Developers delay construction, unveil new design for downtown St. Pete apartment tower
By Henry Queen
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Sep 30, 2024

Gallery Haus, a 23-story apartment tower planned for downtown St. Petersburg across the street from Tropicana Field, is inching toward its groundbreaking.

Miami-based developers — Black Salmon and LD&D, in partnership with IGEQ — unveiled the final set of renderings on Sept. 26 for the approximately $115 million mixed-use development fronting the Pinellas Trail.

The project is scheduled to break ground in the second quarter of 2025, according to a spokesperson. Construction was previously scheduled to start in late 2024.

"These [new] renderings provide a glimpse into the design vision behind this landmark project, which will soon redefine luxury living in the heart of St. Petersburg," a release said.

Black Salmon and LD&D purchased the 0.77-acre site at 155 17th St. S from Apogee Real Estate Partners in late 2023 for just over $9 million. Apogee Real Estate Partners was planning to build a similarly sized apartment tower with slight design differences.

The new development team is now planning for 251 units, just under 5,000 square feet of retail space and a 10,000-square-foot amenity deck above the parking garage with a pool, coworking space and gym.

In a unique setup, the tower will be built around an existing warehouse that houses the Vertical Ventures climbing gym and The Lock Up Self Storage. It will occupy property vacated by Teknia Logistics.

Directly across the Pinellas Trail from the Gallery Haus site is the Modera St. Petersburg apartment tower, which stands slightly shorter at 20 stories.

Modera opened to residents in the summer, and Miami-based Torose Equities purchased its retail component in August for $2.44 million.

Both Modera and Gallery Haus will provide much-needed activation of the Pinellas Trail, offering a test case for that type of retail development just steps away from the upcoming Historic Gas Plant redevelopment.