$103.4 million deal closes for a yearlong renovation of 188 senior apartments
Plus a new flea market date, a Central Avenue building for sale and a Corey Avenue park plan.
The average resident at 518 Third Avenue S. is in their mid-70s and gets by on about $17,500 a year, often mostly from Social Security. Their building is in for a full year of repairs, and the owner says the rent won't budge because of it.
Crews are already working floor by floor at 518 Third Avenue S. while residents stay. Most will shift to empty units elsewhere in the 1971 building, and a few have moved to a hotel nearby until the heavier work on the lower floors is done. Hired movers pack and unpack for them, and residents have been warned about temporary water shutoffs.
Plumbing, cooling equipment and the original windows all get replaced, kitchens get redone, and tubs give way to accessible showers with grab bars. Telehealth, a wellness center and a social services coordinator are also planned.
The $103.4 million package pays for the roughly $51.1 million purchase and the renovation. It's funded by $27 million in bonds from the Pinellas County Housing Finance Authority, plus tax-credit equity, private loans and city and state help. Debra Koehler, whose Sage Partners affiliates have owned the building, now called Skye Isle, since 2009, said the upgrades won't raise anyone's rent, and the affordability limits now run another 50 years.
Back in 2009, those limits were about to run out. "It would have gone market rate and all of these seniors would have been displaced," Koehler said.
The former Hideaway Café building on Central Avenue is listed for $3.6 million
Musician John Kelly opened the Hideaway here in 2009 and ran it for 13 years as an intimate venue and recording studio, a favorite of local singer-songwriters, until rising rent pushed him out. Neon Lunchbox later filled the room with '80s and '90s nostalgia, then closed this summer.
The building was listed for sale last week with a $3.6 million asking price. Brianna Alfaro, the Dalton Wade Real Estate Group agent listing it, said the owners just want to retire. Lolita's is expected to stay under its current lease. The empty former venue, about 2,500 square feet, would not have to stay a music room; with city approval it could be split into smaller storefronts.
Kolter plans 129 condos where Corey Avenue meets the water
The plan includes a new city park at the avenue's waterfront end, plus 12,000 square feet of shops and restaurants. Construction is expected to start by mid-2027.
Residents would get a rooftop pool, fitness studio, gaming lounge, 24-hour concierge and 31 boat slips on Boca Ciega Bay. Kolter has not announced prices, though similar Water Club models start around $1 million.
Indie Flea's season opener moves to Saturday, Oct. 17, in Campbell Park
- When
- Saturday, Oct. 17 · Noon to 4 p.m.
- Where
- Campbell Park
- Address
- 601 14th St. S.
- Price
- Free to attend
Storms in the forecast bumped the opener off its original Sunday date. Hundreds of local makers, vendors, collectors and plant nurseries set up just south of Tropicana Field, with thrift finds, antiques and local food in the mix.
It's the season's only Saturday market. The rest fall on Sundays: Nov. 8 in Campbell Park, Dec. 20 at Albert Whitted Park, then Jan. 3 and Feb. 7 back in Campbell Park.
'90s Black Cinema Halloween Night comes to Culture Creative on Oct. 31
- When
- Saturday, Oct. 31 · 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
- Where
- Culture Creative
- Address
- 2108 34th St. S.
- Price
- First 20 tickets free; early bird $10 through Oct. 24; general admission $20 starting Oct. 25
St. Pete film nonprofit HUE Avenue and Culture Creative, a hub for local artists, are throwing a party built around movies like 'Love & Basketball,' 'Boyz n the Hood' and 'Poetic Justice.' Expect a '90s costume contest, trivia for prizes, games, photo setups and vendors.
"We wanted to create an experience where people can come together, have fun, and reconnect through the culture that Black Cinema gave us," said Tamia Iman Kennedy, who founded HUE Avenue. Organizers expect it to fill up quickly, and the first 20 tickets are free.