February 26, 2025

Neighborhood Wine Shop to bring artisanal, small-batch wine to the Grand Central District

February 26, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

A new wine shop coming soon to St. Pete’s Grand Central District will offer a curated selection of unique, small-batch artisanal wines not available in big-box stores.

Simply named Neighborhood Wine Shop, the storefront is set to open this April in a 500-square-foot space at 2875 Central Avenue on the ground floor of the Driftwood on Central townhome community.

“St. Pete has plenty of bars but very few retail options for wine. We want to be the go-to shop for residents—whether they’re stopping by on their way home from work or picking up a bottle for a special occasion,” said owner Bryce Kennedy in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “We’re bringing that hospitality-style service to retail to create a wonderful experience.”

February 25, 2025

Forbici Modern Italian to take over Sea Salt space at Sundial in downtown St. Pete

February 25, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

Forbici Modern Italian, one of Tampa’s most celebrated Italian restaurants, is set to open a new location in downtown St. Pete’s Sundial shopping complex.

Initially, Forbici was expected to occupy the ground-floor space previously home to Locale Market. However, the restaurant will now take over the 12,000-square-foot second-floor space formerly occupied by Sea Salt, which closed on December 31st, at 183 2nd Avenue North.

An official opening date has not yet been announced. Before welcoming guests, Forbici will renovate the space, though specific improvements are unknown.

February 24, 2025

$200 million mixed-use project The Central takes shape on Central Avenue in downtown St. Pete

February 24, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

The long-awaited mixed-use development in the heart of St. Pete's EDGE District has hit a construction milestone.

Tampa-based Ellison Development is set to cut the ribbon next month, celebrating the completion of a 531-space parking garage at 1301 Central Avenue, a component of The Central development, a 2.1-acre redevelopment of the old St. Pete Police headquarters that will feature a hotel, a trophy office building, retail, workforce housing, and more.

The project, which broke ground in February 2024, sits directly across the street from Ferg's Sports Bar and Grill and is near The Edge Collective development, a planned live-work-and-play destination anchored by the newly opened Moxy Hotel.

February 21, 2025

21-story apartment tower approved near USFSP in downtown St. Pete

February 21, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

A 105-year-old commercial property that greets commuters as they enter the downtown St. Petersburg from I-175 may soon be demolished and redeveloped into a 21-story apartment tower.

On Thursday, the St. Petersburg City Council, meeting as the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), unanimously approved plans to redevelop the property at 446 4th Street South, which currently consists of a surface parking lot and a one-story, 4,984-square-foot office building occupied by Fresenius Kidney Care American Dialysis Center.

The proposed project includes a 21-story mixed-use building with 2,250 square feet of commercial space, 213 residential units, and a 230-space parking garage.

February 20, 2025

Pinellas tourism council supports funding for Morean Arts Center's Chihuly expansion, Palladium Theater renovation, and more

February 20, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

New seating and technology at Clearwater's national and state award-winning softball facility - the Eddie C. Moore Complex, a renovated Palladium Theater in St. Pete, and a new building housing St. Pete's Morean Arts Center and the Chihuly Collection are among the projects vying to receive millions of dollars in tourism funding.

During a Wednesday Pinellas Tourist Development Council (TDC) meeting, members reviewed new proposed projects from some of the most notable cultural and sports tourism destinations competing for funding through the TDC's Capital Project Funding Program.