St. Pete Rising

A stand-up comedy group that has spent the past several years bouncing between breweries, bars, and back rooms across St. Pete is getting a permanent home in the Grand Central District. St. Pete Stand-Up will open its first dedicated comedy club, called St. Pete Comedy Club, at 1745 1st Avenue South. The 3,600-square-foot venue, which previously housed Avid Brew Company, is expected to open in May. Blakemore Kearney of Vector Commercial Real Estate Services represented the landlord and tenant in the lease transaction. https://lnkd.in/e-kc4h4x

Construction has officially begun on Medina 405, a members-only social club planned for the basement of the historic Snell Arcade in downtown St. Pete. With construction permits approved by the City of St. Pete, interior buildout is now underway on the 9,240-square-foot space at 405 Central Avenue, with the club expected to open in late 2026. Medina 405 is being developed by Benjamin Mandell, Founder and CEO of Tricera Capital. The club will be a private gathering place for St. Petersburg’s business, civic, and creative communities inside one of downtown’s most recognizable historic buildings. https://lnkd.in/eJE7yXF7

More than a decade after opening The Bends in what was then a quiet corner of St. Pete’s EDGE District, local hospitality operator Matt Kaye is preparing to debut his most personal project yet just a few feet away. Easy Tiger, a hi-fi listening lounge and cocktail bar opening next month at 915 1st Avenue North, will pair vinyl DJ sets and high-fidelity sound with a globally inspired cocktail program. The roughly 1,600-square-foot space sits along the same block as The Bends and represents the latest concept from Kaye, his wife Victoria Kaye, and partners Chris Stone and Craig Dragoonis. https://lnkd.in/e774cm2p

St. Petersburg’s longest-running restaurant will close its doors this summer. The Chattaway, a family-owned staple at 358 22nd Avenue South, will serve its last meal in mid-July after more than 90 years serving the community. The property, which has been owned by the family for decades, is now under contract and expected to transfer to a new owner in early August. https://lnkd.in/ePxugGQ4

On Wednesday, the St. Petersburg Development Review Commission ultimately approved a site plan from Delray Beach–based Kolter Multifamily to build Alton Skyway, a luxury garden-style apartment development at 3200 34th Street South. The approval passed with a 5-1 vote. The property, owned by St. Petersburg College, includes several educational buildings that will be demolished to make way for Alton Skyway, a two-phase development featuring eight five-story buildings and neighborhood-scale retail. https://lnkd.in/eXxyarMK

A new field of color has quietly taken root in the Warehouse Arts District. Tucked along 3rd Avenue South between 22nd and 23rd Streets, just steps from 3 Daughters Brewing and Sol St. Pete Bistro, Padme Flower Farm is turning an empty grass lot into a hand-tended haven of ranunculus, snapdragons, anemones, ageratum, and phlox. The one-acre urban flower farm is the creation of Mallika Nair, an environmental studies graduate, agroecology scholar, and longtime community gardener who says flowers weren’t always part of her plan. https://lnkd.in/e8JGT_Cc

The Dalí Museum is preparing for a major expansion that will bring new galleries, learning spaces, and immersive art experiences to its downtown St. Pete waterfront campus. Museum officials unveiled plans on Wednesday for a $65 million expansion that will add approximately 35,000 square feet to the property at 1 Dali Boulevard. Construction is expected to begin in fall 2026, with the new spaces scheduled to open to the public in 2028. https://lnkd.in/eXPFu--G

New renderings have been released for Volta Wine + Market, offering a first look at a new local wine shop, gourmet market, and intimate bar opening on the ground floor of The Residences at 400 Central later this year. The approximately 2,000-square-foot concept is set to begin construction this month and will be among the first retail tenants at the 46-story condo tower, now nearing completion by New York–based Red Apple Group. https://lnkd.in/ejYBcdQ3

First on St. Pete Rising: The 65-acre former Home Shopping Network corporate headquarters in north St. Pete could soon be transformed into one of the area’s largest industrial parks. Greystar, the largest multifamily housing owner, manager, and developer in the U.S., placed the site under contract late last year and is now seeking site plan approval from the Development Review Commission (DRC) to build more than 400,000 square feet of industrial warehouse space on the eastern 41-acre portion of the property at 2501 118th Avenue North. The proposal is scheduled to go before the DRC this Wednesday. If approved, the sale is expected to close later this year, pending entitlements and required permits. https://lnkd.in/eebK3WA9

The long-anticipated Sprowls Horizon Sports Park will officially open this weekend, bringing a new premier youth sports campus to the City of Pinellas Park. The park is named after former Speaker of the Florida House Chris Sprowls for helping secure state funding and advance the vision for the sports park. Spanning 40 acres at 4015 62nd Avenue North, just off U.S. Highway 19 and Interstate 275, the new complex replaces the former youth center with a state-of-the-art destination designed to accommodate tournaments, competitions, and community events. https://lnkd.in/ewNEHTHj