July 17, 2026

Great Explorations eyes south St. Pete elementary school for new 80,000-square-foot Discovery Center

July 17, 2026/ Veronica Brezina

Known for its immersive pretend-play spaces and educational programming, Great Explorations Children's Museum is preparing to expand its footprint and offerings to all ages, but not without help and input from the community.

Founded in 1986 as The Hands-On Museum, Great Explorations has evolved into a 24,000-square-foot center for imagination and discovery designed for children around 8 years old.

The St. Petersburg institution, located at 1925 4th Street North next to Sunken Gardens, aims to further its educational programming by building a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics)-focused discovery center at 5800 22nd Street South.

July 16, 2026

St. Pete Beach’s The Helm Seafood Parlour to move next door as current location becomes event space, retail shop

July 16, 2026/ Kyla Fields

The Helm Seafood Parlour is expanding on St. Pete Beach, relocating to a larger space next door while turning its original location into a new event venue and culinary workshop called The Scullery.

The restaurant will relocate from 7736 Blind Pass Road to the adjacent building at 7800 Blind Pass Road, the former home of Verducci's Trattoria and Pizzeria.

The Italian restaurant never reopened after the back-to-back hurricanes in 2024, and the building has remained vacant since then.

When The Helm reopens in the 4,120-square-foot former Verducci's space, it will offer nearly twice the restaurant space, a larger kitchen, additional seating and a private dining room that can accommodate 30 to 40 guests.

The Helm's original 2,500-square-foot location will be reimagined as The Scullery, an event venue and retail space that will host private events, cooking classes and workshops.

July 16, 2026

Fast-casual seafood restaurant Shaka Shrimp Kitchen coming to the EDGE District

July 16, 2026/ Veronica Brezina

A new fast-casual seafood restaurant specializing in shrimp dishes and ahi tuna bowls is coming to the EDGE District of downtown St. Pete.

Shaka Shrimp Kitchen is expected to open by the end of the year at 911 Central Avenue, replacing Buya Ramen, which closed last August after nine years in business.

The restaurant takes its name from the "shaka" hand gesture, a symbol commonly associated with friendliness, and gratitude.

Co-owner Ronan McCaffrey said the concept draws inspiration from Polynesian culture, helping shape the restaurant's relaxed, “come as you are” philosophy.

The menu will center around shrimp prepared in a variety of styles, alongside ahi tuna bowls.

All of the restaurant's dressings and sauces, such as garlic butter, coconut, and chili lime, will be made in-house.

Guests will order at the counter before staff deliver meals to their tables. A self-serve beverage station will also be available.

“We want to highlight shrimp through different cooking methods, entrees, and sauces,” McCaffrey said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “Shrimp is the most consumed seafood product in the United States.”

July 15, 2026

Chill Bros Scoop Shop pops up at Green Bench Brewing this weekend

July 15, 2026/ Kyla Fields

Tampa-based Chill Bros Scoop Shop will bring its ice cream to downtown St. Pete this Friday with a pop-up at Green Bench Brewing ahead of National Ice Cream Day.

The company's ice cream truck will be parked in front of the brewery at 1133 Baum Avenue North from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Green Bench's resident food truck, Offset Sandwich Exchange, and a local flower vendor will also be on-site.

“We wanted to use the truck to introduce St. Pete to Chill Bros and give people a taste of what makes us special,” Elisa Davis, Chill Bros' events and marketing manager, said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “We'd love to become more involved in the St. Pete community.”

Founded in 2020 by owner Max Chillura and his siblings, Chill Bros has expanded to five Tampa scoop shops and offers 19 flavors, including Tampa-inspired options such as Café Con Leche Chunk and Guava Pastelito.

July 15, 2026

After more than 100 years in downtown St. Pete, Trinity Lutheran Church votes to sell historic property

July 15, 2026/ Veronica Brezina

After more than a century in downtown St. Pete, Trinity Lutheran Church will put its historic property at 401 5th Street North up for sale.

The decision to sell, which was recently approved by the church’s required two-thirds majority of the congregation, follows the church's 2025 merger with Hope Lutheran Church.

It will allow the congregation to bring all worship services and ministries together at Hope’s campus on 62nd Avenue North in the Meadowlawn neighborhood.

"The building is 100 years old. The congregation is 115," Pastor Paul Gibson told St. Pete Rising. "Churches are about the people and about the impact they make on the community."

"This decision is not about leaving behind our past, but about faithfully embracing our future," Gibson added. "By bringing our congregation together in one location, we can focus our time, resources and energy where they matter most – on strengthening our ministry, serving our neighbors and continuing to share God's love for many years to come."

July 14, 2026

Dutch Bros Coffee and PNC Bank proposed for former SunTrust property in Seminole

July 14, 2026/ Veronica Brezina

A former SunTrust bank property in Seminole could soon be redeveloped into a Dutch Bros Coffee shop and a new PNC Bank.

During a June 23 Seminole City Council workshop, council members unanimously authorized City Manager Ann Toney-Deal to negotiate and finalize a development agreement with real estate group Paradise Ventures for the property at 7405 Seminole Boulevard.

A previous version of the agreement called for demolishing the 10,000-square-foot SunTrust Bank building and constructing a new PNC Bank in its place.

Previous plans also called for Greenlane, a healthy drive-thru salad chain, to occupy a second building on the site.

However, after Greenlane withdrew from the project, Paradise Ventures secured Dutch Bros Coffee as its replacement.

July 13, 2026

Keiser University's Pinellas County campus could become a 355-unit apartment community

July 13, 2026/ Veronica Brezina

Keiser University's Clearwater campus could be redeveloped into an apartment community under a proposal currently being reviewed by the City of Largo.

North Carolina-based Aventon Companies has submitted a preliminary site plan application to the city to redevelop the approximately 12-acre property at 16120 U.S. Highway 19 North into a 355-unit apartment community.

The property, which is under contract with Aventon, is owned by Clearwater-based Crown Pointe on 19 LLC, an entity controlled by Colliers Executive Vice President John Gerlach.

Whether the project ultimately moves forward, however, remains uncertain due to ongoing litigation between the university and its landlord.

According to a lawsuit filed June 10th in Pinellas County Circuit Court, Keiser alleges Crown Pointe improperly terminated its lease in an effort to facilitate the sale or redevelopment of the property. The university is seeking to preserve its lease rights while the case proceeds.

July 10, 2026

State awards St. Pete $2 million for Shore Acres stormwater improvements

July 10, 2026/ Brian Zucker

Shore Acres will receive a new stormwater pump station and upgraded drainage infrastructure after the City of St. Petersburg secured a $2 million state appropriation for flood mitigation projects in one of the city's most flood-prone neighborhoods.

The funding, included in Florida's Fiscal Year 2026-27 budget, will support the Shore Acres Denver Street Storm Damage Improvements project.

Sponsored by Senator Nick DiCeglie and Representative Lindsay Cross, the project will improve the capacity of the stormwater system to move water through the area along Denver Street NE between North Dakota Avenue NE and Pennsylvania Avenue NE.

The work includes upsizing portions of the stormwater system and installing a new pump station to reduce surface flooding and improve drainage during major storm events.

The total project is estimated to cost $5.8 million. The state appropriation will cover $2 million, with the remaining $3.8 million funded through local sources. Construction is expected to be completed by Oct. 30, 2028.

City officials said the state appropriation will accelerate the project under the city's St. Pete Agile Resilience (SPAR) initiative, allowing construction to begin earlier than originally planned.

DiCeglie said the funding was prompted by the repeated flooding and storm damage Shore Acres experienced during Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

July 09, 2026

Community-centered Café Ora to open this fall at Looking Glass Initiative in south St. Pete

July 09, 2026/ Kyla Fields

A community-centered café will open this fall in South St. Pete as one of the first businesses inside the Looking Glass Initiative, a two-block adaptive reuse project along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street South.

Located at 908 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street South, Café Ora will serve espresso drinks made with locally roasted beans from St. Pete-based Look Alive Coffee, breakfast sandwiches and pastries by day, and beer, wine, and neighborhood programming later in the week.

The café is designed to serve as a gathering place for residents, nonprofits, and local organizations.

“It’s a love letter to Campbell Park, Bartlett Park, 13th Street Heights, and Historic Roser Park,” Café Ora founder Meiko Seymour said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “To everybody right here in this vicinity, we intend to be your neighborhood spot. This project has to be owned by the community, by those that live in these neighborhoods.”

Café Ora is envisioned as a "third space", a place outside of home and work where neighbors can gather and connect.

July 09, 2026

Six-story Marriott hotel approved for John’s Pass Village on Madeira Beach

July 09, 2026/ Veronica Brezina

Madeira Beach commissioners unanimously approved plans Wednesday for a six-story, 87-room Marriott Tribute Portfolio hotel in the heart of John’s Pass Village.

The 4-0 vote approved the project's development agreement, rezoning request, and associated right-of-way vacation. Commissioner David Tagliarini was absent.

The $150 million project, led by local developer Bill Karns in partnership with Caddy's owner Marcus Winters, will transform a 1.5-acre surface parking lot at the southeastern corner of 129th Avenue East and Pelican Lane into an 87-room boutique hotel with restaurants, retail space, a rooftop pool, a public park, and a parking garage.

The hotel will operate under Marriott's Tribute Portfolio, a collection of independent boutique hotels, and will function as a condo-hotel, allowing individual buyers place their units into a rental program when not using them.

Designed by Tim Clemmons of Place Architecture, the building draws inspiration from the traditional fishing village character of John's Pass, incorporating colorful exterior siding, metal roofs, shutters, and architectural details intended to complement the surrounding waterfront storefronts and restaurants.