New wine lounge Velvet Coupe to open in the EDGE District this spring

New wine lounge Velvet Coupe to open in the EDGE District this spring

A new intimate wine lounge is coming soon to the EDGE District in downtown St. Pete.

Velvet Coupe is set to open this spring at 25 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street South, bringing a cozy, lounge-style wine bar to a 1,428-square-foot space formerly occupied by Baked in the Burg.

Owner and operator Dina Branham describes Velvet Coupe as a “sexy, cozy hangout” designed for lingering over a glass of wine rather than rushing in and out.

The lounge will seat roughly 30 guests in total, including an eight-to-ten-seat bar, with a mix of low tables, stools, and lounge-style seating throughout the space.

While the wine list won’t be tied to a single region, Branham says every bottle will be sustainably produced, with an emphasis on quality over quantity.

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Lucky Cup Coffee is now brewing inside the Galaxy Hotel in downtown St. Pete

Lucky Cup Coffee is now brewing inside the Galaxy Hotel in downtown St. Pete

A new coffee shop has quietly opened in downtown St. Pete, bringing house-made syrups, matcha drinks, and breakfast sandwiches to a hotel lobby near Beach Drive.

Lucky Cup Coffee Co. is located inside the Galaxy Hotel at 101 3rd Avenue North and is run by longtime friends Lauren Kirk and April Lupkey.

The café softly debuted last July, turning a longtime passion into a business for the duo.

“We both love coffee and community, and we’ve always talked about opening a coffee business together,” Lupkey told St. Pete Rising. “This feels like a natural extension of who we are.”

The name Lucky Cup Coffee Co. carries personal meaning. Lupkey, who survived a life-threatening birth complication, describes herself as a miracle baby, and the concept of gratitude and good fortune is woven throughout the brand.

Lupkey first explored a café concept in 2019 at Karma Juice Bar and Eatery in Safety Harbor, owned by her mother, Josie Barber.

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Pinellas Farmers and Flea Market finds new home at Derby Lane in St. Pete

Pinellas Farmers and Flea Market finds new home at Derby Lane in St. Pete

A popular farmers and flea market has officially made the move from Largo to St. Pete, bringing its wide mix of vendors to a new audience.

The Pinellas Farmers & Flea Market now takes place every weekend at 10490 Gandy Boulevard at Win! Derby, formerly known as Derby Lane.

The outdoor, pet-friendly market features more than 150 vendors each weekend, many of whom were longtime regulars at the former Wagon Wheel Flea Market in Pinellas Park before it closed in 2020.

Shoppers can browse a wide range of offerings, including fresh produce, plants, secondhand goods, and prepared foods from around the world.

The Pinellas Farmers & Flea Market is held every Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., rain or shine.

Admission is free, and free parking is available for all visitors.

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Largo plans redevelopment of 14-acre municipal campus following City Hall relocation

Largo plans redevelopment of 14-acre municipal campus following City Hall relocation

The City of Largo is seeking a development partner to reimagine its longtime municipal campus into a vibrant mixed-use project.

City officials have issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) inviting qualified development teams to submit plans for the redevelopment of the 14-acre city-owned property at 201 Highland Avenue North, a site that has served as Largo’s governmental center since 2000.

The campus currently includes Largo City Hall, the Largo Police Department, and the city’s Emergency Operations Center.

City Hall, however, is scheduled to relocate to Horizon West Bay, a new $85 million mixed-use development at 400 West Bay Drive in downtown Largo, once construction is completed later this year.

The existing City Hall building is expected to be demolished following the move. The relocation will free up approximately seven acres on the southern side of the campus.

City officials have cited the building’s age, costly repair needs, limited space for future growth, and poor storm resilience as key reasons for pursuing a new vision for the property.

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86-unit Palm Lake Urban Sanctuary affordable housing community breaks ground in Disston Heights

86-unit Palm Lake Urban Sanctuary affordable housing community breaks ground in Disston Heights

Construction is officially underway on Palm Lake Urban Sanctuary, an 86-unit affordable housing community taking shape next to Palm Lake Christian Church in St. Petersburg’s Disston Heights neighborhood.

Newstar Development, Palm Lake Christian Church, and the Pinellas County Housing Authority marked the milestone Friday with a ground breaking and cornerstone blessing ceremony at the church’s campus at 5401 22nd Avenue North.

Once complete, Palm Lake Urban Sanctuary will deliver 86 one- and two-bedroom apartments reserved for households earning up to 80% of the area median income (AMI).

 The four-story building is expected to welcome residents by the end of the year, with affordability restrictions in place for at least 50 years.

The project began as a vision from Palm Lake Christian Church and its members to use underutilized land in a way that aligned with the church’s mission while also addressing St. Pete’s growing need for affordable housing.

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New Basque-inspired eatery Barra-Barra launches month-long pop-up in the Grand Central District

New Basque-inspired eatery Barra-Barra launches month-long pop-up in the Grand Central District

A new pop-up opened yesterday in the Grand Central District introducing locals to a cuisine that’s still relatively niche in the U.S., but widely enjoyed abroad.

Inspired by the Basque region, an area in Northern Spain and Southwestern France, Barra-Barra specializes in small, skewered bites called pintxos (pronounced PEEN-chos) in addition to a curated selection of vermouths, ciders, and Basque-inspired cocktails. 

The pop-up will have a month-long residency at Barbouni, a Mediterranean restaurant connected to Baba at 2701 Central Avenue and known for its tinned fish and seafood plates.

Barra-Barra is led by Danielle McCoy and Andrew Duncan, who previously worked together at Baba. They are joined by friends and industry veterans Brennan Taulbee and Baba bartender Eleyah McCaw.

The menu centers on a social style of dining meant to encourage movement and conversation rather than long, seated meals.

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Madeira Beach looks to public input in planning redevelopment of prime waterfront site

Madeira Beach looks to public input in planning redevelopment of prime waterfront site

A 4.6-acre vacant waterfront property at the entrance to Madeira Beach could become a new public asset. The city is beginning to gather ideas from the community on how the land should be used.

An expanded marina, a parking garage, restaurants, and a public park were among the ideas residents suggested during a town hall meeting on Tuesday night regarding the future of the property at 555 150th Avenue in Madeira Beach, located just off the Tom Stuart Causeway.

The site has remained vacant for nearly a decade following the demolition of the Leverock’s restaurant, which closed in 2000.

A previously approved mixed-use proposal by The DeNunzio Group included a 130-room Hilton hotel, 31 residential units, a restaurant, and a 100-slip marina. However, plans ultimately never materialized.

In October 2025, the city acquired the property for $18 million, a price well below independent appraisals that valued the site upwards of $25 million. Using cash reserves, City Commissioner Eddie McGeehen described the strategic purchase as “a great investment for the city.”

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Construction begins on 264-unit affordable housing “unicorn” near St. Pete’s Warehouse Arts District

Construction begins on 264-unit affordable housing “unicorn” near St. Pete’s Warehouse Arts District

Construction is officially underway on one of St. Petersburg’s largest workforce and affordable housing developments.

On Wednesday morning, St. Pete-based HP Capital Group joined city and county officials, community partners, and stakeholders to celebrate the groundbreaking of Fairfield Avenue Apartments, a 264-unit apartment community at 3300 Fairfield Avenue South.

The development will serve individuals and families earning between 50% and 120% of the Area Median Income (AMI), a range that developers and officials say is increasingly difficult to accommodate in today’s housing market.

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The iconic 87-year-old Seahorse Restaurant reopens in Pass-a-Grille after year-long closure

The iconic 87-year-old Seahorse Restaurant reopens in Pass-a-Grille after year-long closure

Seahorse Restaurant, an 87-year-old Pass-a-Grille institution, welcomed its first customers in more than a year this week, after a long period of post-hurricane reconstruction. 

The waterfront breakfast spot closed in late 2024 after sustaining several feet of flood damage from hurricanes Helene and Milton. 

Located at 800 Pass a Grille Way, Seahorse has been serving the community since 1938, dishing out classic breakfasts and hearty lunch plates.  

The restaurant is currently in a soft opening phase, with owner Anayeri Gomez telling St. Pete Rising that a ribbon cutting ceremony is slated for Friday, February 6th at 11 a.m. 

“We had mostly locals coming in, residents from the area,” Gomez said of restaurant’s first day back. “We hired a few new staff members and updated the POS system, but overall it was a really nice training day.” 

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Inside the nine proposals vying to redevelop the 86-acre Historic Gas Plant District in downtown St. Pete

Inside the nine proposals vying to redevelop the 86-acre Historic Gas Plant District in downtown St. Pete

The City of St. Pete has received eight additional submissions in response to its Request for Alternate Proposals for the redevelopment of the Historic Gas Plant District in downtown St. Pete, expanding the field to a total of nine submissions when combined with the original unsolicited proposal from Ark Ellison Horus.

The alternate proposals were submitted by a wide-ranging mix of private developers, nonprofit organizations, housing-focused entities, and community-led groups.

The nine proposals were submitted by the following teams, listed in alphabetical order:

  • Ark Ellison Horus

  • Foundation Vision Partners

  • Freedom Communities Company

  • Logical Sites Inc

  • Pinellas County Housing Authority

  • Reparations Land Trust and Development Authority

  • Tempo Novus

  • The Burg Bid LLC

  • The Tampa Bay Boom Inc.

City staff are expected to conduct a review of the submissions, a process which could take months, according to Mayor Ken Welch.

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