Mixed-use townhome community Strum Place nearing completion in west St. Pete

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Mixed-use townhome community Strum Place nearing completion in west St. Pete

Strum Place, an upcoming townhome community being built alongside a reimagined historic office space, is nearing completion on Central Avenue in west St. Pete.

St. Pete-based J Square Developers and Backstreets Capital are spearheading the nine-unit luxury townhome project at 6366 Central Avenue, located along the SunRunner bus rapid transit (BRT) route.

The project is named after The Strum family, one of the pioneering families of west St. Petersburg that resided in the two-story house after its completion in 1925. Alban D. “Al” Strum was a champion speedboat racer and the former Commodore of the St. Petersburg Yacht Club, and his wife Shirley was a founder of St. Petersburg’s Junior League.

The Strums lived at the home for over 30 years until it was converted into a funeral home in 1958.

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Home of the Week: A 1935-built Spanish Mediterranean home in the Old Northeast

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Home of the Week: A 1935-built Spanish Mediterranean home in the Old Northeast

This week’s featured home is a Spanish Mediterranean residence at 706 15th Avenue NE, built in 1935. The property offers 2,717 square feet of living space with three bedrooms and four bathrooms. Located just two blocks from the waterfront, it combines historic charm with a convenient location close to downtown St. Petersburg.

Set on a 75' x 110' lot, the home features a circular driveway, a two-car garage, and ample garden space. Inside, its 1930s design shines through in details like Spanish-inspired tile, exposed wood beams, vaulted ceilings, wood columns, original doors, and iron stair spindles.

The kitchen has been updated with Craftsman-style oak cabinetry, a vintage-inspired natural gas range, and a farmhouse sink.

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Chef Chris Ponte announces opening date for modern Italian restaurant OLIVIA in St. Pete

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Chef Chris Ponte announces opening date for modern Italian restaurant OLIVIA in St. Pete

Tampa Bay's prestigious Chef Chris Ponte has set an opening date for OLIVIA, a modern Italian restaurant coming to downtown St. Pete.

The 5,550-square-foot restaurant, which was announced in March 2023, will open on January 21st on the ground floor of the recently completed 36-story Ascent apartment and hotel tower at 225 1st Avenue North.

OLIVIA’s flagship Tampa location debuted in 2019 in Tampa and has garnered a loyal following for delivering all the authentic flavors of a traditional Italian trattoria with innovative, modern touches from the mind of Chef Ponte, a past nominee for the highly prestigious James Beard Foundation Award.  

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Pagoda Asian Grill by P.F. Chang's to open in west St. Pete this week

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Pagoda Asian Grill by P.F. Chang's to open in west St. Pete this week

Pagoda Asian Grill, a fast-casual dining concept by P.F. Chang’s, will open its first St. Petersburg location this week.

Located at 1550 66th Street North, the fast-casual dining concept inspired by the bold flavors and dynamic spirit of modern Asian cuisine is set to open on January 15th in the Shoppes at the Royale Plaza.

The announced opening marks a significant milestone for the company that's continuing to expand its footprint across the country.

Since 2022, St. Pete residents have expected the 4,000-square-foot space to house a new P.F. Chang's concept, when it was revealed that P.F. Chang's was planning to open another quick service restaurant, P.F. Chang’s To Go, at this location.

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Popular vegan restaurant Golden Dinosaurs will permanently close

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Popular vegan restaurant Golden Dinosaurs will permanently close

Golden Dinosaurs, regarded as one of the best vegan restaurants in Tampa Bay, will be closing permanently later this month.

The popular vegan deli and bakery that slings plant-based sandwiches and sweets announced the upcoming closure at 2930 Beach Boulevard.

"The era of vegan restaurant extinction seems to be upon us, and Gold Dinos will unfortunately not survive the apocalypse," owners Brian and Audrey Dingeman wrote.

The husband-and-wife duo, also owners of St. Pete's Good Intentions vegan restaurant, cited economic challenges for closing the fast-casual space that opened in 2018.

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