By Peter Roos
ST. PETE BEACH
St. Pete Beach Infrastructure work progresses. Undergrounding of utilities continues south on Gulf Blvd. from 65th Ave. to 55th, then on toward 35th. Most of the work is being done with horizontal drilling from the edge of the road to minimize traffic interruption.
Repairs have been ongoing on the sewer system, and the city has added more pressurized force mains, as much of the system is gravity fed. That’s Phase I, which started in Oct. 2020. This phase will be complete in January 2022, several months ahead of schedule. The state grant is going towards Phase II – a pump station on the north end of the island. “It’s where we collect everything from the island and pump it under the Intracoastal to St. Petersburg,” said Al Johnson. “They treat it at the Northwest Treatment Plant.” The city was recently granted $2 million in state of Florida matching funds for Phase Two, the $4 million final step in the repair and upgrade of the city’s sewer system to handle the growth allowed by the city’s comprehensive plan.
The city is matching the state grant and has accelerated the plan by as much as a year with the state money. “Lining of the sewer pipes throughout the city is paying dividends already,” according to city manager Alex Rey. “The flow we are paying the city of St. Petersburg to treat has declined by 10% since prior years. Keeping rainwater out is saving us serious money.”
RumFish Grill!
Through December 31st, 2021, when you buy a $100 RumFish Grill Gift Card you will receive a $20 Bonus Card! Bonus cards are valid from January 1 through March 1, 2022. For information, reservations and more, visit www.RumFishGrill.com.
ST. PETERSBURG
St. Petersburg Ballet Conservatory’s Nutcracker is coming December 10-12 and 17-19. Get your tickets now at www.stpeteballetconservatory.com.
Preserve the ‘Burg Walking Tours
What better way to spend quality time throughout the holidays than learning about our city’s history! Invite your nearest and dearest on a magical tour of our beautiful city and learn about our neighborhoods’ unique character and history. You can look forward to Preserve the ‘Burg’s Waterfront Walking Tours and Keeping Mirror Lake Special Walking Tours during the rest of the month! PTB members are free. Guests and non-members are $20/person.
Moffitt Cancer Center
The Tampa Bay area’s premier cancer treatment facility, which is outgrowing its USF Tampa location, is hoping to treat St. Petersburg patients closer to home. They are seeking to provide a treatment center in the growing healthcare area in downtown St. Petersburg.
Rays Split Season Plan Gains Traction
We used to think that poor attendance at Ray’s games was due to their propensity to lose. They debunked that theory by winning the World Series, while poor attendance persists. The Rays have been floating the idea of playing in Montreal during the hottest half of the season. Even John Romano, sports editor for the Tampa Bay Times, who was once dead set against the notion, was recently quoted saying “It’s time to seriously consider the idea.”
Condo Construction Recap
“There’s been a ton of pent-up demand for condo products in downtown St. Petersburg,” said David Moyer, director of sales at Smith & Associates Real Estate. “It is a seasoned, mature condominium downtown market with waterfront views and an urban neighborhood,” he said.
Kolter Group plans new 41-story luxury condo tower
The Kolter Group plans to build a 41-story condominium tower in downtown St. Petersburg on the parking lot adjacent to the 200 Central office tower.
The unnamed development will cost $140 million in today’s market, featuring roughly 248 units and will be a “similar modern contemporary project” to ONE St. Petersburg and Saltaire St. Petersburg condos, which Kolter also developed.
The Nolen
Plans for The Nolen, a 23-story, 30-unit condominium tower at 126 Fourth Ave. NE are underway. The $50 million project by Tampa-based DDA Development in partnership with Backstreets Capital began presales in November. Construction is expected to be complete by 2023, with condos starting at $1.2 million. The unique aspect of this development lies in its focus on privacy. Each residence is designed without shared walls. Floors five through 15 have two units per floor, and floors 16 to 23 will have one unit per floor.
St. Petersburg College
St. Petersburg College added more than $1 billion in income to the Pinellas County economy last year, according to a new report. A study done by labor market company Emsi shows SPC added $1.2 billion to the Pinellas County economy in fiscal year 2019 to 2020, which is 1.3% of the county’s total gross regional product.
The Residences at 400 Central
The 46-story 300-unit condominium tower, the tallest on Florida’s west coast, is developed by New York-based Red Apple Real Estate. Priced from $800,000 with one- to four-bedroom floor plans, including custom penthouse homes. Residents will access more than 35,000 square feet of private indoor and outdoor amenities. The development also includes 45,000 square feet of office space as well as ground-floor retail and restaurants. The sales gallery is open at 465 Central Ave.
Zubrick Magic Theatre, which was introduced on Paradise News’ August 2021 cover, has added a Sunday matinee in response to sellout crowds in its boutique theatre www.zubrickmagic.com located near Tropicana Field.
TAMPA BAY AREA
The three fastest growing areas for entrepreneurs are in Florida: Metro Orlando saw 46% growth in new businesses year over year, which was the best in the country. It was followed by Miami (No. 2), which saw 45% growth, and Tampa Bay (No. 3), at 43%, according to a report from LinkedIn.
TREASURE ISLAND
Ocean Club
The Treasure Island Ocean Club at 11500 Gulf Blvd. will soon be redeveloped into a six-story, 63-unit boutique condominium. Units will range $700-$900,000. Nearly 50% of the units have already been sold. Construction is expected to be complete in late 2022.
Veterans Seek $75,000 for Florida Medal of Honor Memorial in St. Pete Beach
The Veterans of South Pinellas County (VSPC) is a meaningful group that most recently was the sponsor of the Veteran’s Celebration and St. Pete Beach Chowder Challenge on Nov. 7. The VSPC currently gives seven college scholarship-grants to returning veterans and many other things on behalf of veterans.
The VSPC is now working to complete the Florida Medal of Honor Recipient’s Memorial.
The Medal of Honor is the nation’s highest and most prestigious military decoration, which is awarded to U.S. military members who distinguish themselves by acts of valor. Of 30 Medal of Honor recipients in Florida from the Civil War to the present, 25 have passed. One of those honorees, retired U.S. Army Command Sgt. Major Gary Littrell, lives in St. Pete Beach and is a member of The Veterans of South Pinellas County (VSPC). The other living recipients and their hometowns are:
- Robert Patterson (Pace)
- Ronald Ray (Ponte Vedra Beach)
- Robert Ingram (Jacksonville)
- Melvin Morris (Cocoa)
Augie D’Alessio of St. Pete Beach, who was a retired Master Sergeant from the Marines, initiated the idea and passed unexpectedly in 2017. While the location was debated for some time, the current plan is to add to the honor walk at Upham Beach. Augie passed the torch to Harry Metz, president of the VSPC.
Wayne MacDowell, author of “Not Just Another War Story” and board member of the VSPC, is currently serving as chair for the Memorial project. “In speaking with Harry, about $75,000 needs to be raised to make the monument a reality. Either a grant or private funding is needed to get this project completed. I would love to give a presentation to anyone who is interested in making a substantial donation to help make this memorial happen,” Wayne told the Paradise NEWS. He can be reached by email at waynemacdowell@aol.com.