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Skyline to sprout 2 more condos

The buildings are among five residential projects that would add almost 1,000 units downtown.

By SHARON L. BOND
Published November 3, 2005

	[Rendering]
	The Edge would be built at 300 Fourth Ave. S. Its fiber-optic, backlit northeastern face will change color with the temperature.
	Renker Eich Parks Architects
	The 25-story La Vista would be built at 251 Fifth St. N. It would have 196 loft-style condos and parking on the first six floors.
	It's Your Times: Share your views on the plans

ST. PETERSBURG - One tower is a 31-story glass ellipse that will offer digital public art and change color according to the outside temperature. The second building will be 25 stories high with an L-shaped tower and views of the city's Mirror Lake.

The two are among five residential construction projects that gained initial approval from the city Wednesday and, if built, will add another 920 condominiums to St. Petersburg's downtown.

The city already has seven condominium projects built in the past eight years that are home to 451 residents. Two more projects will be occupied next year by more than 200 buyers. Another is in the beginning stages of construction and will offer 91 homes. More than half a dozen additional ones are in various stages of planning and permitting for hundreds more downtown residences.

The largest of the five projects approved Wednesday, the Arts Village, was unveiled in August. Glass artist Dale Chihuly will have his only permanent collection there, and the twin glass towers will hold more than 500 condominiums. Developer Jimmy Aviram is teaming with the Arts Center for this project.

Aviram increased the height of the building to 390 feet, to increase the number of larger condominiums, he said. At that height, the art village towers will tie with Signature Place, also in the planning stages, for highest building in town and Pinellas County. The highest now is the Bank of America tower at 386 feet.

The Edge and La Vista are newer to the public.

The Edge, an indigo and aquamarine tinted glass ellipse, will be built at 300 Fourth Ave. S and will include 176 residences, office space and retail at street level. Developer Frank Maggio of First Dartmouth Homes, who has three other condo projects in the planning stages in St. Petersburg, plans to put his companies' offices on the top three floors, space usually reserved for penthouses.

Maggio said the Edge will cost $65-million to build, of which $325,000 will go to public art and water features.

"It will have a Times Square element at the base. There will be a video display, breaking news," he said. The digital public art will allow the looks of the building to be changed.

The building will have a fiber-optic, backlit tubular design on its northeastern face that will tell temperature by color.

"It will change color and we will all know what the temperature is, within 10 degrees," Maggio said.

Maggio said it also will advertise the Edge as a beacon for wireless Internet service that could stretch 35 to 70 miles.

Bragg Crane, one of the partners for the project, sees La Vista, the 25-story building near Mirror Lake, as a project near enough to downtown that residents can walk to restaurants, shops and movies. La Vista will cost $40-million to build.

"We have so much going on downtown. You have people who want to be able to walk to those events but not live" in the activity.

"It's a terrific site," Crane said.

Because the first six floors will be parking, residents will get a beautiful view from floors seven up. To make sure, Crane said he and his partner climbed atop the nearby Pennsylvania Hotel, which is seven stories.

"We stood on top and said, "Oh my goodness.' "

La Vista will be built at 251 Fifth St. N and have 196 loft-style condos. It will replace six apartment buildings on the site that have 97 apartments. Crane said many residents will be able to find homes in other buildings that he and partner Kenneth Ruddock have bought over the past six years.

The two have a joint venture partner in La Vista, whom Crane would not identify. That partner, in California will decide timing and pricing of the project. Crane said it would be impossible now to say what prices of condominiums will be, because of escalating construction costs.

[Last modified November 3, 2005, 01:06:17]