The City of St. Petersburg Development Review Commission has approved a 21-story, $134 million mixed-use apartment tower proposed for a 1.3-acre site within Downtown St. Petersburg’s National Register Historic District. Commissioners voted 4-1 on Wednesday to advance The Pelican, a 370-unit residential development designed by Baker Barrios Architects and planned by St. Petersburg-based Stadler Development, following multiple hearing postponements and a prior deferral.
Details surrounding the approval, hearing history, and public input were reported yesterday by St. Pete Catalyst’s Mark Parker. The approved proposal calls for a 221-foot-tall tower with 3,819 square feet of ground-floor retail space at the intersection of 5th Avenue North and 4th Street North. The assemblage occupies the southern frontage of 5th Avenue North between 5th Street North and 4th Street North, with the contiguous parcels forming an end-to-end development site spanning the full block frontage. The development encompasses 10 parcels currently occupied by seven multifamily structures constructed between 1920 and 1930.
Stadler Development first proposed the project in June 2025. An initial hearing was postponed after the city’s Planning and Historic Preservation Division raised concerns regarding the site plan’s sensitivity to surrounding historic resources. The site is located approximately 75 feet north of Trinity Lutheran Church, which received historic designation in August.
At a subsequent hearing in September, commissioners expressed concern over the tower’s height and its compatibility with the Historic Uptown neighborhood to the north. Stadler Development, represented by Don Mastry, agreed to defer a vote rather than proceed toward a potential denial. A hearing scheduled for November was later postponed, culminating in Wednesday’s approval.
While Stadler made several design adjustments in response to commissioner feedback, the project’s overall height remained unchanged. Commissioners ultimately determined that matters related to the preservation of naturally occurring affordable housing and broader neighborhood character fall outside the commission’s authority, noting that the proposal complies with downtown zoning and the city’s comprehensive plan.
Public comment included opposition from residents concerned about displacement and the removal of contributing structures within the historic district. Although the existing buildings are considered contributing resources, the National Register designation does not provide demolition protection.
Other speakers supported redevelopment of the site, citing its location at a primary entrance to downtown and referencing city staff’s unanimous recommendation for approval, as well as the project’s anticipated contribution to the city’s tax base.
As part of the approval, Stadler Development will contribute $1.5 million to the City of St. Petersburg’s affordable housing trust fund and donate $50,000 toward public art. The developer also agreed to screen the south facade of the project’s six-story parking garage following concerns that back-of-house conditions would be visible from large portions of downtown.
The site is owned by Michael Andoniades, who also owns the adjacent Hollander Hotel. Stadler Development is under contract to purchase the property. The project will dedicate 85 parking spaces within its garage for hotel guests, with an additional reallocation providing Stadler Development with 25 spaces.
The project team stated that traffic impacts associated with the development would be relatively minor. Commissioners acknowledged the concerns raised during public comment while reiterating that the commission’s role is limited to evaluating compliance with adopted zoning regulations and planning policy.
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