Northpinellas: Cracker Barrel restaurant may be built near I-275

Cracker Barrel restaurant may be built near I-275

The city also plans to bring a hotel, such as the Holiday Inn Express or Marriott Fairfield, to northern St. Petersburg.

By JON WILSON

ST. PETERSBURG -- A national chain restaurant and a name hotel have been proposed for vacant land near a north St. Petersburg interstate junction.

If plans clear city boards, Pinellas County's first Cracker Barrel restaurant and store could go up on the northeast corner of 54th Avenue N and 22nd Street, next to an I-275 exchange.

Meanwhile, negotiations are under way to build a Holiday Inn Express or a Marriott Fairfield Inn next to the restaurant on the same 4.9-acre site, said the site's developer.

If planners approve a necessary zoning change, the City Council must give its okay and site plans -- which have not yet been submitted -- must win approval.

"This site, I think it's a natural," said Bill Howell, the project's developer, citing access to downtown and west St. Petersburg areas such as the Tyrone commercial district.

The project site used to be in unincorporated Pinellas County. The City Council annexed the tract last month. South across 54th Avenue N, what once was Ramada Inn -- closed for years before it was purchased by a Tennessee company -- is being converted to an assisted living facility for seniors.

To the east is the old GTE building.

A Cracker Barrel spokeswoman confirmed the restaurant chain, based in Lebanon, Tenn., is looking in the area but would not confirm the 54th Avenue N site.

"We do have our eye on some property but we haven't closed on anything yet. As you know, there's nothing final until closing takes place," Jennifer Presley said this week.

"We don't like to talk about sites until we actually begin construction. That's because we don't want to disappoint anyone, because a lot can happen," Presley said.

Cracker Barrel typically locates near interstate exchanges. There are 434 restaurant-and-store combinations in 40 states, including 33 in Florida. There are stores near Seffner in Hillsborough County, Wesley Chapel in Pasco County and Bradenton in Manatee County.

Hotel representatives couldn't be reached this week. Howell, who once owned and operated the Holiday Inn on St. Pete Beach, said "serious negotiations" are in progress with Holiday Inn and Marriott.

The proposed hotel would be four stories with 100 rooms, according to city planners.