Monday, April 17, 2006

What's next for The Pier?


The Pier, in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida, is an inverted pyramid built in 1973 at the end of a 120 foot pier extending into Tampa Bay. Traditionalists like me miss the "Million Dollar Pier" with a Mediterranean Revival style building built in the 1920s. The pier supports and base of the structure need to be repaired. At issue is whether this $50 million makeover should include a new building, a renovation, or just changes to the Pier approach. The next few months should bring some lively debate to St Pete.

Museum of Fine Arts expansion


The Museum of Fine Arts is a wonderful museum located at Straub Park. The addition will depart from the museum's classic Palladian style with a two-story trapezoid glass conservatory connecting the new building. There will be more galleries, a larger gift shop, and a cafe with views of the downtown Saint Petersburg waterfront. The wing, to be named for Hazel Hough, should be finished in time for a new exhibition in early 2009. The architect is Yann Weymouth of Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum. The new wing will allow much more of the museum's permanent collection to be displayed.

The museum will not close during construction. The last exhibition prior to construction will be paintings from the Medici collection in Florence, Italy. The first new show after construction will be Durer exhibit from Germany.

Bring your dog to a restaurant?


In Europe, people frequently bring their dogs along when they go out to eat. There is a pending bill to allow your dog to come with you to a restaurant - but with several caveats. Restaurants would not be required to allow dogs, and they would only be allowed in designated outside areas that are accessible directly from the outside - not through the restaurant. In recent years several dog parks have been built in the city, which are very popular, and we do have a few beaches where dogs are allowed.

What's a Land Lease?

St. Petersburg and St. Pete Beach, Florida, have dozens of homes that were built on land leases, many of them waterfront homes. The most well known developer of land lease homes was Jack Apple, who built in several developments back in the 1970s. To keep homes affordable, Apple sold the house with a 99 year lease, with payments adjusted annually by the Consumer Price Index. It is possible to get mortgages on these homes, as long as the remainder of the land lease is longer than the term of the mortgage. Some homeowners have bought the land under their homes, so that they are now typical fee simple properties. Others have options to buy, but have chosen not to exercise them. A few have wanted to buy their land, but have been unable to negotiate an acceptable price with the landowner.

Sunday, April 16, 2006

Parkshore Plaza - Downtown St Pete


Closing are being scheduled for the month of May, 2006 for luxury condominiums in Parkshore Plaza at 300 Beach Drive, St Petersburg, FL. These condos face the park, and look across at Tampa Bay. Restaurants and retail will occupy the ground floor along Beach Drive, and the three story buildings are set back from the street at varying distances. The tower, with is above and behind these, overlooks the pool deck and waterfront. The circular entrance is on 3rd Avenue North. Some owners have already put their units back on the market, and there are currently 20 units available.