‘About time:’ Council approves storm-damaged tower’s transformation

16-story hotel approved to replace 100-year-old storm-damaged building in downtown St. Pete

An 11-story storm-damaged building in the heart of downtown St. Pete is one step closer to being demolished and redeveloped into a 16-story boutique hotel after receiving its first approval from the city. St. Pete City Council, meeting as the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), found the proposed plan to demolish the 100-year-old building at 300 Central Avenue and construct a 16-story tower with 74 hotel rooms and 4,000 square feet of com…

‘About time:’ Council approves storm-damaged tower’s transformation

Plans to demolish a long-vacant, storm-damaged tower in downtown St. Petersburg are moving forward. The day cannot come soon enough for some stakeholders.  Gianco Companies will replace the decaying 11-story building at 300 Central Avenue with a 74-key branded hotel. Steve Gianfilippo, CEO of the Tampa-based development and investment firm, envisioned restoring the nearly century-old structure until Hurricane Milton tore a gaping hole in its fac…