Signal the protest. Developers have proposed another tower in downtown St. Petersburg.
This as-yet-unnamed building is relatively modest at 21 stories and 245 feet tall. The luxury condominiums at 400 Central, about 400 meters away, will be more than twice the size. Still, any tower that might be built in any part of downtown will draw critics.
I can understand hand wringing. Little St. Pete has grown up over the last 20 years. There used to be several towers in this city, but now there are so many downtown that I can’t remember the names of them all.
City leaders stoked fear by treating the sewer system as if it were always number 187 on a to-do list. Eventually the system failed, and pumping sewage into Tampa Bay became a terrible ritual. The city lost its reputation as God’s waiting room, only to risk being replaced by Florida’s urinals. Maybe they thought no one would notice?
they noticed. And they haven’t forgotten.
So every time a builder proposes a new tower downtown, there’s a cry: “What about additional flush toilets?” William Wallace rises to rally his Scottish brethren to battle. To its credit, the city has made progress in repairing its sewer system. This was thanks in part to property taxes collected from, you guessed it, new apartments and high-rise apartments.
Sewer concerns are often followed by worries about traffic congestion and consternation about how new towers will undermine what remains of St. Pete’s 1950s charm. (People don’t often talk about how downtown was a dead zone in the 1980s and 1990s.)
This latest incident doesn’t seem to put the city’s charm in jeopardy. This 0.69 acre property is located at the end of Interstate 175. In one corner, a huge industrial-looking pole supports a traffic light. For a long time, sections of the sidewalk were eaten away. Thousands of cars roar past every day.
Although the property’s one-story brick building is older, it is not officially a historic landmark. There is a kidney dialysis clinic here, open only three days a week. This facility is the kind of place where an SUV driver could lose control, destroy a nearby fire hydrant, crash through a building’s front door, and flee without immediate capture. It all happened in 2017.
Plans for the new tower include 213 apartments with ample parking and bike parking. The builder, Stadler Development, also envisions ground-floor retail space and a 10-foot walkway.
Replacing vacant buildings with buildings that can house hundreds of people is advantageous for cities with high housing costs. Apartments will be rented at market rate, but research shows that new market-rate housing can also improve affordability for moderate- and low-income households.
The $67 million tower will strengthen St. Petersburg’s tax base, and the new residents will funnel money to local small businesses. Building vertically also helps reduce sprawl. What Central Florida needs most is to replace more orange groves and ranches with other single-family homes. As more people live in new high-rise apartment buildings downtown, there will be less need to clear-cut the state’s remaining natural habitat.
Spend your days with Haze
Subscribe to the free Stephinitely Newsletter
Columnist Stephanie Hayes shares her thoughts, feelings, and interesting business stories every Monday.
Everyone is registered!
Want more free weekly newsletters in your inbox? Get started.
consider all options
The tower is a good fit for the area, and leaders of the city’s Innovation District, where the property is located, were supportive of the plan. Unless there is a compelling reason, the city should approve the project.
Change comes with anxiety and sometimes pain. But every city should want people to live in its center. In downtown St. Pete, it’s best to build towards the sky.
