Moffitt Cancer Center to anchor 4.5-acre downtown St. Pete redevelopment
In early August, Moffitt Cancer Center along with United Insurance Holdings Corp. and TPA Group submitted an offer to the City of St. Pete to purchase a 4.5-acre site at 800 2nd Avenue South in downtown St. Pete.
The proposal called for the development of a mixed-use project that would include a state-of-the-art outpatient cancer care facility, a mixed-use modern multi-family residential tower with a workforce housing component, activated ground floor retail, a public-access parking garage, and the retention and future expansion site of the United Insurance Holdings Corp. headquarters.
the 800 2nd Avenue South is currently used as a parking lot for city-owned vehicles.
UPC Insurance had previously planned to purchase the site in 2018 to build a 150,000 square foot office building, a 500-space public parking garage, and a potential hotel. However, UPC scrapped the project in 2020 after reporting higher than expected losses as a result of a busy hurricane season and cited the need to reassess office space needs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following the unsolicited offer, the City invited alternative proposals to purchase and develop the site. In addition to the unsolicited offer from Moffitt and UPC, the City received five additional submissions from Apogee Real Estate Partners, Trammell Crow Residential, Related Group, Porter Development, and Mill Creek Residential.
Today, St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman announced his selection for the downtown property – the original proposal by Moffitt Cancer Center, United Insurance Holdings Corp., and TPA Group.
A SITE PLAN OF THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT INCLUDES A MEDICAL OFFICE COMPONENT, RESIDENTIAL TOWER, FUTURE UPC INSURANCE OFFICE BUILDING, PUBLIC PARKING GARAGE, AND A POTENTIAL HOTEL.
“Having a Moffitt Cancer Center facility in the heart of our downtown, near both our Innovation District and the Tropicana Field site, is a homerun for St. Petersburg,” said Mayor Rick Kriseman. “We are a healthier city when residents in need of quality outpatient care can focus on beating cancer and not the traffic. I am especially pleased that this proposal includes a much-needed residential tower with workforce units and a public parking garage in a part of St. Pete primed for even more growth.”
Specific deliverables for construction include a 75,000 square foot medical office building for Moffitt Cancer Center, and 200 new jobs to St. Petersburg over 5 years. The Moffitt Cancer Center will allow 8,000 St. Petersburg residents each year to stay in St. Petersburg for Moffitt services, resulting in 36,000 annual visits and the elimination of 75,000 hours of travel time.
“Moffitt Cancer Center is working diligently every day to save more lives. In order to do that, we must reach more patients. We want to bring the best cancer care closer to the residents of Pinellas County,” said Dr. Patrick Hwu, president and CEO of Moffitt Cancer Center. “We are thrilled with the opportunity to better serve more Floridians with a new outpatient center in downtown St. Petersburg.”
The City Development Administration anticipates completing the terms of the sale soon. Mayor Kriseman hopes the term sheet is voted on by City Council in December.