Tropicana Field Master Plan Community Meeting
The City of St. Petersburg and HKS Architects will be holding a community meeting on Monday, August 22nd at 6:30 pm. You can expect to see early conceptual ideas reflecting community input obtained at recent meetings. More importantly, you will have an opportunity to offer your input on those ideas before they are further developed and finalized.
The meeting will be held at the USFSP University Student Center, 200 6th Avenue South.
For more information or to RSVP please call 1-800-317-8449 or email tropicanafield@garthsolutions.com. You may also RSVP at http://tropicanaredevelopmentstudy.eventbrite.com.
St. Pete Pier Update
Although it may seem quiet out on the Pier, a lot of important work is happening behind the scenes in design development and permitting. Raul Quintana, City Architect, provides a quick update on the project schedule in this Just a Minute on the Pier Construction video. In addition to the timeline, two often discussed topics about the Pier (and throughout downtown) are parking and restaurants.
The former Pier approach included 825 parking spaces. The new St. Pete Pier will reclaim more of the waterfront by offering 550 spaces and placing pedestrian and cycling paths along the water’s edge. In fact, the Pier Parking Study by Kimley-Horn estimates that more than 20% of weekend visits to the new Pier will use alternative methods of transportation such as biking, walking, and ride share. The new Pier will have an inclusive design for all modes of transportation.
On the restaurant front, the three originally proposed restaurants will be two for now: a mid-Pier approach location with 8,000 SF and a Pier head location with 7,500 SF. Both restaurants will offer scenic water views for diners to enjoy.
St. Pete/Tampa Ferry
Last week, Tampa City Council approved $350,000 for the 6-month pilot project of a high-speed ferry service between Tampa and St. Petersburg. Tampa joins three other governments – the City of St. Petersburg, Pinellas County, and Hillsborough County – in a $1.4 million commitment to this project.
HMS Ferries of Seattle will operate the ferry with daily service between St. Petersburg’s North Yacht Basin and Tampa’s Convention Center. Service could begin as early as November 1st. The project will track the commuter and non-commuter usage and afterwards, officials will determine whether a permanent ferry service will be viable.
New Restaurant in the EDGE District
The EDGE District continues attracting new restaurants and businesses, the latest being Buya Ramen, St. Pete’s first ramen shop, set to open on Wednesday, August 10that 911 Central Ave. Restauranter Michael Sponaugle sees the EDGE District as the perfect fit for his concept and feels there is more potential in St. Pete for new restaurants than in other cities.
“Because it’s a smaller market, because it’s much more accessible for a chef to open a restaurant – you get more honesty in food, you get better products and more passion,” he said. “St. Pete gets that and understands that.”
The James Museum Coming Fall 2017
Earlier this summer, City Council approved the parking, wayfinding, and streetscape improvements for The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art, a new 80,000 SF museum coming to the 100 block of Central Ave and 1st Ave South. The museum will be the permanent home of 400-500 premier works of art selected from more than 3,000 pieces collected by Tom and Mary James over the years.
In addition to over 30,000 of gallery space, the museum will include a 2,500 SF indoor sculpture court with an indoor waterfall, a 120-seat theater, a 6,000 SF event space, premium catering kitchen, museum store, and cafe. Tom and Mary James, longstanding philanthropists of the community, are investing over $50 million personally into the project, which will undoubtedly become an iconic arts destination for the city as well as the region.
“We are designing an amazing transformation of a city block, capturing the essence of the western landscape. The James Museum on thriving Central Avenue, one block from vibrant Beach Drive, will be within easy walking distance of the other major art institutions in the City,” says Yann Weymouth, the project’s Design Director. “The addition of this collection in this new museum will be an exponential addition to St. Petersburg as an arts destination.
Information courtesy of the City of St. Petersburg.