Long-awaited South St. Pete plaza plans still evolving
St. Pete Catalyst
by Mark Parker
4h ago
While interest in St. Petersburg’s derelict Tangerine Plaza has recently soared, city officials will continue working to facilitate an agreement with the Sugar Hill Group. The development team submitted its latest – and continuously evolving – proposal in June 2022. City council members requested a thorough project update with a current land valuation in January. In the two months since, local development firm Stoneweg US and nonprofit Positive Impact Ministries have submitted all-cash proposals for the city-owned site in an area known for a lack of fresh food, retail and housing options. Form ..read more
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State of the economy highlights growth, Rays
St. Pete Catalyst
by Mark Parker
4h ago
Pinellas County continues attracting new residents, and the overwhelming majority are choosing to live in St. Petersburg. The tagline for Thursday evening’s 2024 State of the Economy event was “inclusive progress – one data point at a time.” A procession of city officials presented a wealth of information, primarily highlighting St. Petersburg’s progress, to a packed crowd at the ARK Innovation Center. One particularly lopsided bar graph compared municipal population increases throughout the county. Brian Caper, economic and workforce development director, noted that St. Petersburg gained 7,50 ..read more
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Local charities come together for Nonprofit Showcase
St. Pete Catalyst
by Ashley Morales
4h ago
United Way Suncoast made good on its commitment to collaboration and capacity building with a Pinellas County Nonprofit Achievement Showcase Wednesday in St. Petersburg. The event, held at Foundation for a Healthy St. Pete’s Center for Health Equity, followed similar showcases in Hillsborough and DeSoto Counties the day before. In addition to providing direct support and hosting its own programming, United Way Suncoast invests in other community organizations by partnering with Results 1st, a for-profit company designed to help nonprofits achieve their goals. This is the second year of the pro ..read more
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Weekend forecast: Slepakov’s Russia, Dylan’s ‘North Country’
St. Pete Catalyst
by Bill DeYoung
9h ago
Friday’s 8 p.m. concert at the Palladium Theater Hough Hall is what’s known as a “rental,” in that it’s presented by neither the Palladium itself or one of its usual community partners. New York-based promoter Show Impulse is behind the current American tour dates for Russian comedian and musician Semyon Slepakov; according to company CEO Vladimir Bykhovskiy, the shows are entirely in the Russian language. At press time, the Palladium performance was close to sold out. In 2023, the Ministry of Justice named Slepakov a “foreign agent” over his song “Kolybelnaya” (Lullaby), which features a moth ..read more
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Developers, city officials discuss new homeless challenges
St. Pete Catalyst
by Mark Parker
1d ago
A seemingly increasing homeless population is affecting condominium sales in St. Petersburg. However, new state legislation banning public “camping” contradicts federal law, leaving the city vulnerable to lawsuits. Those were two notable takeaways Tuesday afternoon at the Developer’s Council meeting. The St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership’s latest monthly event focused on the city’s efforts to assist homeless residents and the effects of House Bill 1365. The recently signed law takes effect Oct. 1 and bans anyone with “personal belongings” from sleeping on an empty lot, sidewalks or a park be ..read more
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Florida Holocaust Museum announces CEO transition
St. Pete Catalyst
by Ashley Morales
1d ago
After one year as the Florida Holocaust Museum’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Carl Goodman is no longer with the organization, it was announced Tuesday in a letter from the Board of Directors. During Goodman’s tenure, the museum was chosen to be the permanent home of the Elie Wiesel collection – including the late writer, activist and humanitarian’s Nobel prize, the entire contents of his personal office and library, unfinished manuscripts and more. The new exhibit, part of a large renovation and expansion plan, is projected to debut in 2025. No reason was given for Goodman’s departu ..read more
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St. Pete comes together for 6th annual Iftar Dinner
St. Pete Catalyst
by Ashley Morales
1d ago
Hundreds of residents of various faiths gathered at the Coliseum Tuesday night for St. Petersburg’s Iftar Dinner. The annual event, now in its sixth year, is hosted by the Tampa Bay Area Muslim Association. The free dinner brings together people of various faiths and walks of life, with a mission of “breaking bread together with peace, love and compassion for all humanity.”  In the Muslim faith, the holy month of Ramadan is about reflection, community, giving and prayer. Each night, followers break the month’s daily fast with a celebratory Iftar dinner. “If there was there ever was a time ..read more
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Local incubator’s startups defy survivability odds
St. Pete Catalyst
by Mark Parker
1d ago
Embarc Collective launched in March 2019 with 25 Florida-based, early-stage companies; 24 remain in business, defying all national survivability rates. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 45% of new businesses fail within the first five years. However, 96% of Embarc Collective’s technology-based startups are still operational, and 60% remain members. Lakshmi Shenoy, CEO of the Tampa-based incubator and accelerator, was hesitant to call her organization’s efforts a success. She prefers focusing on continuously evolving operations to meet the local entrepreneurial ecosystem’s needs ..read more
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The Mar, St. Petersburg City Theatre join forces
St. Pete Catalyst
by Bill DeYoung
1d ago
What goes around, comes around. Heather Hamar knows there’s some truth in that old cliché. Hamar and her husband Dave are the owners of The Mar, the performing arts incubator and rehearsal space that’s operated from a repurposed Central Avenue storefront for the past three years. The Hamars have partnered with St. Petersburg City Theatre, the city’s longest-lived community theater, and are moving The Mar to the SPCT facility on 31st Street South. “When we first started dreaming up this idea of opening The Mar, we were actually looking at the Playhouse Theatre [a long-shuttered facility at 1850 ..read more
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St. Pete receives over $28 million in stormwater grants
St. Pete Catalyst
by Mark Parker
2d ago
Four state grants totaling roughly $28.32 million will provide critical funding for environmental resiliency efforts throughout St. Petersburg. At a March 21 meeting, the city council unanimously approved accepting the cost-reimbursement Florida Department of Environmental Protection grants. Nearly $7.9 million will cover about half of the Shore Acres Resiliency Infrastructure Project in St. Petersburg’s lowest-lying neighborhood. Two grants, $10.68 million and $900,000, will help fund flood mitigation efforts around Salt Creek and Bartlett Lake. Another $8.87 million will go towards operation ..read more
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