Floridian Social Club in downtown St. Pete is for sale
By Breanne Williams
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Dec 11, 2023

On the cusp of its 100th anniversary — and after undergoing a multimillion-dollar renovation — the Floridian Social Club in downtown St. Petersburg is officially on the market.

Real estate broker Kevin Chadwick bought the long-neglected property, then known as the State Theatre, in 2018. Chadwick was born and raised in St. Pete; his parents had their first date at the theater. He said breathing new life into the asset was a passion project, and he was determined to do everything in his power not to lose the last of the old theaters in the city.

“There was a time where there was no other place to go,” Chadwick said. “If you were 16 years old growing up in Pinellas County or St. Pete, if you were going to go out on the town to go out, you went to downtown St. Pete, and you went to one of the five single-run theaters of the 40 and 50s. This is the last of them. It seemed a real shame to potentially lose it.”

Wendy Giffin of Cushman & Wakefield is marketing the property, which is at 687 Central Ave. N., for sale. The sale will include both the business — including the beer, wine and liquor license for on-premise consumption — and the real estate.

The project became a family affair, with Chadwick bringing his children on board to rebuild and reinvent the venue so it could last another 100 years. After years of hard work, he said the day was finally here to recognize he’d finally completed his mission. He hopes to find an experienced venue operator who can elevate the space to the next level.

Every aspect of the theater has been rebuilt — wall-to-wall and ceiling-to-ceiling — including new plumbing and electrical. Chadwick meticulously researched the history of the building and brought back many of its original features.

During the renovations, he said he uncovered “little time capsules,” including the original green rooms that had been condemned for years and old soundboards the size of a Volkswagen. Chadwick also discovered a hidden wall between the green rooms filled with the signatures of artists that had played at the venue over the last 100 years, among them Jon Bon Jovi and Pink.

The building is 9,447 square feet, and its occupancy allows for 764 people. Since its rebrand, it has hosted everything from concerts to weddings to acrobatic burlesque shows and jazz events.

Chadwick said he’s taken it as far as his real estate background allowed. He is searching for an owner-operator who has experience with a unique venue. With everything happening throughout the city over the course of the last few years, Chadwick said St. Petersburg is now an internationally sought-after destination.

On any given night, the 600 block — along with much of downtown — is filled with visitors from all over the world. Chadwick credits the early city planners who dedicated waterfront property for parks and public use. He said that — paired with the multiple sports teams and the plethora of museums in the area — has ensured St. Pete will be a destination for years to come.

Giffin said the 600 block specifically has “truly retained its historic nature.” The small shops and unique venues like the Floridian Social Club have made the subblock a “little jewel for St. Pete.”

When The Residences at 400 Central finishes construction in a few years, hundreds of new residents will be just a few blocks away. Down the street, the Tampa Bay Rays and Houston-based development firm Hines are preparing a major transformation of the city’s Historic Gas Plant District. The future, Chadwick said, is bright, and it’s time the Floridian Social Club prepares for its next chapter.

“You get to a point where, when you create something you really are proud of, you realize it has so much potential beyond you,” Chadwick said. “It’s time to really hand it off to an owner-operator. My proudest moment is realizing that there’s so much more potential that the Floridian Social Club has without having Kevin Chadwick at the helm.”