St. Petersburg-based J Square Developers and Backstreets Capital have announced a new mixed-use townhome project on Central Avenue in west St. Petersburg. 

Named Strum Place, the development will be planned for Central Avenue and 64th Street and is being named after The Strum family, one of the pioneering families of west St. Petersburg who built the existing two-story house on the site in 1924. The developers purchased the 0.84-acre site in December 2022 for $1.45 million.  

Strum Place will feature nine three-story townhomes, each with three bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms along with a two-car garage. The homes will be 2,040 square feet and pricing will start in the $700,000s.

Each townhome will offer an expansive great room on the second floor with a large kitchen featuring stainless steel Kitchen Aid appliances and a separate pantry. The open living and dining area will have collapsible sliding doors leading to a private balcony.

Additionally, three of the townhome units will offer private fenced yards for families with pets, a rare feature for new townhome developments.  The developers are also preserving four mature oak trees along 64th Street to create privacy and protect the neighborhood’s tree canopy.

In addition to the townhomes, J Square Developers and Backstreets Capital plan to preserve the adjacent 4,800-square-feet Strum House for use as office space.

“We plan to improve ADA accessibility, refurbish the exterior and preserve as much of the character of the original building as possible,” said Will Conroy of Backstreets Capital. “The building will be a great opportunity for an employer like a law firm, insurance agency, or medical practice to locate in west St. Petersburg.” 

The development is located near two SunRunner bus rapid transit stations, offering convenient access to downtown St. Pete and the gulf beaches.

“There is an underserved market for new townhomes on the west side of St. Petersburg,” said Jay Miller of J Square Developers. “The location offers tremendous convenience to both downtown and the beaches, while the SunRunner line will offer a way for residents to go in either direction without a car.”

Strum Place is being marketed by Christopher Pitre and Stephanie Pia of Smith & Associates Real Estate. 

“Strum Place will offer buyers a location that has the best of everything – it’s close to both downtown and the beaches, with easy access to the SunRunner,” said Stephanie Pia.

“We see this west part of town as quickly evolving, with more and more things to do,” added Christopher Pitre. “As just two examples, both Craft Kafe and the new Red Mesa Mercado location will be within an easy walk of Strum Place.” 

Strum Place is the latest project by J Square Developers and Backstreets Capital, two local real estate firms who have a track record of building in St. Petersburg. Their previous townhome projects include Quattro Beach Drive and the Saint James Townhomes.

Backstreets Capital has also been a partner in the development teams for The Salvador and The Nolen condominiums in downtown St. Petersburg, and J Square Developers has developed several local retail projects, including Trader Joes and Whole Foods in St. Petersburg.

In addition to J Square Developers and Backstreets Capital, BSB Design is the project architect for Strum Place, and Space Interiors is the interior designer. Wendy Giffin of Cushman & Wakefield is marketing the office building. Kyle Parks of Parks PR is handling public relations.

Construction on Strum Place is slated to begin in the first quarter of 2024, with completion expected 12 months later.