February 23, 2026

St. Pete plans to close sidewalk gaps and connect neighborhoods with new master plan

February 23, 2026/ Veronica Brezina

Have you noticed how some sidewalks in St. Pete abruptly end while others are missing altogether? The City of St. Petersburg is looking to change that.

St. Pete is developing a Sidewalk Master Plan to evaluate the city’s existing sidewalk and curb ramp network within the public right-of-way.

The process will involve identifying gaps through a GIS-based inventory system and improving accessibility for residents with disabilities.

“For years, we’ve been building sidewalks on the sides of arterial roads, and that’s essentially complete,” Evan Mory, the city’s Transportation and Parking Management Director, said in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “If there are gaps in those areas, it’s usually due to right-of-way issues or other factors that don’t make it feasible.”

The city is now shifting its focus toward expanding sidewalk connectivity in other parts of St. Pete and enhancing overall mobility.

February 23, 2026

Hot Spot Diner takes over former First Watch space in West St. Pete

February 23, 2026/ Kyla Fields

A new family-owned diner has opened in west St. Pete, bringing traditional breakfast and lunch fare to the former First Watch space on Tyrone Boulevard.

Hot Spot Diner quietly debuted earlier this month at 4045 Tyrone Boulevard and is now open daily from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Owner John Hazakis, a longtime diner operator based out of the Northeast, took over the space at the end of 2025.

He says he has opened eight diners over the last 40 years and recently relocated to St. Pete to be closer to family.

There is a large concentration of diners in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, which is typically referred to as “the diner capital of the country.”

These small, family-operated restaurants are known for their straightforward American food and affordable price points, two qualities that Hazakis is bringing to his newest diner in St. Pete.

February 20, 2026

Downtown St. Pete’s Albert Whitted Airport could see future air taxi service

February 20, 2026/ Veronica Brezina

Would you trade bridge traffic for a 10-minute flight across Tampa Bay?

That scenario may not be as far off as it sounds. Companies around the world are racing to launch electric “air taxis,” and St. Pete could eventually be part of that conversation.

More than a century after the world’s first commercial airline flight lifted off from the downtown waterfront, city leaders are exploring how the next evolution of aviation could take shape at Albert Whitted Airport in downtown St. Pete.

After nine months of meetings, the City of St. Pete’s Advanced Air Mobility Task Force released its final recommendations on how the city can prepare for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), which is the use of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft known as eVTOLs, or “air taxis”.

Think of it as Uber or Lyft, but in the air.

Unlike traditional helicopters, eVTOLs are battery-powered, quieter, and designed for lower operating costs.

According to the task force report, most leading AAM aircraft under development will carry between two and six passengers, fly between 60 and 200 miles, and operate at altitudes between 500 and 3,000 feet.

The first eVTOL aircraft are expected to receive FAA certification within the next one to two years.

February 19, 2026

State of the City highlights affordable housing gains and major infrastructure plans for St. Pete

February 19, 2026/ Veronica Brezina

Strengthening infrastructure, accelerating hurricane recovery, expanding affordable housing, and advancing the long-awaited redevelopment of the Historic Gas Plant District were among the major themes of Mayor Ken Welch’s 2026 State of the City address.

“Storms do not define St. Petersburg. How we recover defines who we are,” Welch said Wednesday at The Palladium in downtown St. Pete, describing 2025 as a year of recovery following Hurricanes Helene and Milton and 2026 as a year focused on resilience, equity, and forward progress.

Welch framed the city’s work around his Five Pillars for Progress: Housing Opportunities for All; Neighborhood Health & Safety; Environment, Infrastructure & Resilience; Equitable Development, The Arts & Business Opportunities; and Education & Youth Opportunities.

February 18, 2026

Go Greek Yogurt to open at Sundial in downtown St. Pete this summer

February 18, 2026/ Veronica Brezina

Go Greek Yogurt is bringing its European-style yogurt concept to downtown St. Pete this summer.

The California-based brand will open its first Tampa Bay location in July on the ground floor of the Sundial shopping center at 153 2nd Avenue North, next to Jackie Z Style Co.

The St. Pete café follows the company’s recent expansion into Florida with two Miami locations that opened last year.

Founded in 2012 by David Subotic, Tanja Subotic and Jonathan Williams, Go Greek Yogurt was created with a simple mission: introduce authentic, European-style Greek yogurt to the American market.

Unlike traditional frozen yogurt shops that lean heavily on sugary flavors, Go Greek Yogurt focuses on strained Greek yogurt that is high in protein and probiotics, offering what the company describes as a more wholesome indulgence.

February 18, 2026

Paddy Fest returns to Williams Park in March with three days of Irish music, dance, food, and family fun

February 18, 2026/ Kyla Fields

St. Pete’s fourth annual celebration of all things Irish is coming back to downtown St. Pete. And this year, it’s bigger than ever.

Paddy Fest St. Pete returns to Williams Park March 13th – 15th, turning the heart of downtown into a three-day Irish music and cultural festival packed with live bands, traditional dance, food trucks, family activities, and plenty of Guinness.

Now in its fourth year, the festival has evolved into a full-scale Irish music festival with what organizer Pete Boland calls “concert-level production quality.”

“We really upped the caliber of the performances this year,” Boland says. “Our number one priority is attendee experience. We’re going to try to wow every person who walks through those gates.”

And the lineup backs that up.

Headliners include traditional Irish music legend Derek Warfield & The Young Wolfe Tones along with national Celtic rock favorites Seven Nations and the high-energy family act The Byrne Brothers.

February 17, 2026

Five-story food hall Central Park St. Pete begins phased opening this week in downtown

February 17, 2026/ Kyla Fields

After six years of anticipation, a new five-story food hall in the heart of downtown St. Pete is finally ready to welcome its first guests.

Central Park, the 27,700-square-foot food hall at 551 Central Avenue, will begin rolling out its 14 concepts in phases rather than opening all at once.

The first openings begin this Thursday, February 19th, when Palm Avenue Deli and Constellation Burger launch for takeout and delivery only. Initial hours will run from 5 to 10 p.m.

Palm Avenue Deli will bring a New York-style delicatessen experience to Central Avenue, serving pastrami sandwiches, reubens, latkes, matzo ball soup, and house-made bagels.

Constellation Burger will offer a fast-casual lineup of creative burgers and sandwiches, including everything from classic beef patties to its Local Rock Shrimp Katsu Burger topped with American cheese, shredded lettuce, onion-pickle relish and dill cream sauce.

February 17, 2026

Downtown St. Pete apartments painted pink before demolition makes way for 29-story condo tower

February 17, 2026/ Veronica Brezina

On the corner of 4th Street South and 4th Avenue South in downtown St. Pete, a team of local muralists has quite literally started painting the town pink.

The former Ventnor Apartments, a cluster of 1920s-era buildings at 344 4th Street South, have been drenched in bright pink paint from porches to door knobs by The Vitale Bros.

However, the pink-laden glow-up is only temporary.

In early March, the buildings will begin coming down to make way for the $200 million Roche Bobois St. Pete Tower, a 29-story, 164-unit luxury condominium tower developed by Clearwater-based Valor Real Estate Development in partnership with the French luxury furniture brand Roche Bobois.

“These pink buildings are the last burst of creativity,” said Moises Agami, CEO of Valor, in a conversation with St. Pete Rising at a recent press event. “Like a phoenix, they’re going to come down and be reborn into an incredible new icon for St. Pete.”

February 16, 2026

144-unit affordable housing community Olea on 126 breaks ground in Largo

February 16, 2026/ Veronica Brezina

A new affordable housing community in Largo will bring 144 apartments to a vacant 4.9-acre site, providing much-needed homes for lower-income residents.

Last Tuesday, California-based Lincoln Avenue Communities joined City of Largo officials to celebrate the groundbreaking of Olea on 126.

The $54.6 million project, located at 6727 126th Avenue North, will feature two-, three-, and four-bedroom apartments across three four-story, garden-style buildings.

Of the 144 apartments, 35 will be reserved for households earning up to 40% of the Area Median Income (AMI), 72 units for households earning up to 60% of AMI, and 38 units for households earning up to 80% of AMI.

Residents will have access to a clubhouse, outdoor pool, playground, and 174 parking spaces.

February 16, 2026

$60 million Tropicana Field renovation nearly complete ahead of Rays’ return to downtown St. Pete

February 16, 2026/ Veronica Brezina

A new roof stretches overhead, the stadium lights are back in place, and a thick layer of fresh artificial turf now spans the field floor as the Tampa Bay Rays prepare to return home to downtown St. Pete.

The City of St. Petersburg is nearing completion of a $59.7 million renovation and remediation of Tropicana Field ahead of the Rays’ home opener against the Chicago Cubs on Monday, April 6th.

“From here, there are lots of other things that need to be done—some drywall, aiming the lights to make sure they are in the right place, getting the lines on the field—but the big lift items are complete,” said Beth Herendeen, the city’s Administration and Finance Managing Director, during a media tour of the stadium. “We are on schedule and on budget and fully anticipate being ready for opening day.”

The most visible milestone is the new roof. The original fabric roof was shredded during Hurricane Milton in 2024, exposing the stadium interior to months of rainwater intrusion and causing widespread internal damage.

The replacement roof, made of a thicker, stronger fiberglass membrane and engineered to withstand winds of up to 165 miles per hour, was manufactured in Germany, assembled in China, and air-freighted to Alaska before arriving in St. Petersburg.