Kolter Group files plans for hotel in downtown St. Petersburg
By Breanne Williams
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Jan 26, 2023

The Kolter Group is planning to build a Tempo by Hilton hotel in downtown St. Petersburg.

The hotel — which will be the first for Tampa Bay — is planned for 232 and 256 Second St. N, which is currently home to retailer Fit2Run and a parking lot. Plans filed with the city show the hotel will be 14 stories and have 192 rooms. There will also be a 127-space parking garage.

Scott Webb, president of Kolter Hospitality, told the Tampa Bay Business Journal Kolter has “a lot of faith” in the West Coast of Florida and that the hotel will be a continuation of what Kolter Hospitality has done in St. Pete. The group is also behind the Hyatt Place in downtown St. Petersburg.

“We own the Hyatt Place in the market, and it’s been an incredibly great market, very robust,” Webb said. “All of those different demand generators are actively in that market, which is great. Hilton, in our opinion, is underrepresented in that market, it’s a great brand, and we decided to move forward based on that.”

Kolter purchased the properties in 2021 for a combined $7.5 million.

Webb said the site is “incredibly well-located” and is within walking distance to “just about everything.” He added the hotel will have a rooftop bar and pool.

If all goes according to plan, Webb said the developer hopes to demolish the existing building and begin construction either by the end of this year or the early start of next year. Construction is expected to take 18 to 20 months.

Orlando-based L2 Studios Inc. is the architect for the project. Webb said they are working with Hilton to finalize interior designs now.

Kolter Group has also previously developed ONE St. Petersburg and is currently building luxury condominiums Saltaire and Art House.