I hope you're right about Central Avenue. I also hope they come up with a better name that "the Dome District." Maybe I'll come to be fond of it, but my initial reaction is that the "Grand Central District" sounds much better (althought that designation is for Central Ave., from 20th Street west to 28th St. I think.)
I reserved a 2/2 condo at 1010 Central Avenue the day they went on the market. It's a 5-story building, only 112 units, with Central Avenue 1st floor units being 2-story live-work units, and the top floor residential units being 2-story on the fourth and fifth floors. They just went on the market on 3/9/05. It looked like the developer, real estate co. or someone was holding back about 15 units initially, and in the first two weeks all were sold but 12 units or so (mostly 1/1s) and the ones held back. Then they were all on the market and within 5 weeks of sales starting, they are sold out!
They were saying construction would start around 6/05, and closings would be around 9/06 or so. They've set up construction barriers. They'll need to do site work first, but can't wait till our new home takes shape!
From reading the posts on this site, and other construction news in the St. Pete Times, it looks like 1010 is the project that is "testing the water". The condos and development from 4th Street to Tampa Bay has done well. There are some townhouses and scattered condos and lofts west of 16th between 1st Ave So., Central and 1st Ave No. in St. Pete.
1010 Central will be the furthest west Central condo development initially, but if Grady Pridgen gets started on his three 5-story building project, I think between 13th and 16th on the south side of Central, we'll be more centralized. The Orion and Casablanca Towers are slated to go up on 8th Street, around 3rd Ave So. and 6th Ave. So. I think. The old Landmark Bank on Central between 8th and 9th Street is supposed to become the new Arts Center. Sembler said they were going to be doing a tower with lower floor parking and offices (I think) and condos above, a few blocks north of Central and just east of 8th Street.
The Sacino family owns property around 1000 Central and they are talking about doing an 11-story condo building, but they don't want to be the first ones out of ground. With the rapid sales of 1010, next door to their property, they may feel more reassured there's a definite market made up of people who are excited by the changes and vibrancy of St. Petersburg, and who are willing to invest and be a part of it!
This is the first time I've posted anything like this on a web site, and I hope I've done it right.
