Hyde Park 

Hyde Park House introduces the first and only opportunity to enjoy a new luxury condominium lifestyle in the prestigious Hyde Park Historic District of South Tampa.

Hyde Park House, a luxury 22 story condo tower, is located on Bayshore Boulevard. South Florida-based Kolter already has $30 million in condos reserved and presales began in May, months before the sales gallery opened. Hyde Park House is proposed at Bayshore Boulevard and South DeSoto Avenue, with condos priced from the $900,000s. The 70 units range in size from 2,000 square feet to more than 3,000 square feet; the penthouse is more than 5,500 square feet.

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Craig’s Take:

Kolter, one of Florida’s leaders in the development of luxury condos, brings you Hyde Park House. This is going to be the first high-rise condo ever built with larger floor plans located within walking distance to Hyde Park. The last high-rise condo project built in the general area was Parkside of Bayshore back in 2005. That building has only smaller floor plans in the 1,000- 1,371 sqft range. Reservation opened in May and they currently have 22 of the 70 reserved. The developer is set to convert the reservations to contracts at the beginning of November. It is at that time the deposit increases from $10,000 to 10% and more importantly becomes non-refundable. It will be interesting to see how many of the 22 reservations convert to contracts. The majority of the buyers thus far have proven to be locals looking to downsize from a large home to enjoy the maintenance free, walkable lifestyle this location offers without being in an urban environment like downtown or Channelside towers. This condo building delivers on all three of those benefits better than any other options currently available.  The developer plans to break ground next month, and the building is anticipated to be completing in Mid 2022.

If you would like the most comprehensive analysis of this building including answers to the most frequently asked questions, please respond to this email to request it or call/send text to me at 813-336-5835.   This analysis takes several hours to create and is only available through me.

St Pete Pier 

Construction is moving along for the new 26-acre St. Pete Pier District. The vertical buildings are nearly complete, the coastal thicket landscaping and tilted lawn are being worked on now. The next step will be the roof for the Pier Head building.

The Pier Head building will house three restaurants: Teak, an upscale restaurant, Pier Teaki, a rooftop bar, and Driftwood Café. A bait shop that will complement the fishing dock will be situated at the very tip of the pier. Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille is almost to completion and an ocean-themed playground has been installed. Near the playground will be a plaza where there will be a tenant to serve food and beverages and a splash pad. There are also a number of smaller projects such as shading and lawn work for Spa Beach Park and art installation including Artist Janet Echelman's net sculpture.

The work for the entire Pier District is expected to cost $92 million, attract 1.7 million people a year, and will open in Spring next year. .

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Craig’s Take:

It has been a long time in the making and at one point the new St. Pete Pier’s future appeared to be out of sight. The initial conversations began in 2013 and the formal conversation began in 2014, shortly after Mayor Kriseman took office. There have been multiple design teams working on different designs over the years. The guiding principles throughout all proposed designs were to comprise a collection of activities. The job of the citizens’ Pier Working Group focus was to incorporate all the key elements which include function over form, family oriented, a place for everyone, and to honor the waterfront master plan. In the end it appears the completed Pier design will meet and exceed all those elements. It is sure to be a destination for locals around the Tampa Bay area as well as tourists visiting the Bay area. I am grateful the politicians and taxpayers worked together to make this vision a reality. Check out future posts that will include all points of interest for the new St. Pete Pier.

The Heights

Marriott International will bring its 153-room Moxy Hotel brand to the Heights, the 50-acre riverfront district. Marriott has been drawn to the Heights by its evolution as a trendy place to live, work and play.

The character of the Moxy Hotel will be defined in part by its use of technology and the work of emerging artists. The Moxy has techie features such as guests being able to park in the hotel’s garage, check into their rooms, and unlock their doors with their mobile phones. 

The floors above the hotel will include nearly 300 apartments with their own lobby separate from the hotel. The tower also will include 5,000 square feet of retail space. It will be served by a 1,500-space parking garage, which will have another 9,000 square feet of retail space, that’s expected to open on the same block in late 2020.

The 25-story tower is planned two blocks east of the Armature Works, W Oak and Seventh Avenues on the north and south, and N Highland Avenue and N Tampa Street on the west and east.. Construction is expected to start in early 2020, with the hotel projected to open in 2022.

Craig’s Take:

This is a big deal because there is nothing like this in the Riverside Heights and Seminole Heights area. This is another example of the impact of Tampa’s Riverwalk. The Riverwalk caused many local developers to begin investing in and around the Riverwalk several years ago. At that time, they were considered risky decisions as the area was still underdeveloped and was at the beginning stages of its transformation. Since that time the area has seen a massive transformation. The opening of this Marriott Hotel is another example of a global brand opening a business in this area. I believe these are all positives for the area. However, some locals in the area may not embrace large companies (who are not local) coming into the area. This area has seen a strong grass-roots effort to keep the area with that local small-town feel. Many locals have been investing in the real estate market in the area by purchasing older homes and in some cases building new homes with the intent to Air BNB them. These local investors have experienced great success over the past few years with this opportunity. I am curious to see the impact once the hotel is completed and open for business. I believe there will still be great opportunity as some people prefer to stay in a home environment with the added privacy and amenities it offers in comparison to a hotel. However, the added supply has the potential to drive down nightly rates.

Wesley Chapel

Mark Gold, a real estate investor and developer, spent three years searching for property in the Wesley Chapel area and another year negotiating for the purchase of The Grove at Wesley Chapel before closing the $62.7 million acquisition last month. His ambition is to do what he’s done at other sites around the Southeast — turn a stale shopping center into a destination for family-centered dining and entertainment. This one is northwest of the Interstate 75 interchange at Wesley Chapel Boulevard.

Gold unveiled plans for what he calls a container park to feature local food and crafts. He also envisions a children’s park, an amphitheater with musical events like those offered in the Wynwood Food and Culture District of Miami. He said he plans to invest an additional $110 million in the project. He wants The Grove at Wesley Chapel to become the community’s downtown.

Stay tuned for more updates to come in future newsletters and on our Facebook page. Click below to follow us.

If you’re planning a Thanksgiving for the first time, or just need to bring a dish to a friend's or a family's celebration, here are go to tried-and-true favorites. The most essential Thanksgiving dishes three ways each: classic, with a twist, and fast and easy. Ready, COOK!

The Best Turkey Recipes

• Classic: Brined and Roasted Turkey (Martha Stewart)
• With a Twist: Chile-Rubbed Turkey (Bon Appétit)
• Fast and Easy: Spatchcocked Turkey (Serious Eats)

• Classic: Best-Ever Macaroni and Cheese (Edouardo Jordan, chef-owner of Junebaby; Seattle Times)
• With a Twist: Charred Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Dates (Travis Lett, chef-owner of Gjelina; Bloomberg)
• Fast and Easy: Apple-Herb Stuffing (Smitten Kitchen)

• Classic: Craig & Kathleen Claiborne’s Mississippi Pecan Pie (Food52)
• With a Twist: Brandied Pumpkin Pie (NYT Cooking)
• Fast and Easy: No-Cook Peanut Butter Pie (Real Simple)

Gary Sheffield was one of the fiercest sluggers in the MLB. He’s now a player agent and a TV baseball analyst. He’s also a Tampa, FL native and resident. The former outfielder is known for his philanthropy in Tampa where he’s supported the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay through his foundation.

Right now, it appears as if Sheffield is setting his sights elsewhere—or perhaps he’s just capitalizing on Tampa’s booming real estate market. He recently sold his Gulfside mansion at 922 Anchorage Rd. for $1.9 million.

Luxury awaits in the exclusive gated community of Harbour Island. One of the larger properties in Island Homes, this two-story 5 bedroom/5.5 bath opens up to a large outdoor courtyard with a pool and a separate guest house casita. Recently renovated with neutral colors, all new hardwood floors, updated kitchen and baths, this home is a blank canvas for its new owner to create a masterpiece of their own. Upon entering, you are met by an elegant spiral staircase which flows into a beautifully designed open floor plan. This home features multiple generously sized gathering spaces for entertaining or perhaps a quiet get away. Newly designed kitchen features all new stainless-steel pro appliances with quartz counter tops and back splash. Enlarged formal dining room with custom lighting flows into a separate formal living room with fireplace and wet bar. Beautiful upstairs Master Suite offers a balcony, spa bath, and his and her closets. Two additional bedrooms on the second floor features an over-sized family room/bonus room and an over-sized laundry room. Downstairs bedroom could double as a second Master Bedroom with en suite bath and walk-in closets. Convenient and walkable to the core of Downtown Tampa - Water Street Shops, Riverwalk, Sparkman's Wharf, Harbour Island Athletic Club, Amalie Arena, Hospital, Museums, Restaurants, Arts and Entertainment and so much more. Enjoy the peace of mind of 24-hour manned and patrolled security. Come and enjoy luxury at its finest.

Craig’s Take:
Gary and his wife Deleon purchased this home back in 2002 for $1.225 million. They have done some updating of the home since that time. Gary and his wife will be staying in Tampa as they both have deep roots here. They purchased another home down the street at 932 Anchorage Rd. back in 2013 for $1.975 million. The home at 932 Anchorage has been and will remain their principal residence. The home they sold at 922 Anchorage is very modest in comparison to Gary’s home he owned prior. Interestingly, the home I am speaking of I sold back in 2012. In 1997 when Gary was a bachelor, he built an incredible estate that at the time was one of Tampa Bay’s most prestigious estates. The project took years for Gary to complete. The first step was him acquiring multiple parcels to create 2.84 acres of waterfront real estate overlooking the Skyway Bridge. The nearly 11,000 sqft modern home he built was equally if not more impressive to the land it sits on. The home had some of the most unique features you have ever seen and was the venue of some acclaimed celebrity parties with guests including Mariah Carey and others. The home was featured in movies and on the late Joan River’s show “How’d You Get So Rich”.