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06/18/07 Fourth
Street Thrives Again as a Main Corridor of Retail Activity
Take a drive down Fourth Street and you will notice a lot of retail activity sprouting up along this
corridor. This historic street has experienced a renaissance of activity in
recent years.
Two key projects that provided
a foundation for future retail development expansion along Fourth Street included Sunken Gardens and Bradford Coach House. Retail activity has since
exploded and shows no signs of slowing down along this main corridor of the
city.
In 1999, the City of St. Petersburg rejuvenated Sunken Gardens, a historical subtropical garden attraction, and
renovated the adjacent 40,000 sq ft building which is now home to The Great
Explorations Children Museum, Cold Stone Creamery and Carrabba’s Italian
Grill.
Shortly following that project,
came the renovation of the former Bradford Coach House by an independent
developer. The location now accommodates Outback Steakhouse, Optical
Outlets, Alltel Store, and Panera Bread café.
Subsequently, a string
of retail establishments along Fourth Street have become reality:
·
Starbucks
and Cingular anchored storefronts at 900 Fourth Street N.
·
Round Lake Plaza I and II consisting of 11,000 sq ft retail space lining both sides of Fourth Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues. Tenants include: Washington Mutual,
Chipoltle Grill and Planet Tan.
·
Freedom Bank
established a branch at 1200 Fourth Street N.
·
Cornerstone
Bank established a branch at 1840 Fourth Street N.
·
A new
free-standing Walgreen’s Pharmacy and Bank of America complex takes center
stage at the corner of 3839 Fourth St. N.
·
Royal Palms
shopping center located between 48th and 50th Avenue
N consists of 16,320 sq ft retail space and is fully occupied. Tenants
include, Talbots, Vino101, Mattress Firm and a variety of restaurant
establishments.
·
J.Con Salon and
Spa renovated the former Luby’s Cafeteria which is a 9,200 sq ft facility
located at 5811 Fourth St. N.
·
Firehouse
Subs opened a new franchise located at 80th Avenue North and was
named 2007 Minority Business of the Year by St. Petersburg’s Chamber of
Commerce.
·
Hooters
opens new restaurant at Roosevelt Boulevard and Fourth St. N.
·
July 2007 a
new retail center will open at 30th Avenue and Fourth Street N.
The removal of a retirement facility made room for a retail corner that
consists of Wireless Toyz and SuperCuts as tenants.
Retail establishments
coming soon include:
·
Salon Lofts
is an arrangement of miniature salons leased by 16 independent stylists.
The 40,000 sq. ft. renovation of the existing building, located at 1062 Fourth St. N., is fully leased and expected to open by August 2007.
·
Mainstream
Station, located at 52nd Avenue N., is a new strip center to be
completed by early 2008. Its retail space is already half leased and the
developer just received city approval to begin construction. The 15,000 sq
ft center tenants will include FedEx Kinko’s, Panchero’s Mexican Grill and
Hiro Japanese Steakhouse and Sushi Bar.
·
Starbucks
and Dunkin’ Donut establishments are pending construction at the corner of 88th Avenue N. Both projects have been approved by the EDC.
·
Coconut
Grove center property located at 30th Avenue N. was just listed
for sale. Land development regulations list the property as mixed-use which
could consist of a residential and retail development in the future.
·
HipHopSodaShop
is eagerly awaiting to establish its prototype restaurant at 8901 Fourth St. N. St. Petersburg has been selected as the first location in the country to
launch the new restaurant concept which brings together hip-hop music,
gaming and healthy food with community youth in mind. Former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Warren Sapp is actively involved in the local business concept. HipHopSodaShop
intends on becoming a world-wide restaurant chain with its beginnings
rooted in St. Petersburg.
Retailers and a variety
of other establishments view the Fourth Street corridor as a key location
to establish their brand and have been clamoring to lock in tenant space in
recent years. Property management firms are experiencing fully leased
tenant spaces before a project is completed or better yet prior to a
facility being built or remodeled to current code standards.
All this activity bodes
well for Fourth Street’s local business establishments and its nearby
neighborhoods seeking dining and retail shopping experiences.
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