St. Pete City Council votes for twin apartment towers to be built instead of Moffitt Cancer Center
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., (WFLA) – The City of St. Pete approved a plan to build two apartment towers on 800 Second Avenue S.
The land was originally planned to be a new Moffitt Cancer Center, but city council approved the plan to build the towers instead after the mayor said Moffitt's plan did not include enough affordable housing.
In a unanimous vote, St. Pete City Council approved the new project for two apartment towers, both of them 31-stories high to be built.
There will be 824 dwelling units, 35,800 square feet of commercial space, and around 1,550 parking spaces.
The project is estimated to cost $225 million.
The original plan with Moffitt included on 35 affordable housing units. This is why St. Pete's mayor vetoed the plan. He said any project slated for the property needed to include over 100 housing units.
While the now-approved towers far exceeds that number, none of the units will be designated as affordable housing.
Despite approving the project, some city leaders still believe Moffitt having a location in St. Pete would have been a major benefit.
'Staff has reviewed it, I feel comfortable with it, but goodness, it's just very different from where we started here and it does feel like a little bit of a missed opportunity, that's nothing to say anything about this development,' said Richie Floyd, city council member.
The planned apartment towers exceed the Airport Height Limit, so before the project can move forward, developers will need to get additional approval from the F.A.A.
The three-story building that currently sits on the property will be demolished to make way for the towers.
There is no word on when construction could begin.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Dozens of Breakthru Beverage truck drivers go on strike in Tampa and across the state
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Teamsters went on strike to protest what they said are unfair labor practices at Breakthru Beverage's in Tampa. It's a part of a statewide work stoppage that will also impact the company's operations in places like Fort Myers, Orlando and Tallahassee. From early Tuesday morning through the afternoon, workers were chanting that they are Teamsters and what they want is a fair contract. 'All they really want is a fair day's work for a fair day's pay,' said Brandon Sosnoff, with Teamsters Local 79. 'I've been a driver for the company for the past 10 years, and all they've done is just take stuff from us. That's all they've done in the past. Many, many years, and it's time for us to put a stop on it,' said Yuniel Sancillena, who has been a driver for a decade. Everyone at the union is on strike to demand higher wages as well as better benefits and working conditions. Those behind the wheel said they will protest until they get what they deserve. 'They're laughing at us, and we're going to continue out here, as long as it takes, as long as we've got to be out for, we're going to be out here fighting for what we deserve. Truck drivers deserve better than what they do to us,' Sancillena said. Breakthru is one of the largest alcohol beverage wholesalers in the country, operating in 15 states and Canada. When the drivers got to the negotiating table, they said they were left disappointed. 'The company dropped their last, best, and final offer on us. Essentially, it was just a wage cut. Not increasing health insurance, no retirement benefits. It was just a slap in the face to these drivers, and they said we've got to hit the streets,' Sosnoff said. The drivers said if the strike continues, ramifications will be felt locally and throughout the state. 8 On Your Side's Alessandra Young asked those on strike what the worst-case scenario might be for consumers if the strike continues. 'This is definitely going to be a huge impact when it comes to customers and businesses, they are going to need the product. Obviously, they don't have the manpower to get the product out. Every single driver is going to be out here, no one is going in to move those trucks, unless we get a better contract, and they're going to feel it,' Sancillena said. 'It is going to have a huge impact, because they got a lot of trucks that have got to go out and a lot of products that have to go out and there are many customers that will be waiting on product.' The drivers said they will be out on strike for as long as it takes for them to get the contract they want to see. 8 On Your Side reached out to Breakthru Beverage for a response. 'While we respect the rights of our associates, we are disappointed that our Northern Florida drivers, represented by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, have initiated a strike,' the company wrote in a statement. 'We have contingency plans in place to ensure minimal disruption to the business. We hope to reach a resolution soon and are committed to maintaining an open and transparent dialog with the union. We value all our hard-working associates and always strive to provide them with competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and a positive work environment,' Breakthru wrote. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Pinellas man blames error on state report for uptick in car insurance rates
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Steven Foley was stunned when he shopped for cheaper car insurance, only to discover why his rates were going up drastically. He found that an accident from August 2023 is showing up on his Motor Vehicle Report, known as an MVR, as an 'at fault' accident. In reality, he said the accident was declared at 'not at fault' by both the insurance company he had at the time and the Florida traffic crash report, filled out by law enforcement at the scene. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now In fact, records show the driver who hit Foley was cited for careless driving and driving without a valid driver's license. 'I called the Florida Highway Patrol, state trooper who did the accident and they said, 'No, we transferred it as not at fault.' But it's on my MVR report, and the insurance companies now cannot override it,' Foley said. 'So they want to increase my insurance over $800 more each six months. Apparently, someone must have hit 'at fault' when they transferred some paperwork but no one says they did it, so I'm stuck.' 2-year-old rescued from luggage system, X-ray machine before Tampa vacation Foley said he ran into roadblocks getting this fixed by either his insurance company or Florida Highway Patrol, so he called Better Call Behnken to get to the bottom of this. Consumer Investigator Shannon Behnken called both and this is being looked into to find out what went wrong. In the meantime, Tampa Bay drivers should take note. New data shows Florida ranks in the top three states where car insurance costs the most. In addition, data from online insurance agent Insurify predicts Florida rates will jump another 10 percent this year, while the national average is 5%. Part of what determines your risk is your accident history, as listed in your Motor Vehicle Report, maintained by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. That's why is important to request a copy of your report and try to correct mistakes — just like Foley is. 'I want it off my record because it's going to be on there for years and increase my premium for years,' he said. If you want to a copy of your own Motor Vehicle Report to check its accuracy, you can request one through the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Gov. DeSantis signs anti-squatting legislation in Sarasota
SARASOTA, Fla. (WFLA) — Gov. DeSantis held a press conference in Sarasota on Monday morning where he signed two pieces of anti-squatting legislation. He signed Senate Bill 322, 'Property Rights,' which authorizes sheriffs to remove people 'unlawfully occupying' commercial property. 'Under current law, the remedies to remove unauthorized applicants or occupants of a commercial property can unfortunately be lengthy and time-consuming, which then incentivizes people to take advantage of the situation,' DeSantis said. 'And we're not going to allow that to happen.' The governor signed similar legislation regarding personal property, such as homes, last year. When officials can remove squatters under new Florida law He also signed SB 606, 'Public Lodging and Public Food Service Establishments,' which will make it easier for hotels, motels and other hospitality businesses to remove squatters or uncooperative guests from their property. 'Property rights are really important,' DeSantis said. 'If you don't have private property rights, you cannot have a free society.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
