As per usual, June was packed full of exciting news in Downtown St. Pete. Along with the updates below, we received new renders for 1701 Central and The Exchange, both of which have now topped out.

As many of you are aware, we write a column every month called Downtown Developments for Green Bench Monthly, a local community magazine. In the column, we highlight everything coming soon to Downtown St. Pete, including new restaurants, bars, and coffee shops. We also reveal new tower renderings, announce townhome projects, and much more. A few months ago, we started publishing that column right here on St. Pete Rising, in addition to Green Bench Monthly!

Want the news first? Be sure to follow us! Most of what we discuss in Downtown Developments has already been posted to either our website, newsletter, Facebook, or Instagram. With Downtown Developments, you’ll never miss the latest Downtown St. Pete news.

Back in October, The EDGE Hotel, an 11-story, 135-key boutique hotel, was proposed for the heart of Downtown St. Pete’s trendy EDGE District. After months of planning, many of the project’s details have started to come into focus. In June, it was revealed that the hotel will be a Marriott Tribute Portfolio, independently and uniquely branded featuring interiors that match the surrounding neighborhood as opposed to having a cookie-cutter style design. The hotel will include ground-level retail, a restaurant and bar, a sidewalk cafe, a rooftop pool for guests and a 1,300 square foot sky lounge, which will be open to the public. Last month, St. Pete City Council unanimously approved the project for consistency with the Intown West Redevelopment Plan. The $51 million hotel is expected to break ground later this year and open sometime in late 2020.

In 2016, a New York developer proposed a 50-story condo and hotel tower at 400 Central Avenue in Downtown St. Pete. Last month, due to the future tower’s proximity to the flight paths from Albert Whitted Airport, the developer reduced the height of the building. The revised proposal now shows two buildings — a condo tower of around 40 stories on the east side next to a 20-story Marriott-flagged hotel. The new design also includes around 25,000 square feet of office space, where the original proposal had none. The entire length of Central Avenue will be activated with 23,000 square feet of retail space. The developer hopes to submit plans to the city by the end of the year.

The Chabad Center for Jewish Life and Learning is coming soon to Downtown St. Pete. Chabad recently purchased a plot of land at 533 4th Street North with plans to construct a new two-story facility, which will host events for every age group. Events include Hebrew school and Bar/Bat Mitzvah training, adult education classes, a summer camp for kids age 5-12 and much more. The goal is to have the new facility fully complete sometime in 2021.

Social Roost is coming soon to 150 1st Avenue North on the ground floor of ONE St. Petersburg. The new downtown St. Pete restaurant and bar will be a poultry lover’s paradise, featuring chicken in every way, including fried, grilled, blackened, roasted, and more.

Blush Tea and Coffee opened last month at 2392 9th Street North in the MLK Business District. The new shop serves around 90 teas from The Jasmine Pearl Tea Company and TeBella Tea Company, coffee from Zeal Coffee Roasters and Eastlick Coffee Company, and pastries from the incredible bakers at Mana Bakery. Blush also offers tea sodas and tea-infused oatmeal.

Start planning your cheat day! Datz is now open at 180 Central Avenue on the ground-level of the The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art. This is the second location for Datz, whose other location in South Tampa has been one of the Bay’s most popular restaurants since they opened in 2009. The eatery specializes in American comfort food such as the Cheesy Todd, a ground brisket and short rib burger with cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion and pickle on two bacon-jalapeño mac and cheese buns.