Three development groups are vying to redevelop a South St. Pete property, once home to a historic cultural landmark, into a mixed-use destination with affordable housing and retail.

The new proposals were received after the City of St. Petersburg issued a request for proposals (RFP) for developers interested in redeveloping the three vacant parcels at 951 22nd Street South, a site that once housed the historic Merriwether Building, which supported and housed African American and Jewish entrepreneurs when racial and social restrictions were in place.  

The developers that submitted proposals include South Florida-based Green Mills Group, Fort Lauderdale-based real estate and development firm Alexander Goshen and partner Goode Van Slyke Architecture, and not-for-profit group Making Opportunities Materialize Inc. (MOM).

The property is in The Deuces, and located near the Warehouse Arts District along the 22nd Street South corridor that city officials have long planned to revitalize with equitable development.

According to the RFP, the proposals must “honor the community's heritage and inspire equitable partnerships among small, minority, and women-owned businesses” through a private-public collaboration. 

The qualified proposals will be presented to Mayor Ken Welch. 

If the Mayor decides to move forward with one of the proposals, a development agreement will go before the City Council for approval, at which point the public will have an opportunity to weigh in.

Here is a summary of each proposal:

Alexander Goshen and Goode Van Slyke Architecture

Fort Lauderdale-based real estate group Alexander Goshen and partner Goode Van Slyke Architecture (GVSA) propose to build a residential development serving mixed-income households while also improving access to healthy food.

The group is proposing to enter into a 99-year ground lease with a purchase option to develop a 26-unit building with 10 units set aside for residents earning up to 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI) with a focus on veterans.

The units, averaging 750 square feet, would be built above a 3,077-square-foot residential lobby and 9,049 square feet of ground-floor retail, which would include a grocery store.

The project is estimated to cost roughly $9.4 million.

“The forces on this site from adjacent modernization are very positive and speak to preserving the local lexicon of scale and architecture while supporting the arts, addressing a food desert, and capitalizing on the art culture which is so unique to this area,” the team wrote in their proposal.

Alexander Goshen has built a reputation for revitalizing neighborhoods and creating sustainable community-focused projects. Last year, they were selected by the Pinellas County School Board to redevelop the nearly century-old Tomlinson Building in downtown St. Petersburg’s Mirror Lake neighborhood into affordable housing.

Goshen’s partner, GVSA, is a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) that has worked on a diverse range of projects, focusing on urban revitalization, mixed-use developments, and affordable housing.

The proposed building on 22nd Street South would have a vibrant artistic design with tall modern glass walls on the ground-level retail spaces, residential lobby, and amenity area. A large mural would be painted on the upper levels “symbolizing the strong relationship between the residents and the art-rich district,” according to the team.

The grocery store dubbed the Street Corner Urban Food Market would provide fresh produce and food from local suppliers in an urban market setting and feature a rooftop garden with a vertical hydroponic farm to produce fresh vegetables.

Alexander Goshen would launch a pioneering project in partnership with container farmers to bring hydronic container farming to the community via shipping containers, increasing the availability of nutritious food.

“The system is designed to efficiently use and conserve both water and space, making it perfectly suited for urban environments where agricultural land is scarce or restricted,” Goshen wrote.

The development may also offer new affordable commercial spaces for local entrepreneurs, welcoming opportunities for amenities such as a coffee shop workspace and other services. In the proposal, Goshen mentions the California-based coffee roaster and coffeehouse Sip & Sonder, which is known for creating vibrant gathering spaces that go beyond traditional cafes.

“In addition to addressing the housing needs of veterans and other underserved populations, we are dedicated to promoting economic growth and creating opportunities for small, minority-, and women-owned businesses in the area,” the partners noted in their cover letter to the city.

If selected, the team anticipates commencing construction in 2025.

Green Mills Group

Green Mills Group, which developed affordable housing projects Burlington Post and Burlington Place near St. Pete's Historic Kenwood neighborhood, proposes to build a 54-unit affordable housing development with retail.

Similar to Alexander Goshen and Goode Van Slyke Architecture's proposal, Green Mills Group is seeking to enter into a 99-year ground lease with a purchase option with the city.

The total lease amount would be $885,000, payable as a lump sum or structured payment. Additionally, Green Mills is offering a 25% share of the residual cash flow to St. Pete to reinvest back into the community.

Per the proposal, the 54-unit complex dubbed Heritage Grove would have a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments designed for families and working individuals with income levels ranging from 30% to 80% of the AMI with the majority of units reserved for those earning 60% of the AMI.

Amenities would include a vibrant community clubhouse and game room for social gatherings and recreational activities, a business center equipped with computers, and on-site parking for easy access and convenience.

The development would feature two to three retail bays, encompassing up to 2,500 square feet with floor-to-ceiling windows.

Green Mills Group would partner with St. Pete Greenhouse to ensure these retail spaces are leased to minority business owners.

The development includes a parking garage that would be used by both residents and commercial tenants/shoppers.

The team noted they would commission a local artist to create a mural that reflects the district’s African American heritage on the building’s exterior. The facade and public spaces would incorporate materials and patterns inspired by African textiles, while interior common areas would feature local art and historical photographs honoring the corridor’s past.

The project is estimated to cost roughly $20 million.

The construction timeline for the Heritage Grove project would be based on when financing could be secured.

According to the proposal, the timeline for Heritage Grove would be driven by the Florida Housing Finance Corporation’s (FHFC) process for competitive 9% Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC).

“Should the City of St. Petersburg be willing to allocate funds to support the project, we can pursue the 4% non-competitive LIHTC financing route. This would allow us to start the project much sooner,” the team wrote.

Making Opportunities Materialize Inc.

The project called The Tall Cotton Initiative, led by Making Opportunities Materialize Inc. (MOM), calls for a four-story 18-unit condo building.

MOM is a not-for-profit group run by Elihu Brayboy, a lifelong St. Pete resident and former owner of the shuttered Chief's Creole Cafe located near the site. The term “Tall Cotton,” as referenced in the project’s name, is a Southern phrase that means “to be prosperous.”

MOM proposes to purchase the property for $885,000 and construct a residential building called Gallery Lofts, featuring 18 condo units. There would also be 3,000 square feet of ground-floor retail anchored by a laundromat and a neighborhood market with the promise of delivering affordable healthy food.

“The project addresses housing and food insecurity in a community where the median income is $35,000, compared to $61,000 in the broader city,” MOM wrote in their proposal.

According to the proposal, MOM would seek private capital to provide affordable housing for essential workers, seniors, veterans, the LGBTQ+ community, and descendants of the Gas Plant District.

The condos would range from 250 to 790 square feet with one- and two-bedroom units and be priced between $180,000 to $320,000.

The proposed neighborhood market, called FRESH Pace, would be operated by the St. Pete Free Clinic, an independent, not-for-profit human services agency assisting with food and shelter.

SPFC operates Pinellas County's largest food bank, providing the warehousing and distribution of bulk food to over 100 partner sites throughout the county, and is expanding to a 28,000-square-foot warehouse space at 2392 31st Street South in the Skyway Marina District, which is less than three miles from the Deuces site.

With the storage capacity, SPFC can purchase goods in bulk, making items more affordable than traditional big-box grocery stores.

Additionally, there would be a 1,000-square-foot modern laundromat operated by A La Carte Clean Environment LLC (ACE), a veteran-owned and family-operated laundromat.

There would be eco-friendly machines, vending for drinks, food, laundry supplies, Wi-Fi, and wash-and-fold services.

The entire project is expected to cost roughly $6.2 million and the land would be placed within a Community Land Trust (CLT).

If selected, construction would commence in 2025.