2020 is off to a strong start! Along with the updates below, we had a few new businesses open their doors, including a yoga studio, a candy and soda shop, a salad restaurant, and a bookstore. Also, an old nightclub was demolished to make room for a tower, a developer started scouting the area for their next project and the city released their plans to revitalize The Deuces.

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.

The City of St. Petersburg has received an unsolicited offer for the purchase of the existing Municipal Services Center located on Central Avenue between 3rd Street and 4th Street in Downtown St. Pete. If the City accepts the $12 million offer, it would make way for two separate mixed-use towers bringing office, retail, hotel, residential, and parking to our downtown core. The City would contribute 1.38 acres in land across from City Hall along 2nd Avenue North for a new Municipal Services Center and the Central Avenue site would likely be the future home to Pinellas County’s tallest tower, even topping 400 Central’s proposed height of 515 feet. Other proposals for the Central Avenue land are due by January 31, 2020.

The inaugural list of vendors at the Pier Marketplace has been revealed. In phase one there are a total of 17 vendors including seven market stalls and ten market tents. Vendors will be selling everything from t-shirts, hats, jewelry, popcorn, caricatures, and more. The new St. Pete Pier is on track to open in Spring 2020.

The Blend: Coffee & Wine is now open in the lobby of the Tampa Bay Times building at 490 First Avenue South. Along with the standard coffee menu offerings, such as shots of espresso, lattes, and cold brew, The Blend also introduces St Pete to coffee trends that haven’t yet made it to the Sunshine City, such as white coffee and sparkling coffee. Although it’s located in an office building, The Blend doesn’t want to feel too corporate. “I want people to be able to walk in wearing flip flops or a suit jacket,” says the owner, Stacha Madsen. The new shop, which is open to the public, can seat around 40 customers. Outdoor patio seating is also be available.

Grand Central Brewhouse is coming soon to 2324 Central Avenue in the Grand Central District (formerly Taco Bus). Tyler Singletary, formerly of Flying Boat Brewing Company, is expected to serve as Head Brewer. Grand Central Brewhouse’s drink menu will feature a wide variety of lagers and a full range of ales, including pale ales, IPAs and darker ales such as porters and stouts, plus some funky and sours beers. The new brewery is part of a larger development that will feature two separate buildings divided by an outdoor courtyard and beer garden. On one side of the lot will be the Grand Central Brewhouse, while the other side will be a future third-party restaurant.

Blo: Blow Dry Bar is coming soon to the ground floor of 930 Central Flats, a new apartment community, in the EDGE District. Put simply, a blow dry bar specializes in washing, blow drying, and hair styling. They do not cut or color hair. Perfect for when you want a glammed-up look without spending hours in a hair salon. The other retail parcel on the ground level of 930 Central Flats will be occupied by a pharmacy, which will take up 1,285 square feet. The shop is being managed by My Choice RX. 930 Central Flats opened last November and is now 95% occupied.