Hundreds of contractors from Suffolk Construction are pouring concrete floor by floor for 400 Central, a 46-story luxury condominium tower under construction in downtown St. Pete. The tower, which adds a floor every six days, is now more than halfway complete at 250 feet high.

New York billionaire John Catsimatidis Sr., founder of Red Apple Group, and select media members, climbed inside a freight elevator and were hoisted up to the newly completed floors to catch a glimpse of the expansive views from what will soon be the tallest residential tower on Florida’s west coast.

The terraces of the future condos on the 25th floor boast panoramic views of the downtown core and Mirror Lake to the edge of the waterfront and sights of the foggy Sunshine Skyway Bridge in the distance.

The team has already commenced work on the 26th floor.

Once complete, the 1.3 million-square-foot project will soar 515 feet high with 301 luxury condo units, 60,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and restaurants, 900 parking spaces, and 45,000 square feet of Class A office space on the 8th floor.

Catsimatidis has said the team may double the Class A office space to 80,000 square feet - pending market demands. 

The 46th floor will house the resident-exclusive glass-enclosed Sky Lounge and Observatory.

There will also be a 7th floor, 22,400-square-foot amenity deck with a heated pool and spa, daybeds and cabanas, a dog walking area, and outdoor entertainment.

Indoor amenities include co-working spaces, a game room, a professional-grade fitness center, and a yoga zen garden.

Other development partners working on the project include Miami-based Arquitectonica as the architect, NYC-based Celano Design Studio for interior design, and St. Pete-based Clear ph Design for branding and marketing. Sarasota-based Michael Saunders & Company is leading sales for the project.

The sales team told St. Pete Rising they have put three penthouses under contract in the past 30 days.

Pricing for the remaining condo units ranges from just over $1 million to north of $5 million.

Catsimatidis said he plans to take one of the penthouses.

Although a sales update wasn’t given during the site tour, in October 2023, the sales team reported the tower had eclipsed $250 million in sales.

Red Apple expects to complete construction on 400 Central by spring 2025.

The full city block was the site of the former Pheil Hotel, long known as the "cheese-grater" building, and Central National Bank. 

Red Apple Group purchased the property for $16.5 million in 2017 and broke ground in 2021.

While the project marks Catsimatidis' first investment in the Sunshine City, the business mogul has repeatedly stated that it will not be his last.