Zoning changes for St. Pete's Warehouse Arts district win final approval
By Henry Queen
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Sep 16, 2024

The long-sought zoning overlay for the Warehouse Arts district in St. Petersburg is a done deal.

St. Pete City Council on Sept. 12 approved a Target Employment Center overlay that will allow for more multifamily development in a 58-acre area south of the SunRunner transit station at First Avenue South and 22nd Street South. The overlay also prioritizes the creation and maintenance of artist space.

The zoning reform is a success story for urbanists and developers who for years advocated for change.

"We got it right," councilmember Brandi Gabbard said. "I'm so incredibly proud. I want to thank every single person who has hung in there, advocated and [attended] meeting after meeting."

The area — which features a portion of the Pinellas Trail that lacks extensive trail-facing development — is just one mile west of the upcoming Historic Gas Plant district redevelopment and figures to be in high demand.

Councilmember Gina Driscoll said the overlay will allow for a neighborhood designed for the creative class.

The target industries that multifamily developers must make some room for include small-scale manufacturing, artisanal production, brewing and distilling, design services and artist studios. There will also be opportunities for retail, office, research and educational space.

The Warehouse Arts district is expected to accommodate 3,120 jobs by 2050 — up from 1,784 today.

Joe Furst, founder and managing principal of Miami-based Place Projects, owns several parcels in the area he plans to develop. He praised councilmembers for their work and educated discussions.

In addition to an ordinance creating the overlay, City Council agreed to amend the city's future land use map and official zoning map to reflect the changes from a mostly industrial area to one that allows for multifamily projects of up to 86 feet — assuming all bonus thresholds are met.

Forward Pinellas unanimously recommended the changes for approval on July 10, and the countywide planning authority unanimously approved them on Aug. 13.

Regulations on food trucks in the Warehouse Arts district were removed from the ordinance, as the city's legal department said existing city regulations would cover them.