St. Pete Is About to Pick Who Rebuilds 86 Acres — Plus 7 More Stories from This Week

St. Pete Narrowed the Gas Plant Field to 4. A Developer Gets Named This Summer.

What happened: St. Pete cut nine proposals for the 86-acre Historic Gas Plant District down to four finalists. A developer selection is targeted for summer.

The details: Next steps include a public meeting at the Coliseum with the four shortlisted teams, a 30-day public comment window, and a new Community Benefits Advisory Council. The site sits where Tropicana Field stood — thousands of housing units, commercial space, and a major mixed-use district in the middle of St. Pete.

Why it matters: Nine proposals came in February. Four remain. The city now has a public timeline. That is a different conversation than it was 60 days ago.

My take: Four teams spent serious money and time to get into this room. One of them is about to win the largest land redevelopment project in Tampa Bay. Summer is closer than it sounds.

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3rd & 3rd Topped Out in Downtown St. Pete

What happened: The 33-story apartment tower at 235 3rd Street South reached the top of its structure this week.

The details: 262 units. Developed by Echelon and Third Lake Partners, built by KAST Construction. Vertical construction started about a year ago. Certificate of occupancy is targeted for October or November. Corner of 3rd Ave South and 3rd Street South, directly across from the Publix-anchored University Village.

Why it matters: St. Pete's southern downtown skyline now has a 33-story tower visible from that Publix parking lot. Three years ago that corner looked completely different. It does not anymore.

My take: Topping out is the milestone that makes a project feel permanent. 3rd and 3rd just crossed it.

Neal Communities Files for 300 Luxury Homes in Lakewood Ranch

What happened: Sarasota-based Neal Communities filed plans for a new Lakewood Ranch neighborhood called Fieldstone — approximately 300 luxury single-family homes on the Manatee County side.

The details: Neal has been one of the most active homebuilders in this submarket for years. Fieldstone is the latest addition to their pipeline.

Why it matters: Neal does not file for 300 homes on a guess. They have the sales data, the land basis, and the buyer demand mapped before a plat hits the county. Three hundred units at the luxury end of the for-sale market is a deliberate read on where Lakewood Ranch is heading.

My take: This is a builder making a specific bet on continued demand at the higher end. Watch whether it absorbs.

Mixed-Use Proposed on Nebraska Avenue in VM Ybor

What happened: A three-story mixed-use building was proposed at 3101 N Nebraska Avenue — 33 residential units over 1,850 square feet of ground-floor commercial.

The details: 41 parking spaces, 45-foot max height, corner of Nebraska and 23rd Avenue. The rezoning request fits the city's long-term walkable corridor plan for Nebraska.

Why it matters: Nebraska Avenue has had a walkable mixed-use plan on paper for years. This is a developer putting money behind it at street level. That is a different kind of vote than a planning document.

My take: One three-story building does not turn a corridor. But the Nebraska corridor now has a filed project, a committed developer, and a rezoning request in the queue. That is how it starts.

BayCare Opens Its First Plant City Urgent Care

What happened: BayCare opened its first urgent care center in Plant City on March 30 at 1601 W Timberlane Drive inside the Ed and Myrtle Lou Swindle Medical Arts Center.

The details: Open seven days a week for adults and children six months and older. Sports physicals, occupational medicine, standard urgent care. First BayCare urgent care location in Plant City.

Why it matters: Plant City residents have been driving to Brandon or Lakeland for this level of care. That gap is now closed on the western edge of the city's growth corridor.

My take: Healthcare infrastructure follows residential growth. Plant City's eastern corridor has been adding residents faster than services. This is the gap starting to close.

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Mattamy Homes Brings 154 Houses to Zephyrhills

What happened: Mattamy Homes announced 154 new single-family homes at Pasadena Ridge in Zephyrhills. Models expected this summer.

The details: Homes range from approximately 1,600 to 3,800 square feet, starting around $349,990. Clubhouse, fitness center, resort pool, and pickleball courts. The community sits adjacent to a planned 300-plus acre Pasco Super Park.

Why it matters: Pasco County added more new residents per square mile last year than most of the state. Zephyrhills is no longer a retirement market — it is a growth node with amenities now being built to match the pace.

My take: The Super Park changes the land value equation for everything around Pasadena Ridge the day it opens. Mattamy is pricing homes before that happens.

11 Units Approved in Bartlett Park — on a 0.23-Acre Lot

What happened: St. Petersburg's Development Review Commission approved an 11-unit apartment project at 421 15th Avenue South in Bartlett Park, replacing eleven 1925-era units on the same lot.

The details: Designed by Storyn Studio for Architecture, developed by Coral Development's Jay Duncan. Studios to two-bedrooms, 308 to 734 square feet. Two buildings, structured parking, bike storage, shared courtyard.

Why it matters: South St. Pete infill approvals have been accelerating. This project replaced aging 1925 units with new construction on 0.23 acres without expanding the footprint. The city approved it. That combination — older stock, same lot, new approval — is a repeatable model in this part of the city.

My take: Bartlett Park has had three infill approvals in the last four months. That is the data point worth tracking, not any single project.

DeAngelis Diamond Opens a Permanent Tampa Office

What happened: General contractor DeAngelis Diamond opened a permanent 4,330-square-foot Tampa office this week.

The details: The firm has completed over $450 million in Tampa Bay projects, with $284 million more under construction or starting soon. They work across healthcare, multifamily, aviation, hospitality, and senior living.

Why it matters: Firms open permanent offices when the pipeline justifies the overhead. $284 million under construction or coming online is that justification.

My take: DeAngelis Diamond is not the only contractor that has planted a flag in Tampa Bay over the last 18 months. The market is busy enough that firms are making it their base, not just a project stop.

8 stories. One summer deadline that changes the center of St. Pete. Seven others showing how the rest of the region is building around it.

See you next week.

-- Real Tampa Bay

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