ST. PETERSBURG - An art gallery opens June 21 in the street level space at the new Hampton Inn & Suites downtown.
Kindon Alan Gallery is owned by Courtney Krippendorf and Rich Kauffmann. Kauffmann is from Crystal River, and Krippendorf is a fourth-generation St. Petersburg resident.
The gallery is taking three of the retail spaces on the street level of the four-story, 91-room Hampton Inn. The hotel opened in January, the first new hotel downtown in more than a decade.
Krippendorf said he has five artists: four painters and a ceramicist. He describes them as local, as in Florida residents.
The 2,700 square feet site at 70 Beach Drive will have a catering station and a bar area and less art per square feet on the walls than most galleries, Krippendorf said. The interior will have an industrial look.
"I think our location will make the difference. We are in a hotel so we have a captive audience if the weather is bad. Also we are downtown, which is growing by leaps and bounds," Krippendorf said.
Construction is scheduled to be complete by January.
Jo-Ann Fabrics opens next month
ST. PETERSBURG - Jo-Ann Fabrics' new super store at 66th Street opens July 18.
The craft supplies, silk flower and fabric shop is remodeling the former Service Merchandise next to Pier I Imports.
Jo-Ann Fabrics is moving from Tyrone Gardens, where it has been for 17 years. In its new location, the store will be within sight of Tyrone Square Mall and have more than triple the space it has at Tyrone Gardens.
Two weeks before the move, a sale will begin at the Tyrone Gardens store to clear out the stock.
New restaurant expands for full bar
ST. PETERSBURG - Reiner Heimann is back on the restaurant scene downtown.
He opened Bayfront Tower Grill several weeks ago at 1 Beach Drive, site of his former restaurant, Heimann's. That business closed several years ago after a five-year run.
The new restaurant is not as formal as the previous one, Heimann said last week. And it is being enlarged to get the proper number of seats required for the full liquor bar. The previous restaurant sold only beer and wine.
The addition will have 25 seats and should be completed in four weeks. When it is done, Bayfront Tower Grill will have 150 seats inside and 35 outside under the canopy. It will be open for lunch then also.
Plans for Florida Power site unfold
ST. PETERSBURG - Construction is scheduled to begin on the interior of the former Florida Power building at 125 Fifth St. S in the coming weeks. The building is being revamped by Vector Properties, which plans to use the second floor.
Those plans could change if either of two prospective tenants looking at the building decide they want all of the space, 10,000 square feet.
Vector bought the building late last year, intending to lease out the bottom, maybe to a branch bank since the building has a drive-through window.
"We're still planning to move in," said Ken Heretick, president of Vector Realty and Management Inc. If someone does want the whole building, Vector would lease to them; it has no plans to sell, Heretick said. He would not identify the prospective tenants.
