Designs revealed for St. Pete’s Sankofa Project
By Breanne Williams
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Oct 22, 2021

Designs have been released for St. Petersburg’s long-anticipated Sankofa Project and the Sankofa Vision Group is now collecting feedback from the public.

The Sankofa Project will be the first new construction facet to go vertical of the Deuces Rising, a redevelopment project along 22nd Street South. Deuces Rising will be on approximately 2.8 acres of the northeast corner of the 14-acre property formerly known as Commerce Park.

The site is owned by the city, which is acting as the developer on the project. The city is partnering with the Sankofa Vision Development Group, a coalition of local organizations including the 2020 Plan/One Community Plan, Tampa Bay Black Business Investment Corp., Felton-Howard Law, Pinellas County Urban League and Mt. Zion Progressive Missionary Baptist Church among others.

The broader redevelopment will feature up to 26 townhomes and approximately 33,000 square feet of commercial space, extending south and west from the intersection of 6th Avenue South and 22nd Street.

A presentation earlier this month revealed new details on the project and gave the community a peek inside the planned redevelopment.

“The Sankofa project, the first of its kind in south St. Petersburg, will be transformational,” Mayor Rick Kriseman said. “We will see affordable and workforce housing here, as well as extensive opportunities for economic development and growth.”

The growth will fuel the resurgence of the Deuces, and that’s why his administration has dedicated time and resources to work with the developer and contractor to ensure success.

“Like many of our successes across St. Pete, the work of the Sankofa project is a collaborative one,” Kriseman said. Documents show the plan is for 18 anchors, 46 microspace tenants and a 3,000-square-foot Digital Tech Incubator. There will also be 2,000 square feet of coworking space.

The city said several business affiliates of One Community, Pinellas County Urban League and Tampa Bay Black Business Investment Corp. have “already expressed interest in leasing space at Sankofa.”

The townhomes in the broader project will range from one to three bedrooms and during its initial discussion the city said some of the revenue generated from the rents of the townhomes would go into a community development fund that would in turn help finance similar projects. The goal, according to documents, is to make the space affordable for local businesses to prosper within the building. The completion of the Sankofa would double the commercial occupancy on the Deuces, according to Sankofa Vision.

Currently proposed are everything from microspaces — starting at 80 square feet, 100 square feet and 500 square feet — to 4,000-square-foot tenant spaces in the building. A variety of special event spaces and common areas are being planned as well.

“The catalytic effect of the Sankofa project will increase the density of commerce on the corridor,” Deputy Mayor Kanika Tomalin said. “It’s a major win to have a city-enabled, community-led project that produces both affordable housing and space for businesses — all while reinvesting in the community through the creation of a community development fund.”

A tenant development program is slated for December. In May 2022 tenant improvement plans are due for founding tenants and in July 2022 construction of the facility will be underway with a grand opening aimed to be held in spring 2023.

The potential design and construction costs according to the estimates from 2019 present by the city are approximately $14 million with an additional $2 million for project planning, project management and contingency. After four years of operating, Sankofa could potentially purchase the building from the city.