YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg to explore redevelopment of 11-acre site in Union Central District

The YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg has begun exploring the potential for the redevelopment of a significant property in St. Pete’s Union Central District.

The site sits just one block south of Central Avenue at the intersection of 1st Avenue South and 31st Street and is bound by the Grand Central District to the east, Palmetto Park to the south, Central Oak Park to the west, and Historic Kenwood to the north.

It is currently home to the Jim & Heather Gills YMCA which is the flagship location for the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg. The facility features an indoor pool, rock climbing walls, and a full-sized gym among other amenities.

While the property serves the YMCA well, its leadership has started to explore ways to better utilize the site.

“The YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg (YGSP) Board of Directors and leadership staff believe the time is ripe for exploring and possibly even reimagining how this facility could serve our members and the broader community,” says David Jezek, President and CEO of the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg in a statement to St. Pete Rising.

“Therefore, we initiated a Request For Expressions of Interest (RFEI) process with developers earlier this year to help us research forward-thinking, long-term solutions that align with the future vision for the neighborhood.”

The YMCA property sits near the intersection of Central Avenue and 34th Street just outside of downtown.

As downtown St. Pete has grown, development and revitalization have spilled over into the Grand Central District and the neighborhoods located west of downtown.

As a result, the development potential of the site has greatly increased over the past decade. At 11.47 acres, the site is among the largest contiguous developable parcels in the city.

Although the property may be developed in the future, The YMCA expects to continue operating on site in some capacity, whether that be in their existing building or in a new on-site facility.

“The Jim & Heather Gills YMCA has significantly served our community for more than two decades, and our Y is committed to delivering impactful programs and services at this location for years to come,” said Jezek.

The property is adjacent to a newly build multifamily building, Gallery 3100, and PSTA’s Grand Central Station.

Discussions for redeveloping the site are still in the early stages and are contingent on approval from the YMCA Board of Directors, but the interest in the site has been very high.

“After meeting with 10 developers, we have narrowed the list down to five semi-finalists,” says Jezek. “A special YMCA committee, including individuals from the Board, community, and leadership staff, will work with these five developers over the next several months. Our goal is to present proposals to the full Board of Directors in late 2022 for their consideration and approval.”

The five semi-finalists include:

A joint bid by St. Pete-based Blake Investment Partners which is led by Blake Whitney Thompson and St. Pete-based Eastman Equity which is led by Jonathan Daou
A joint bid by Boca Raton-based Altman Companies and Fort Lauderdale-based affordable housing developer Green Mills Group. Green Mills Group previously built two affordable housing buildings, Burlington Place and Burlington Post, in St. Pete’s historic Kenwood neighborhood.
Oregon, Wisconsin-based developer Gorman & Company
Boca Raton-based Atlantic Pacific Company
Miami-based Related Group, which previously developed Icon Central (now Camden Central) in downtown St. Pete and is working on the River West, a 44-acre mixed-income development featuring affordable and workforce housing in Tampa

The property is located across the street from a SunRunner bus rapid transit station.

The parcel is located in the Commercial Corridor Suburban (CCS-1) zoning district and sits in a city-designated activity center, which allows a higher intensity of use.

CCS-1 zoning allows for a maximum of 60 units per acre in an activity center with an additional 15 units per acre as a workforce housing density bonus for a total of 75 units per acre. In other words, the current development potential of the site is around 860 residential units. Other uses like a hotel and ground floor retail are permitted as well.

However, the city is actively exploring rezoning the area from a suburban classification to a more urban or traditional zone under the SunRunner Rising study that is underway. The SunRunner Rising study will make recommendations to improve the zoning and land use around the upcoming SunRunner bus rapid transit stations to encourage equitable development.

An excerpt from the SunRunner Rising study about the potential redevelopment of the 32nd Street station area.

A SunRunner bus rapid transit station sits at 3200 1st Avenue South, directly across the street from the YMCA.

A draft of the transit-oriented development (TOD) study from earlier this year showed that the proposed density around the station could increase to 150 units per acre which would hypothetically mean up to approximately 1,720 residential units could be built on the site. It’s unlikely the property will be utilized to the highest potential, but upzoning is expected soon which will increase the redevelopment potential.

Other land use and zoning recommendations from the SunRunner Rising study include potentially reducing required minimum parking requirements and setting parking maximums. Additional incentives for providing affordable housing are also expected.

The YMCA’s discussions with developers are ongoing and expected to continue throughout 2022.

“In the meantime, current programs and services continue to operate business as usual while we undergo this discovery process,” says Jezek. “More details will be announced if and when a final plan is approved.”