$200M Mixed-Use Development Kicks Off in Downtown St. Petersburg

Work started this February on The Central, a huge $200 million project replacing the old police headquarters site. This big development will add needed parking, hotel rooms, office space, and homes to downtown St. Pete.

The site spans 2.1 acres and will feature a stunning 15-story Marriott Autograph Collection Hotel with 168 rooms alongside Halcyon, a modern 12-story office building. They're starting with the parking garage, while the homes and hotel will begin going up in mid-2025.

"That parking garage is going to make our city better. It's going to address a need we've had for a long time because of the growth in downtown," said Mayor Ken Welch to St. Pete Catalyst.

Halcyon will be downtown's first major Class A office building since 1987, adding 125,000 square feet of top-tier office space. Building starts in late summer 2025, with plans to finish in 2027.

Several local companies: Ellison Development, J Square Developers, Backstreets Capital, and DDA Development, teamed up for this project. Their plans include 42 affordable units for working families.

A sky bridge will let office workers access hotel amenities on the fourth floor. They can order lunch from their phones using an app that connects to the building's restaurant and gym.

The garage's roof will feature local Florida plants in a green space. At ground level, a public plaza will honor the Courageous 12, Black officers who fought discrimination in 1965, through artwork by Ya La'Ford.

Local hotels are doing better than ever, bringing in over $1M monthly in bed taxes. Once they finish the garage in early 2025, they'll start building the homes, according to Jordan Star, chief development officer. Casey Ellison, who runs Ellison Development, is optimistic about the future. "Having faith in us in one thing, but you should have all the faith in the world in downtown St. Pete. I think the traction you'll see here over the next 20 years is going to be truly remarkable."