Central Avenue Homes: New Condos, Townhomes and Apartments.

Central Avenue in St. Petersburg Florida is seeing a huge growth spurt in new condos, townhomes and apartments being built. Central Avenue Homes are increasing by the minute. Along with housing being built, shopping is expanding throughout the Central Corridor. New clothing, home and gift shops are filling in the once empty store fronts. And the nightlife rivals the clubs of San Francisco, CA.

Restaurants, dessert shops and coffee houses (we love the Crumb Factory located at 5701 Central Avenue) are popping up on Central Avenue too, creating an ideal place to call home. With people flocking into the area from California, New York and Washington states, it seems like builders cannot keep up with the housing demand.

Additionally, Kasper Modern Homes continues to build award winning artistic Mid Century Modern Homes in the Central Avenue Homes Corridor, click here to learn more about Kasper Modern Homes.

St. Petersburg is one of the best kept secrets in the USA. We have the most beautiful waterfront with the World’s Best Pier, Spectacular Museums, Beautiful Parks everywhere, Bike trails throughout the entire county, the #1 Beach in the USA and more.

St. Petersburg, FL is a gem and once people experience it, they have to move here. Along with all the new housing being built, there is a new Rapid Transit System that will be connecting the Central Corridor with the Downtown Waterfront and St. Pete Beach. Easy access to everything that St. Petersburg has to offer.

The new homes that are being built will transform the whole city. Here are segments from the new Central Avenue Homes and transit websites:

“Planned Central Avenue Homes feature ‘great connectivity’ to downtown St. Pete and the beaches

DDA Development in Tampa and Backstreets Capital in St. Petersburg are working together on a four-story, 204-unit apartment development at 6090 Central Ave.

The project will be built at the site of the former corporate offices of The Edwards Group, a diversified company with real estate and other interests. The Edwards Group is now located across Central Avenue at the Wittner Centre, said Bill Edwards, CEO.

Sixty90 LLC, a limited liability company whose members include DDA and Backstreets Capital, closed on the purchase of the property Dec. 18, paying $5.6 million, according to Pinellas County property records.

Initial plans call for 90 percent of the units to be workforce housing, designed for individuals and families who earn up to 120 percent of the area median income, said Bowen Arnold, manager and principal at DDA Development. The remaining 10 percent would be market rate apartments.

The early plans also envision nine studio apartments, with 700 square feet each; 74 one-bedroom, one-bath units at 745 square feet; 102 two-bedroom, two-bath units at 1,052 square feet; and 19 three-bedroom, two-bath units at 1,450 square feet, Arnold said.

The project is just minutes from the Pinellas Trail,

and on the route for SunRunner, the new bus rapid transit line that will run from downtown St. Petersburg to the beaches, according to DDA’s website. It will be one of the first developments to utilize the new Corridor Residential Traditional, or CRT, zoning district/overlay, and is located in the new Central Avenue Corridor Activity Center, DDA said.

The West Central Avenue Streetscape Plan, with streetscape design, water main replacement and branding, is expected to begin in the summer of 2021 and be completed by winter 2022, the city of St. Petersburg’s website said.

“We really like that corridor,” Arnold said in an email, citing the proximity to SunRunner and the Pinellas Trail. “The city has encouraged development in the corridor by increasing densities recently, but it is difficult to assemble property there so we were fortunate to find the former Edwards property. The height restriction in the area is [about] 70 feet, so would allow a 6-7 story building, but we are proposing 4 stories as we think that will be more compatible with the neighborhood. Finally, there are lots of small business in the area (law offices, insurance, doctors, other professional services). We love St. Pete in general, but think the west side is under served with class A apartments, and we tried to follow the city’s lead in developing a project with great connectivity to downtown and/or the beaches.”

DDA Development and Backstreets Capital have collaborated previously, including working together on Orange Station at the Edge, the mixed-use project planned at the site of the former St. Petersburg Police headquarters, as well as The Salvador, a condominium tower in downtown St. Petersburg, and Icaria on Pinellas, an apartment complex in Tarpon Springs.

DDA Development is headed by Arnold and John Schilling, also manager and principal, while Backstreets Capital was co-founded by Will Conroy and Craig Sher. Sixty90 is only one block from the headquarters of The Sembler Co., where Sher served as CEO for many years. He stepped down as executive chairman in 2019.

Edwards told us the apartments were a great idea for the area, and said that if DDA and Backstreets hadn’t planned them, he might have done the project himself.

Edwards said he started working 25 years ago at the Wittner Centre, an office building in the 5900 block of Central Avenue, before acquiring the land across the street, and now has come full circle in returning there.

Driftwood Townhomes:

The Driftwood, a part of Central Avenue Homes, will have eleven residential units across two buildings ranging between three and four stories. The building fronting Central Avenue will feature five residential units which include ground floor retail space. The idea is to appeal to entrepreneurs or professionals who need commercial studio space or want a live-work setting.

A second building will be located off of Central Avenue that will contain six smaller units. While these units won’t have ground floor retail, they will contain space on the first floor that could be used as an office or creative studio. Each unit will contain either a one or two car garage and will range between 1,800 square feet for the smaller townhome units up to 3,100 square feet for the units with commercial space.

Driftwood on Central’s name is a derived on the property’s central location which is ideally located between Tampa Bay and the Gulf beaches. Playing off of this theme, the exteriors of the buildings will be comprised of mixed materials including stucco, siding, and metal with rich natural colors like burnt orange, dark wood, clean whites, and nickel.

Here is a look at the progress of the Driftwood Townhome Construction:

Construction has begun and Driftwood on Central will join a number of new developments in the Grand Central District and will likely benefit from the City of St. Pete’s renewed focus on the area surrounding the intersection of Central Avenue and 38th Street – which is being called the Union Central District.

As Central Avenue Homes like Driftwood begin to pop up along this area of Central Avenue, they will help build continuity between Downtown St. Pete, the Grand Central District, and the neighborhoods further west.

900 Central:

A lot, in the Central Avenue Homes district, featuring a signature building and surface parking lot in St. Pete’s EDGE District could soon be redeveloped according to documents that were recently submitted to the City of St. Petersburg.

Silver Sands LLC, which purchased the property at 900 Central Avenue in 2019 for $5.75 million, filed site plan review documents in August for a 12-story mixed-use building at the southwest corner of Central Avenue and Dr. MLK Jr. Street. The intersection serves as the eastern gateway for the EDGE District, a burgeoning downtown neighborhood that extends from Dr. MLK Jr. Street to 16th Street between 1st Avenue North and 1st Avenue South.

The proposed development calls for 209 dwelling units and 13,338 square feet of commercial space. The building was designed with Spanish architectural elements by Humphreys & Partners Architects who also designed Related Group’s Icon Central located across the street at 855 Central Avenue. Similar to Icon Central, the facade features a mix of materials including stone at the ground level and stucco for the higher levels.

At 146-feet, the proposed building would be one of the tallest in the EDGE District and would be located just east of 930 Central Flats, an apartment building developed by Bainbridge in 2018 which recently sold for $64 million.

The ground floor of the proposed building would have retail space fronting Central Avenue and Dr. MLK Jr. Street. Above the retail space would be three floors of parking with a total of 175 parking spaces — more than double the required 87 spaces. 225 bicycle parking spaces will also provided.

The upper portion of the building is designed in a U-shape with an amenity deck on the fifth floor. Residential units would occupy part of the fifth floor and all of floors six through twelve. While the submitted plans don’t specify whether the dwelling units are condominiums or apartments, the design of the building suggests they will be rental units.

Currently the building at 900 Central Avenue houses Anytime Fitness, Peace of Yoga, BnB Tans, and Leann’s Nails, among other businesses. Recently the building was also home to Room 901, a conversation bar, and Subway, however both businesses recently closed.

Built in 1918, it is the EDGE District’s oldest building and was originally built as a hotel. Throughout its history, the three-story brick building has operated as a Post Office, drug store, and a variety of other businesses. It’s also located within proximity to the site of the first rail terminal in the city. If the proposed project is ultimately approved, the building at 900 Central would be demolished.

While the building was built in the early twentieth century, it is not designated historic or listed on a list of potentially eligible properties the City of St. Petersburg identified in 2006. The EDGE Business District Association (EBDA) recently filed a preliminarily application with the city for Local Landmark Designation of the building.

That application will be reviewed by the St. Petersburg Community Planning and Preservation Commission, however a date has not been set yet. The EDGE Business District Association has solicited the help of Preserve the Burg to guide them through the process. If the application is granted, the building will likely be protected from demolition.

EBDA would like to preserve the northern most corner capstone section of the building while allowing for the rest of the lot to be developed. Ideally, EBDA envisions a development similar to Icon Central, which preserved the Union Trust Bank building and incorporated it into the project. However incorporating the northern portion of the building would require a redesign of the proposed development and would likely result is fewer residential units.

Central Avenue Homes: 2800 Central:

St. Pete’s Grand Central District

continues to draw interest from local business owners and developers as demand for commercial space and new housing spreads beyond the downtown core. A recent land sale in the heart of the neighborhood will soon pave the way for the District’s next mixed-use development.

Vertica Commercial Advisors, a subsidiary of Vertica Partners, a Tampa-based real estate advisory and investment firm, has announced the sale of a parcel at the southwest corner of Central Avenue and 28th Street to ASH Developers. The quarter-acre site sold for $740,000, or $70 per square foot. The property also sits in an Opportunity Zone.

Vertica Founding Partners, T. Sean Lance and Max Boehmer, had the exclusive right to sell the property and represented the owners in the transaction. Jessica Dwyer of Klace & Company represented ASH Developers.

“The amount of new development and new tenants to the area is truly transforming the district,” stated Boehmer. “Vertica is also currently under contract with a buyer on the adjacent 0.88-acre site to the south for a residential development which will be closing next quarter, further adding to the growth of the neighborhood.”

ASH Developers, which recently completed a mixed-use development at 2641 Central Avenue, is proposing a five-story, 25,000 square foot building at 2800 Central Avenue that will contain 14 condominium units, including two penthouse units, along with two ground floor commercial spaces fronting Central Avenue.

The building is being designed by St. Pete-based Fraze Design. Each 1,650 square foot unit will contain two bedrooms, a den, and two bathrooms. Penthouse units will have three bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms.

Finishes will be comparable to the previous project at 2641 Central Avenue says Andrew Hunsicker, Principal at ASH Developers, and will include luxury plank flooring, solid core doors, European wood cabinets, and solid surface quartz countertops.

The real gem of 2800 Central Avenue will be the massive 20’x10’ balconies that will adorn each residential unit and front Central Avenue. Penthouse units will have even larger balconies that will feature outdoor kitchens. “You’ll be able to place a couch and a table out there,” explains Hunsicker, “These balconies will provide a lot of outdoor living space.”

Each unit will include an assigned parking space that will be securely located under the building. Each penthouse unit will have two assigned spaces. Pricing for the residential units is expected to begin in the low-$500,000’s.

The retail units will also be for sale, but pricing has yet to be determined. However, the building’s location at a high-profile corner in the Grand Central District will likely generate significant demand.

Just across the street from the project is Driftwood on Central, an 11-unit work-live townhome development at Central Avenue and 29th Street. Driftwood recently broke ground and is already sold out – a sign of the area’s growing popularity.

At St. Pete Rising, we anticipate development in the Grand Central District to continue, with the area capitalizing on its location between the Warehouse Arts District, Historic Kenwood, and downtown St. Pete. In the coming months, we expect to announce more developments coming soon to the neighborhood, which will bring new businesses and residents to the area.

Construction on 2800 Central Avenue is not contingent on pre-sales and a groundbreaking is expected this fall. Completion is slated for the end of 2022.

Central Avenue Homes: Ad Lofts:

The Grand Central District is really heating up. On the eastern edge of the neighborhood, at the corner of 16th Street and Central Avenue, four large developments are about to wrap up construction and bring an additional 132 hotel rooms and 700 rental units to market — Tru by Hilton, Artistry St. Pete, 1701 Central, and Vantage.

On the western end of The Grand Central District, around 30th Street and Central Avenue, two apartment communities have been recently proposed — Gallery 3100 and a project tentatively titled “2800 Central Ave”. Those developments would add 200 apartments to the neighborhood.

Other major developments under construction in the district include the Grand Central Brewhouse at 2324 Central Avenue and Six Point Row, a 19-unit townhome community currently rising at 2611 1st Avenue North.

After seeing the recent activity in the district, Modern Tampa Bay Homes is ready to throw their hat in the ring. The St Petersburg-based developer and builder has proposed the eclectic, design-centric Art District Lofts – better known as AD Lofts.

The AD Lofts, in the Central Avenue Homes area, consist of seven three-story townhomes above 5,000 square feet of retail located at 2250 Central Avenue, adjacent to The Dog Bar. Each spacious three-bedroom 3.5-bath home will include a private elevator, a two-car garage, 10-foot ceilings, and a 22-foot high sky-lit gallery space with oversized windows. Units will also contain two private balconies and smart home features including thermostat, door entry, and low voltage connections in all bedroom and living areas.

The homes will be built with modern features and finishes. For example, the living room is accentuated by a dramatic architectural floating staircase with powder coated metal rod rails. The large, open-concept second floor seamlessly connects the kitchen, dining, and family room.

All seven units will contain around 2,000 square feet of A/C area,

which doesn’t include the balconies or garage. Pricing for the townhomes start in the low 700’s.

AD Lofts is being brought to the Grand Central District by an all-local team. Modern Tampa Bay Homes, helmed by CEO Richard McGinnis, is developing and building the project. McGinnis has been involved in dozens of multi-million dollar projects across the nation, and is proud to bring AD Lofts to St Pete’s blossoming art and culture community.

St. Petersburg-based Clear ph Design was responsible for the branding, architectural and interior renderings, website, and marketing materials for AD Lofts and Bseen Solutions, a digital marketing agency, is behind the marketing strategy. The project architect is Renker Eich Parks Architects and architectural design is being provided by Urban Order.

2700 Central Condos:

2700 Central is ideally located in the heart of vibrant Art District & active Grand Central District (all of which are in in the Central Avenue Homes Area). This 3-unit MTBH custom loft home development offers timeless exterior architecture & impressive interiors. Each 3bed/3.5bath modern home includes a 2-car tandem garage, 2 private outdoor living spaces/balconies, dramatic gallery space & 2,121SF of high-end living space.

Every home includes an elevator, laundry room w/optional sink, soaring 10ft ceilings, 8ft doors, robust electrical package & smart home technology wiring, elegant custom options of quartz counters. Open layout offers a gourmet kitchen w/Bosch appliances reveals/highlights the breath-taking signature 22ft vaulted sky lighted gallery space above. Huge, oversized windows & floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors provide abundant natural light. Master bath features Grohe plumbing fixtures, skirted toilets & glass walk-in shower. 2700 Central takes modern chic to new levels of comfort & style w/innovative cutting edge designs along w/inspired, luxury quality finishes including: Floating staircases w/coated metal rails, Italian rectified tile and/or wood flooring throughout, decorator grade hardware & premium custom cabinets throughout. Such an artistic addition to the Central Avenue Homes area of St. Petersburg, FL.

Plus elegant MTBH custom designer options available. No detail is overlooked & guaranteed to exceed the most discerning tastes. Flex space/3rd bed can be converted to an in-law suite by adding a kitchenette or used as an artist studio. Just outside your Central Avenue Homes door are endless options for entertainment, culture, restaurants, retail & more

Central Avenue is one of St. Petersburg’s most historic and prominent corridors,

connecting downtown to the beaches as well as all of the business districts and neighborhoods in between. Momentum is building in the unique districts along Central Avenue as increased connectivity and improved urban design allow businesses and Central Avenue Homes neighborhoods to thrive.

The Central Avenue Revitalization Plan capitalizes on the growing energy and interest along this important corridor by establishing goals and standards in the following areas to guide future development:

Land Use and Urban Design
Transportation
Streetscape
Branding and Marketing
Business Support
District Organization and Development
The City has recognized for some time that a connection between the downtown, hotels, restaurants and museums, with the hotels along the beaches would provide a high use, convenient transit connection. Also, the hospitality industry on the beaches employs a large number of persons that live within St. Petersburg that could use this service. Employees, visitors and patrons to the hotels all could use transit to enjoy the amenities in the downtown area including the unique shops and businesses along Central Avenue Homes. As a result, the City has planned for a BRT service to connect the downtown area to St. Petersburg Beach and the Beach Trolley.

Owing to the commercial nature of Central Avenue,
it is a prime destination for public transportation service in Pinellas County. Numerous transit routes serve the Central Avenue Homes corridor either along 1st Avenue North and South or Central Avenue itself. These transit connections include regular fixed route bus service, The Looper trolley service, the Central Avenue Trolley and the planned Central Avenue Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service.

a) Central Avenue Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)

The City has recognized for some time that a connection between the downtown, hotels, restaurants and museums, with the hotels along the beaches would provide a high use, convenient transit connection. Also, the hospitality industry on the beaches employs a large number of persons that live within St. Petersburg that could use this service. Employees, visitors and patrons to the hotels all could use transit to enjoy the amenities in the downtown area including the unique shops and businesses along Central Avenue. As a result, the City has planned for a BRT service to connect the downtown area to St. Petersburg Beach and the Beach Trolley. The map below illustrates the proposed Central Avenue BRT service from downtown St. Petersburg to St. Pete Beach.

This BRT service would supplement the Central Avenue Trolley whose function is to provide short distance trips along Central Avenue serving the retail businesses within the corridor.

BRT is considered a premium transit technology that is gaining momentum and usage throughout the United States and the world wherein stylized, modern buses provide very frequent service (5 to 10 minute headways) along intensely developed corridors. The Central Avenue BRT Project is envisioned by the City and PSTA to serve the downtown area to the beaches, utilizing 1st Avenue North and South and Pasadena Avenue to St. Petersburg Beach. It is anticipated that ridership would exceed 5,000 persons per day once this service is initiated. Advanced planning is underway for its construction. When constructed, it will replace many of the fixed bus routes that serve the corridor with modern, hybrid-electric vehicles. It is expected that the BRT project will be a key project that will be advanced over the next 2 to 3 years as funds become available. The photographs below show the NABI articulated vehicle that was demonstrated in St. Petersburg and a station for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) BRT service.

b) Central Avenue Bus Rapid Transit Corridor Enhancement Project

In preparation for the Central Avenue BRT service, the City has applied for and been awarded $975,000 in Federal Transit Administration (FTA) grants to implement the Central Avenue Homes BRT Corridor Enhancement Project. The City has also programmed $1 million in local funding as a match for the federal grants and PSTA has agreed to contribute $300,000 towards the Project. The purpose of the federal and local funding is to implement capital projects that will make it easier for pedestrians to walk between the bus stations on 1st Avenues North and South and the commercial establishments on Central Avenue. The Project’s goals also include enhancement of the Central Avenue corridor and the creation of artistically designed shelters and transit stop areas for the Central Avenue Trolley. The Project will also include unique transit shelters, concrete flatwork for the shelters, new ADA accessible curb ramps and sidewalks, textured crosswalks, streetscaping and potentially mast arm traffic signals. These improvements will provide an immediate benefit to transit patrons that utilize the PSTA’s existing local bus services and support the planned BRT service. The City’s project will be constructed completely within right-of-way, and will replace and improve similar, existing transportation facilities by bringing these facilities up to modern standards, and consequently making them safer and more attractive to transit patrons and the BRT corridor more livable.

c) Central Avenue Trolley

Supporting public transit in the Central Avenue corridor is the new Central Avenue Trolley service. This service provides 15-minute headways during peak times of the day between downtown St. Petersburg and St. Pete Beach, much in the same manner and corridor as the future BRT service. Whereas BRT is by its nature rapid and will utilize 1st Avenues North and South with only limited stops approximately every mile along its route, the Central Avenue Trolley will follow Central Avenue Homes and will be designed to stop every block or two. By its design, the Central Avenue Trolley provides access to the businesses along Central Avenue. Also, the Central Avenue Trolley has a premium reduced fare. From The Pier to Baywalk usage is free and between Baywalk and Grand Central Transit Terminal its cost is only fifty cents. West of the Grand Central Transit Terminal the fare is $2.00, the same as other transit routes throughout the county. The Central Avenue Trolley is a themed vehicle that is painted yellow and red, clearly branding it as a trolley for access to the commercial areas along Central Avenue. It replaced the Central Avenue Shuttle which was previously operated by the Downtown Partnership and provides more frequent service and extended service hours to the beaches.

d) The Looper

Complementing the Central Avenue Homes Trolley is the Downtown Looper Service, which is operated by the Downtown Partnership. The Looper trolley is also painted yellow and red, and provides a loop between the many museums, restaurants and major destinations in the downtown area. It circulates in a counterclockwise loop taking approximately thirty minutes for one complete loop. The service costs fifty cents per ride. The goal of The Looper is to allow persons enjoying the downtown area to travel between major destinations without having to use their private vehicle and search for the limited number of parking spaces. The Looper has been very successful and each year shows greater usage as more and more people discover the benefits of public transit in the downtown area.

e) Transit Stops

With the multitude of transportation options available within the Central Avenue Homes Corridor, the type and design of transit stops has become a more significant element of our transportation program. Efforts have been made to brand the different levels of transit through color schemes and designs of transit shelters and benches. In the case of standard bus service, benches and shelters are brown anodized aluminum with blue transit stop signs. In the case of The Looper and Central Avenue Trolley, the signage is themed yellow and red so that those persons using those services know where to board a particular transit vehicle.

Plans are under way to implement a series of new BRT shelters along 1st Avenue North and South that will help identify the premium and express service along that travel corridor. These different levels of accommodations for transit users are all designed to make public transit easier, more enjoyable and more intuitive for those choice riders to be able to enjoy the benefits of the transit system. This program includes architecturally significant bus stops and shelters between the BRT stops on 1st Avenues North and South and along Central Avenue. These locations will include specialized and artistically oriented shelters that will help locate the stop and present the character of the business community that the route serves. Look for these new shelters to be discussed in the near future at business association meetings. Two examples of modern transit stations that were developed for premium transit services are shown below.”

Below are more pictures taken recently along the Central Avenue Homes Corridor. We will continue to update pictures below with progress on the boom that is happening.
Crowder Brothers Hardware recently opened at the corner of 49th Street and Central Ave. It is in the perfect spot for all the new homeowners on Central Avenue. More and more businesses are opening and everyone living in the Central Corridor are super stoked!

Baba Mediterranean Restaurant recently opened on Central Avenue and is super chic. After dark is our favorite time to go because it is dazzling with mood lighting. Located within the Central Avenue Homes area, makes it a favorite of the locals.

If you are looking to buy a home in St. Petersburg, FL, or want more information on Central Avenue Homes, please call us at 727-262-7920. We make home buying a boutique experience. We go above and beyond to make the process smooth and fun.