Summer in the Bay

The heat is on, summer thunderstorms are back and our area is packed with activity.
Downtown St. Pete was hustling and bustling with the Pride Festival last weekend. The Sunshine Skyway Bridge was beautifully illuminated in rainbow colors. The Tampa Bay Lightning made it in the Final Round of the Stanley Cup, and we are heading into Independence Day Weekend.
The colors of the sky have been spectacular the last few nights, and people were literally competing with the most colorful pictures on social media.
Make plans to visit our wonderful area, and if you fall in love with Pinellas County give us a call so that we may help you buy your little piece of paradise.
Your Real Estate Team at Global Lifestyle.

Downtown St. Petersburg, Florida

The greater downtown area is flourishing with a rapidly evolving retail and arts scene supported by a growing population of residents and daytime office employees. Revitalization of the downtown core continues with projects that include new retail shops, restaurants, research facilities, residential towers, craft breweries, and cultural facilities. Key areas of downtown include the Innovation District with the University of South Florida – St. Petersburg campus and Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital and Research Center, Bayboro Harbor with a concentration of marine institutions, a museum district of seven institutions, and several major arts districts spanning from the waterfront up Central Avenue.

All of the city’s major industry sectors are represented by downtown businesses, especially those in Creative Arts and Design, Marine and Life Sciences, and Financial Services. Since 2014, 10 corporations have relocated their businesses from outside of St. Petersburg to downtown offices. Over the past five years, the number of dwelling units downtown has increased by almost 20%.

Major projects include:
The Salvador is a 13-story, 74-unit green-certified condo building under construction at 2nd Street S and Dali Blvd (5th Avenue S). The tower, overlooking Tampa Bay and the Dali Museum, includes 3,300 SF of retail.
St. Petersburg II Apartments, developed by NRP Group of Beacon 430, is an 8-story, 348-unit apartment complex on the block between 4th and 5th Streets and 2nd and 3rd Avenues S.
The long-vacant Pheil Hotel site at 400 Central Avenue underwent demolition and will be developed as a mixed-use project by the New York developer, Red Apple Group.
ONE St. Petersburg will be located on the block bound by Central Avenue, 1st Street N, 1st Avenue N, and 2nd Street N. The mixed-use project includes a 13-story, 174-room hotel, a 41-story condo building with 253 units, and over 17,000 SF of retail space. After completion, it will be the tallest building in Pinellas County.
The Galaxy Hotel, located at 316 1st Street N, will be an 11-story boutique hotel with 100 rooms.
The James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art is under construction at 100 Central Avenue. Expected to open in fall 2017, the museum will be the permanent home of 400-500 premier works of art from the collection of Tom and Mary James. The project includes 30,000 SF of gallery space, a sculpture court, a 120-seat theater, event space, store, and cafe.
The Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement is under construction on 3.5 acres at 4th Avenue N between 3rd and 4th Streets. The $70 million, 5-story museum will have 172,000 SF of space making it the largest museum in Tampa Bay.
Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital is constructing an $85 million, 225,000 SF research facility at 5th Street and 6th Avenue S. When completed in 2018, the facility will employ approximately 200 faculty, educators, researchers, physicians, nurses, and support staff. The project includes a 250-seat auditorium, research offices, simulation lab, and research lab space.
A new Police Headquarters will be built at 1301 1st Avenue N, across the street from the existing station. The $81 million, 167,519 SF project is expected to be completed by the end of 2018.
New St. Pete Pier: City Council approved the $46 million Pier Park project in May 2015. Demolition of the old pier began in August 2015. The City issued RFPs for a pier head waterfront restaurant and pier programmer and operator in Fall 2015. Demolition of the old pier is complete and the project is currently in the design and permitting phase. The New Pier is expected to be completed by the end of 2018.

Downtown Waterfront Master Plan: City Council approved the Downtown Waterfront Master Plan which provides a vision for the future of the downtown waterfront from Coffee Pot Bayou to Lassing Park. The plan ties the waterfront together with a continuous trail of activities and amenities and also makes more extensive use of important economic development assets including the Port and Marina.

Information is taken from the official City of St. Petersburg website.

Florida Polytechnic University – A University of Innovation

In only a few years Florida Polytechnic University has established a name for itself as a university focusing on solving industry problems through creative solutions. Their advanced fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) attract innovative thinking students from different places.
Florida Polytechnic University is located along Interstate 4 at the heart of Florida’s High-Tech Corridor in the city of Lakeland, halfway between Tampa and Orlando.
As its name implies, Lakeland is known for its waterfront neighborhoods and more than 60 miles of biking and walking trails. The city has a vibrant downtown filled with shops, restaurants, parks, and performing arts venues. Check out Evolution Records, an indie vinyl seller and live music venue. Hang out with friends or study at Black & Brew Coffee House on Main Street. Get outdoors for a spin at the new Lake Bonny Skate Park. You don’t want to miss out on a visit to Reececliff either for a slice of pie and other homemade foods! Festivals, parades, concerts, a big farmer’s market, and food truck rallies are hallmarks of Lakeland culture, as are the giant swans you’ll see gliding on city lakes. They are descendants of swans given to the city by Queen Elizabeth II.

Lakeland also is the spring training home of the Detroit Tigers. In February or March, you can catch a classic outdoor game at Joker Marchant Stadium. The average high in February is a comfortable 73 degrees.
Another benefit of attending college in Lakeland, FL is its location. Less than an hour’s drive away in either direction are the metropolitan areas of Tampa and Orlando, home to a combined total of 8.6 million people and more than 11,500 high-tech companies. Both cities draw visitors from around the world to theme parks, beaches, stadiums, and entertainment venues. Disney World, Universal Studios, Busch Gardens, Cocoa Beach, and Clearwater Beach are among the options for day trips or weekend getaways. The two cities host a lot of Major League action, too, including the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB.

15 Year Anniversary – St. Pete Saturday Morning Market

ST PETERSBURG SATURDAY MORNING MARKET RE-OPENS FOR ITS NEW SEASON -The largest farmers market in the southeast US celebrates 15 year anniversary!
Beginning Saturday, October 7, St Petersburg’s Saturday Morning Market will be reopening for its 15th season on the beautiful waterfront of downtown St Petersburg.

With about 10,000 customers a week, and 170 vendors rotating through 130 spaces, the market is the largest farmers market in the southeast US, and one of the most successful in the US.

The Market is held weekly on Saturdays from October through May, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is located at the Al Lang Field parking lot, which is located on the corner of 1st Ave S and 1st Street.

Each week, shoppers can browse for fresh fruits and vegetables, loaves of rustic bread, gourmet-prepared foods, specialty foods, herbs, plants, handcrafted gifts, and much more. Live music and entertainment every week add an upbeat tone to the market atmosphere.

Florida Life after Hurricane Irma

It has been three weeks since Florida was declared a disaster area due to Hurricane Irma. Life is almost back to normal for many people with the exception of the still lingering brush piles in front of their houses. Electricity has been restored to all (or so we believe) communities and grocery stores and gas stations are operating at normal capacity again. Some areas of Florida however, will never be quite the same again. Large portions of the Keys have been devastated, about 65% of homes suffered severe damages. The popular vacation destination will need a lot of help to rebuild. So many natural disasters happened in such a short time that people who want to help are torn between providing assistance to Texas, Florida, or Puerto Rico. If you were fortunate enough to have been spared of damage, please consider providing goods, services, or your time to those in need. Our Team at Global Lifestyle will gladly come and pick up items to deliver them to relief collection points.