted revenue is particularly valuable because much of its grant funding is restricted to specific programs or expenses.

“Most of the money we get is highly restricted,” Forsythe said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “If somebody needs baby formula and that grant has run out, we can’t buy formula. We’ve got to have cash to buy formula.”

In fiscal year 2024–25, CASA provided $1.31 million in direct assistance to individuals, including more than $1.13 million for housing and utility costs, according to the nonprofit’s most recent Form 990.

CASA Pinellas provides services for domestic violence survivors and their families, including safety planning, crisis intervention, emergency shelter, legal representation and advocacy, housing assistance, rapid rehousing, and education and prevention programs.

Its confidential emergency shelter provided refuge to 542 survivors last year, including 252 children, and logged 22,757 bed nights. CASA also provided specialized housing services to 913 survivors and their children.

The Family Justice Center brings CASA case managers and 12 on-site partner organizations together in one location, making it easier for survivors to access legal, housing, and other support services. It served 1,621 people last year.

The center was created to simplify what can otherwise become an overwhelming process for someone trying to leave an abusive relationship while also caring for children, maintaining a job, and finding housing.

“You’re trying to hold a job. You’re dealing with kids. It’s impossible,” Forsythe said of navigating multiple agencies and appointments. “That’s why we created the Family Justice Center.”

CASA’s legal services include representation by Florida Bar attorneys and paralegals in injunction-for-protection hearings, as well as justice advocacy..

The organization also provides survivors with clothing and household items through the thrift store as they establish a new home. CASA reported receiving donated clothing and household items valued at more than $1.1 million last year.

Forsythe said CASA had considered relocating the thrift store but ultimately decided to build on its longtime presence along 1st Avenue North.

“Part of our success is the history. People know that we’re here,” Forsythe said. “We’ve elected to stay here. It doesn’t make sense for us to move.”

CASA hopes to complete the thrift store expansion by January.

Those interested in supporting CASA can donate money, volunteer, or contribute new or gently used items to its thrift store. More information is available at casapinellas.org.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, CASA Pinellas operates a 24-hour hotline at (727) 895-4912. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.

Rowe Architects

Rowe Architects

Rowe Architects

Demolition is expected to begin in October at the James B. Sanderlin Neighborhood Family Center in south St. Pete, clearing the way for a $25 million, 40,000-square-foot building designed to expand the nonprofit’s education and family-support services.

The new facility at 2335 22nd Avenue South will replace the aging, 25,000-square-foot building, which was never designed to accommodate the center’s current programs.

The organization offers pre-kindergarten, after-school tutoring, job training, weekly food distribution, and financial-literacy programs for students and their parents.

At a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday, Executive Director Celeste Collins said the project is personal to her. Before leading the organization, she brought her own children to the center as a parent.

“When we talk about creating a space for families, I know what we are talking about because I’ve been on the other side of the fence as a parent,” Collins said.

Over the past eight years, the center has spent more than $1 million on repairs and maintenance to keep the aging structure operational.

“Some may look at what we are building and ask if a new facility is something we want or something we need,” Collins said. “Quite frankly, we have outgrown this building. Today, we’ve had to make our programs conform to the space we have. Our boardroom is also our food pantry, which is also our community lab.”

“Our classrooms limit us to serving 77 children, and we begin each aftercare session and summer session with waiting lists,” she continued.

The first phase will centralize the center’s academic programs, social services, and nonprofit partners in a facility designed specifically for those uses. Plans include a dedicated food pantry with storage shelves and a delivery area.

The new facility is expected to increase the number of students served to at least 140 on the five-acre campus.

“For too long we’ve made our mission fit into this building, and now we will have a building that fits our mission,” Collins said.

The first phase of the project is expected to be completed by 2029.

Future phases remain conceptual but could include a grocery store, expanded wellness programming, and affordable housing.

The project is being funded through leadership gifts, corporate commitments, and targeted fundraising rather than a single public grant.

Supporters include the Foundation for a Healthy St. Pete, Juvenile Welfare Board, St. Petersburg Free Clinic, State Rep. Fentrice Driskell, and Sen. Darryl Rouson.

Last year, Rouson submitted a $945,000 funding request to the Florida Senate to support construction planning and early-phase work. He previously secured funding for architectural drawings.

The development team includes DuCon Construction as general contractor, Rowe Architects, which was selected through a competitive RFP process, and Cap Ex Advisory Group founder Russ Robertson, who is serving as owner’s representative.

The original center was founded in 1990 through a partnership between the Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg and local Black community leaders. Modeled after a traditional settlement house, it brought childcare, job training, education, and social services together under one roof.

Then known as the Black Family Service Center, the organization initially leased the facility from the Diocese for $1 per year, despite the renovations required to make the building functional.

The center was later renamed to honor Judge James B. Sanderlin, one of only five Black attorneys practicing in St. Petersburg in the 1960s. Sanderlin devoted his career to advancing social and legal equality in the city.

In 2000, the Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg effectively gave the property to the Family Services Center, selling it for $200,000 while providing $20,000 annual grants for 10 years to cover the mortgage.

Today, the campus houses about 15 nonprofit tenants, including United Medical Academy, Mindful Movement Florida, Dress for Success, Youth Unleashed, Life From Inside Out, and Lakewood Community Schools’ adult education program.

“Our work is just beginning,” said Dr. Kanika Tomalin, president of the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg, a longtime supporter of the center’s literacy and school-readiness program. “The hard work starts when we bring the vision to life with everything behind it.”

Bocelli Modern Italian, the South Tampa restaurant known for its housemade pastas, live music, and Utica-style chicken riggies, is opening a second location in downtown Largo.

The restaurant is planned for 40 West Bay Drive at Horizon West Bay, Largo’s new mixed-use development anchored by City Hall.

Managing Partner Michael Mychack said Bocelli hopes to open between March and April 2027.

The 6,400-square-foot restaurant will include a full-liquor bar, private dining room, outdoor seating, and a larger kitchen than the South Tampa location.

Mychack said the Largo location, which is currently in the design and permitting phase, will carry forward the feel of Bocelli’s South Tampa restaurant, which he describes as an approachable, family-oriented neighborhood restaurant rather than a white-tablecloth fine-dining destination.

“We’re not upscale. We’re mid-scale,” Mychack said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “We’re a neighborhood restaurant in South Tampa. It’s nice inside. The aesthetic is beautiful. We have live music three days a week.”

Bocelli plans to offer live music inside the Largo restaurant several times a week, primarily with solo performers. The lineup could include anything from jazz and soul to country and songs from the 1970s through the 2000s, with the team looking to connect with artists in Largo and elsewhere in Pinellas County.

The menu will largely mirror Bocelli’s South Tampa location, with Italian classics across antipasti, salads, pasta, pizza, entrées, sandwiches, and desserts.

Guests can expect meatballs and arancini, chicken and veal parmesan, wood-fired pizzas, and heartier dishes like filet mignon and short rib, followed by cannoli or tiramisu.

Its best-selling dishes include cavatelli alla vodka and bolognese, while its housemade selections include spaghetti, ravioli, and gnocchi.

The restaurant also serves several dishes connected to Utica, New York, where its chef is from, including chicken riggies, a regional pasta dish with chicken, Pecorino Romano, red onions, sweet and hot peppers, marinara, and rigatoni pasta.

The larger Largo kitchen should allow the restaurant to expand its catering business, particularly for corporate lunches, City Hall staff, and private events.

Mychack said that opportunity is less available near the South Tampa restaurant, where there are fewer offices.

Bocelli opened in South Tampa in 2022 by Mychack and partners Michael Cardoni, Lucas Krillies, and Scott Smith. The group also operates a smaller outpost at Tampa General Hospital’s food court.

For Mychack, the Largo opening is about more than adding another restaurant. He hopes Bocelli can become part of a full evening out for nearby families, much like its South Tampa location, where a Strachan’s Ice Cream shop sits next door.

“It’ll be like a destination,” Mychack said. “We made it like a destination in South Tampa. Like, ‘Oh, we’re gonna go get some food, listen to music, and then we’re gonna have some ice cream with our family.’ And I’m hoping that that’s going to be the same thing.”

The City of Largo approved a 10-year lease with Bocelli on August 18th and will reimburse up to $1.6 million of the restaurant’s buildout costs. Mychack said the complete buildout is expected to cost more than $2 million.

Bocelli will join Live at Dead Bob’s and Louis Pappas Fresh Greek as forthcoming restaurants at Horizon West Bay. Parlor Doughnuts, Strachan’s Ice Cream, and wellness studio The Tox have already opened at the mixed-use development.

An updated plan for a proposed 13-story, 120-unit residential project in the Grand Central District would reserve 48 apartments for affordable housing.

Tampa-based BendinRoad Development is seeking $4.8 million in federal disaster-recovery funding through the City of St. Petersburg for Residences at 1663, planned at 1663 1st Avenue South.

City staff has recommended the request for approval, and City Council will vote on it October 1st.

The site is currently home to a vacant commercial building that was previously occupied by Sunshine Kitty Catfe, which closed three years ago, and the Dolman Law Group.

Plans, which were approved in 2025, call for a 13-story building with 60 apartments and 60 short-term rental units that could be rented nightly, weekly, or monthly.

While the building’s design and layout remain unchanged, the developer delayed its original construction timeline to pursue the affordable housing funding.

A groundbreaking is now planned for early 2027.

“We had been told that the city was going to have funds through this program in 2026, so we planned for that timing,” BendinRoad Development founder Craig Bazarsky said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising.

BendinRoad was one of six development teams recommended to receive a portion of the federal funding, which the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded to St. Petersburg through its Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery program.

Congress appropriated the funding following Hurricanes Idalia in 2023 and Helene in 2024.

HUD awarded St. Petersburg $159.884 million for long-term recovery work, including housing, infrastructure, economic revitalization, and mitigation.

The city set aside $48 million of that funding for affordable rental housing.

If approved for the funding, BendinRoad will reserve 48 of the project’s 60 apartments for households earning up to 80% of Area Median Income (AMI).

Under the current 2026 limits for Pinellas County, apartments restricted at 80% of AMI can rent for up to $1,606 per month for a studio, $1,720 for a one-bedroom, and $2,064 for a two-bedroom. The limits are updated annually, and the project’s actual rents could be lower.

For a single-person household, 80% of AMI is currently $64,250 per year. The limit is $73,400 for a two-person household and $82,600 for a three-person household, according to the City of St. Petersburg’s 2026 income limits.

The building will include studios, one-bedroom apartments, and two-bedroom apartments, all under 750 square feet.

The unit sizes allow the project to move forward without any required parking, however BendinRoad still plans to provide 12 on-site parking spaces.

Bazarsky said they will also arrange an optional off-site parking option for residents who need it, although no agreement is in place yet.

“We’ve done this concept before and have the same type of building in downtown Tampa with short- and long-term rentals and affordable units,” Bazarsky said, referencing The Residences at 801 Whiting.

The eight-story, 104-unit Tampa building was completed in October 2025.

“You typically see this mix and limited parking in a bigger urban downtown, but I think St. Pete is ready for these non-traditional apartment buildings because so many people are moving here and there’s a need for workforce and affordable housing,” Bazarsky said.

“With smaller units, you are paying less and can afford to live here. Downtown is really your living room. It’s so walkable, there are coffee shops, and there’s something to do. You just have to be willing to sacrifice the square footage for affordability.”

Bazarsky said he expects traveling nurses, visiting medical professionals, and other extended-stay guests to use the short-term rental units.

The revised financing plan does not alter the previously approved 165-foot building design. The tower will rise above a four-story base before stepping back along its north side.

The first floor will include a lobby shared by residents and short-term guests, a club room, 12 surface parking spaces, and bicycle parking.

Floors two through five will contain 54 short-term rental units. The sixth floor will include six short-term rental units and six apartments, while floors seven through twelve will contain 54 apartments.

An amenity deck on the 13th floor will include a pool, fitness area, and co-working space. It will be available to both apartment residents and short-term rental guests.

Kimley-Horn is serving as the project’s civil engineer and landscape architect, while Jacksonville-based Bold Line Design is the architect. Nicholas & Associates is the general contractor.

Last Thursday, BendinRoad submitted a stormwater application to the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Building plans are expected to be submitted to the City of St. Pete for permitting soon.

Bazarsky said the developer hopes to break ground in the first quarter of 2027. With an estimated 18-month construction timeline, Residences at 1663 could be completed by summer 2028.

Landings Real Estate Group, which manages the developer’s Tampa property, will manage and market the St. Pete building.

“Hopefully this is just the first of several,” Bazarsky said. “We’d love to build more of this type of building in other parts of St. Pete.”

STORM, a Tampa-born drink shop whose colorful, clean energy drinks regularly go viral on social media, is coming to St. Pete.

The shop is known for 32-ounce electrolyte drinks available in more than 20 flavors, with options for carbonation, extra flavor, creatine, collagen, and varying caffeine levels. It also serves plant-based protein shakes all made with their unique protein formula.

STORM is expected to open before November 1st at 2600 4th Street North, replacing Grand Kitchen and Bath, which is relocating to the other side of the building.

For STORM founder Molly Mills, the opening is a return home.

Mills grew up in St. Pete and initially hoped to open the company’s first location here. But as a new business, she and her fiancé, Cole Schaller, could not find a space they could afford near downtown.

Schaller, who grew up in Tampa, gave them another natural place to start.

With $16,000 between them, they opened STORM’s first location at 3401 S. MacDill Avenue in 2021 and reinvested as the business grew.

STORM has since expanded to Westshore and near the University of Tampa. The St. Pete shop will be its fourth location.

STORM’s drinks start with the company’s in-house electrolyte and vitamin complex.

Its best sellers include Sugar Daddy, with coconut, strawberry, kiwi, and lemon; St. Croix, with coconut, blue raspberry, and lemon; Blueberry Acai; and Tropical Paradise, with strawberry, kiwi, and banana.

Customers can order drinks without added caffeine, with half caffeine at 90 milligrams, or with full caffeine at 185 milligrams. The caffeine comes from guarana and green tea extract.

Each drink also includes STORM’s vitamin complex, with vitamins B6 and B12, calcium, magnesium, zinc, chloride, Himalayan pink salt, sodium, potassium, green tea extract, and ginseng root extract.

The protein-shake menu includes Peanut Butter Cup, Banana Bread, Strawberry Banana, Peanut Butter Coffee, Island Greens, Chocolate Cinna Swirl, and Strawberry Shortcake.

Each uses STORM’s six-ingredient plant-based protein blend, made with pea protein, MCT, brown rice protein, agave inulin, sodium chloride, and stevia extract.

On top of the clean ingredients and delicious flavors, another reason customers keep coming back is the price. STORM has kept the base price of its 32-ounce drinks at $6 since opening.

“We want STORM to be affordable for all and for it to be something daily and essential in your life,” Mills said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising.

The drinks may have playful names like Pink Bikini, Cherry Marg, and Jolly Rancher, but the company grew out of a specific frustration.

After working out, Mills kept finding the same options: a smoothie that did not feel especially healthy, a sugary coffee drink, or a canned energy drink she did not want to put in her body.

So, she and Schaller started making their own alternative.

Neither considered themselves energy-drink people, and both were wary of the category’s reputation.

“We didn’t want to call it an energy drink,” Schaller said. “They have such a bad stigma.”

Early versions of STORM were mixed at home as the couple tested natural caffeine sources, minerals, vitamins, and flavor systems. They wanted something sweet and refreshing without relying on sugar, sucralose, or aspartame.

They later worked with chemists to develop STORM’s electrolyte blend and created their own protein formula after finding that many supposedly clean powders had much longer ingredient lists than they wanted.

“It literally just started as this little concoction in the kitchen,” Schaller said.

For Mills, the appeal was never just caffeine. She liked the ritual of stopping for a drink, but did not always want coffee.

“I wasn’t a big coffee drinker,” she said. “It was kind of hit or miss. It wasn’t like, ‘Oh, I feel great after drinking a coffee.’”

A black coffee was not the sweet, refreshing drink she wanted, while flavored coffee often felt more like dessert than a post-workout reset.

STORM was designed as a different kind of pick-me-up: cold, fruit-forward, customizable, and built around wellness as much as caffeine.

“It doesn’t have to be a Celsius,” Schaller said. “It could be a Pedialyte to you. It could be a hydration thing. It can be what you want it to be.”

Mills’ active social-media presence has helped turn the drinks into a Tampa phenomenon, with customers sharing favorite flavors and seasonal releases.

Looking ahead, Mills and Schaller plan to expand across Tampa Bay, Florida, and eventually beyond, while keeping STORM corporate-owned rather than franchised.

As for STORM’s fourth location, it is a return home for Mills and a new stop for St. Pete customers who have already been following STORM from across the bridge.

After years of planning, Craft Kafe is targeting an early October opening for a new cafe and commissary kitchen in St. Pete’s Skyway Marina District.

The homegrown eatery and bakery, known for specialty coffee and a scratch-made gluten-free menu, is putting the finishing touches on its third St. Pete cafe at 4725 34th Street South in the Marina Village shopping plaza, just south of the Marina Walk Apartments.

The 4,700-square-foot space will include a 1,000-square-foot cafe and a large production kitchen designed to supply Craft’s existing stores and support future expansion, according to the owners.

“We’ve planned this one month after opening our first store in St. Pete. Because of the pandemic, issues in logistics, and losing my home from the hurricanes, this has taken so long to open,” founder and owner Teddy Skiadiotis told St. Pete Rising during a private tour.

Skiadiotis signed a lease for the space in 2019. He said his team has invested approximately $1.5 million in equipment, including freezers, coolers, a stone milling machine, and machinery for pastry production and packaging.

“A person can make 20 pastries an hour. With the machines, we can roll out 800 to 1,000. This will greatly cut down labor and give us consistency in products,” said Craft Kafe co-owner Edward “Eddie” Briones.

By centralizing production and storage, the owners hope to create a model that allows independent operators to open smaller Craft locations without needing large kitchens of their own.

“This is the beginning of our next growth phase. Our recipes and quality of products will not change,” Skiadiotis said.

Craft Kafe debuted in west St. Pete in 2014 at 6653 Central Avenue and added a downtown cafe at 200 Central Avenue in 2018. A Tampa location opened in 2022 and closed in 2025.

The new production kitchen will give the business room to expand its offerings while continuing to make products in-house.

“We mill our own flour and try to do everything in-house as much as we possibly can,” Skiadiotis said.

He said Craft sources coffee beans, produce, and other goods from local vendors and may explore growing its own microgreens.

The larger kitchen will also allow Craft to make its own sausage for quiches and sandwiches, test new menu items, expand catering, and pursue partnerships with local restaurants. The owners said they may rent the production facility to local businesses by the hour when it is not in use.

The cafe is expected to seat approximately 50 people, with booths, a 10-person communal table, and covered outdoor seating. It will also feature a standing espresso bar.

Customers can expect the same menu offered at Craft’s existing St. Pete cafes, including The Craft sandwich, made with eggs, chicken sausage, avocado cream, and pepper jack. Ed’s Vegan Burger features a quinoa, mushroom, and black bean blend with spinach, tomato jam, and red onion.

Other options include toasts, omelets, and salads, such as the Chicken Avocado Cream salad with greens, roasted chicken, avocado cream, tomato, cucumber, onion, crostini, and balsamic vinaigrette.

A long glass display will showcase gluten-free cinnamon rolls, muffins, cookies, quiches, and pizzas. The owners also plan to offer wedding cakes at the new location.

Specialty drinks include the Hot Mom, a caramel latte with almond milk; Lavender Lady, made with loose-leaf Earl Grey tea, vanilla, lavender syrup, and oat milk; and Golden Girl, a Saku Tea golden chai blend with house-made almond milk and honey.

Planned hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Follow Craft Kafe on Facebook and Instagram for opening updates and the latest offerings.