Green Bench Monthly Vol. 7, Issue 12, December 2022

VOL. 7, ISSUE 12, DECEMBER 2022

Green Bench Monthly

St. Pete’s Community Magazine

St. Petersburg Opera Company: World Class Opera & Holiday Sparkle pg. 16 Looking Back:

Sunshine City in 1922 pg. 6

Awakening Into Wellness

Reconnect pg. 10

The Kind Mouse

Making a Difference pg. 14

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Publishers Ashley & Tony Sica

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Editor Mary Jane Park

Contributors Tina Stewart Brakebill Suzanne Driscoll Brian Zucker

Photographers Brian Brakebill Kristina Holman Musaweron Photography

Cover Photo 2021 St. Petersburg Opera Company Holiday Sparkle Photo courtesy of St. Petersburg Opera Company

IN THIS ISSUE 4

PO BOX 76095 St. Petersburg, FL 33734 (727) 280-5406 hello@greenbenchmonthly.com

From the Bench

6 Looking Back: The Sunshine City in 1922 9

Contact

10 People of St. Pete: Kim Lehto

10 Awakening into Wellness: Reconnect with Your Body, Mind and Spirit 14 The Kind Mouse: Making A Difference One Tummy at a Time

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16 St. Petersburg Opera Company: World-Class Opera For All Ages 18 Parks of St. Pete: Boyd Hill Nature Preserve 20 Downtown Developments

by St. Pete Rising 22 Events: Holiday Shopping and More!

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Flamingo at Sunken Gardens. Photo by City of St. Petersburg

From the Bench A note from the Publishers Hurricane season is officially over! Happy December, St. Pete. As we look back on the year, we are so grateful for all those that shared their story with us, our loyal readers, and of course, none of this would be possible without our advertisers. Thank you all for helping to make this little magazine so special. This month, Tony and Ashley Sica we thought it would be fun to look back even Publishers / Owners further to see what the Sunshine City was up to in 1922 (pg. 6).

December is a magical time, and we are so excited about all the events happening in the 'Burg. From performances to shopping, to putt putt on the Pier - we are here for it (pg. 22). Check out the markets for your last minute holiday shopping and stocking stuffers; Stuff & Things & Stuff, Holizaar, and Winter In the 'Wood are sure to have something for everyone on your list. We hope you have a wonderful holiday season and we will see you next year.

Till next time, Ashley & Tony

All are welcome on this bench.

The history of the green benches is layered. For some, it is a reminder of a painful period of racism and segregation. To others, it is a symbol of welcomeness and hospitality. We carry this name to shine a light on our city’s history and in celebration of those who work tirelessly towards a more inclusive St. Pete. To read more about our story and the history of the green benches visit greenbenchmonthly.com/about.

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Left: Tampa Bay Times (St. Petersburg, Florida). Sunday, Dec 31, 1922. Tampa Bay Times Newspaper Archives, tampabay.newspapers.com

Looking Back: The Sunshine City in 1922

By Tina Stewart Brakebill One hundred years ago, the New Year’s Eve edition of the St. Petersburg Times declared, “1923 DAWNS AS GREATEST YEAR FOR SUNSHINE CITY.” This enthusiastic assumption regarding the community’s future was founded on the seemingly unstoppable triumphs of the previous year. Hindsight offers a blinder-free understanding of the fragility of that assumption, but in that moment, relentless optimism ruled.

“The Man Who Sees Anything But Sunshine is Blinded By His Own Gloom.”

On Oct. 25, 1921, Tampa Bay was hit by the most destructive hurricane since 1848. A storm surge of up to 11 feet wreaked havoc on many coastal locations. Damage included the loss of St. Petersburg’s city pier, but the village narrowly escaped the worst of the storm. Two days later, the sun shone on the “Queen of the West Coast,” and locals seemed ready to look to the future. According to the local paper, “whiners” would get “little hearing” as the “City Comes Up Smiling After Storm Passes.” The fact that St. Pete was already “open for business” proved its “right to reign supreme remains undisputed.” Two months later, Frank Pulver stepped into the role of mayor.

His fun-loving, “billionaire bachelor” antics seemed to epitomize the sunny confidence that Sunshine City boosters wanted. Always decked out in a snow-white suit, Pulver was known for his city-boosting publicity stunts that often caught the attention of the national press. As his first full year in office ended, his trust in the future supremacy of “sunshine” looked to be a secure bet. The Saints, the local minor-league team, had even secured the first pennant St. Pete “ever copped in baseball.” It seemed nothing could stop the city’s momentum.

“Have You Noticed the Chair Stores?”

The foundation for this upward swing began in 1921 with expanding new construction, including the new Waterfront Park stadium where the Saints played. It hit full stride in 1922. No expense was spared to pave, construct, and extend roadways and bridges as the city embraced the idea of the automobile. Dealerships sprang up everywhere, and you could barely turn a page in the Times without seeing an advertisement for a must-have new Dodge, Ford, or Cadillac. Construction of the Gandy Bridge began in December 1922 with a pledge that those new automobiles would drive across the bay on Jan. 1, 1924. This can-do “Gandy spirit” also permeated building construction as more than $4 million worth of work began in 1922.

The new construction included homes, hotels, banks, churches, and theaters, as well as the Haines Building, which provided an impressive new location

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Looking east along Central Avenue - Saint Petersburg, Florida. 1922-11-01.

State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory.

for the rapidly growing Willson-Chase Department Store. In total, the city added more than 5,200 rooms, 670 houses, and 50 apartments in 1922 as its footprint spread up and out. According to one local leader, the real sign of “sure prosperity” was Willson-Chase’s new-furniture department and a plethora of new “chair stores,” as they open in places where the future is “well assured.”

“Everyone Is Made to Feel at Home in ‘Dream City’ of the South” Multiplying “chair stores” may have signified prosperity, but most civic leaders viewed tourism as the real key to success. By year’s end, more than 10,000 visitors had been registered by the Chamber of Commerce, besting the 1921 total by nearly 2,500 people. Room availability could not keep pace; many visitors chose venues like Leora Lewis’ Tent City, where a campsite could be rented for $50 per season. According to an unnamed St. Pete booster, the beautiful setting was part of the reason for these recordbreaking numbers, but most tourists came because “visitors find welcome here.” The Tourist News kept visitors up to date on the many offerings that catered to the seasonal swell, from multiple gaming clubs at Williams Park and evening concerts on the newly rebuilt Municipal Pier to the Boston Braves’ spring-training baseball games at Waterfront Park and shows at La Plaza Theater. In 1922, this celebration of tourism also saw the extravagant return of the Festival of States. Last held before World War I, the expanded weeklong festival in March included an opening “parade of states” with state-sponsored floats and 300 history-themed decorated cars, a carnival, a regatta, and a closing costumed “Dance of the Sun Worshippers” parade.

Approximately 20,000 people watched the fireworks that topped off the selfdescribed “greatest spectacle in history of the city.”

“Building 200 New Green Benches” St. Pete’s seemingly unstoppable rise prompted the city to announce it was “building 200 new green benches” and predicted that “they will not be half enough to accommodate the crowd” of tourists expected the next year. Although marketed as a sign of welcome, the green benches are a reminder that in 1922, not “everyone is made to feel at home.” By 1922, the Jim Crow era of segregation and intimidation had been firmly established.

Subsequently, although African Americans made up nearly 20% of the city’s population, they and Black tourists were denied access to most of the places and things celebrated by Sunshine City boosters, including those ubiquitous green benches. As we look back at the frenetic highs of 1922’s boom, it’s vital to remember the lows of that year as well. We can learn from both.

Sources available on request.

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Finding Her Way As a local kid, Lehto spent much of her childhood taking advantage of the area’s parks and honing her athletic skills. Excelling at volleyball and softball while at Boca Ciega High School, Lehto earned scholarships in both sports, enabling her to attend Limestone University in Gaffney, S.C. Graduating with a degree in counseling and human services, she says her primary goal was to “get a job helping people.” By 1999, she had found her way back to St. Pete, where a summer Parks & Recreation job would prove to be the path forward..

Parks & Recreation Beginning as a coach at Shore Acres Recreation Center, Lehto took an opportunity to work as a part-time programmer with the Teen Arts, Sports and Cultural Opportunities (TASCO) Division before earning the role of full-time supervisor with TASCO’s special events programming. She helped to develop and expand numerous experiential learning programs for teens that were designed to promote positive and empowering leadership skills.

She loved being part of this mission, and in 2002 she took “a leap of faith” and left the city when she was presented with a challenging new position.

Parks & Recreation: The Reboot, Parts 1 and 2

People of St. Pete: Kim Lehto

As part of a state-sponsored program designed to help young adults as they aged out of the foster care system at age 18, Lehto hoped it would be an “opportunity to really make a difference.” Frustrated by structural limitations that reduced her ability to effect the desired change, she returned to TASCO and Parks & Recreation. A few years later, she moved into a recreation facilities-management position before leaving the city again to pursue a new challenge in Jacksonville. Missing home, she returned to St. Pete and worked for the Tampa Bay Rays as an events coordinator. Again, the city came calling. Officials had obtained a wellness grant, and they wanted Lehto to oversee it, so she returned to the Parks & Recreation Department.

By Tina Stewart Brakebill

Parks & Recreation: Revisioning

Kim Lehto. Photo by Brian Brakebill

St. Pete is celebrated for its fabulous weather, beautiful vistas, worldclass food scene, and thriving cultural atmosphere but the people of St. Pete truly make this city something special. In appreciation, each month Green Bench shines a light on one of the many people that make St. Pete unique.

As we move toward 2023, our focus is on Healthy St. Pete coordinator Kim Lehto. Responsible for managing citywide community health and wellness programs as well as the City of St. Petersburg’s employee wellness program, Lehto is passionate about helping “to advance St. Petersburg’s health and well-being.”

Over time, Lehto helped develop the program into an effective community-driven initiative to improve health and wellness. In 2018, the city adopted “Healthy St. Pete” as an official division within the Parks & Recreation Department and solidified its commitment to community health. As the division’s coordinator, Lehto oversees numerous programs, and you’ll also find her directly participating in them. When she’s not working, you’re likely to find Lehto, husband Chris, daughter Riley, and stepson Harrison camping, biking, kayaking, or engaging in friendly neighborhood Nerf battles. “I’m where I should be,” she says.

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Awakening into Wellness: Reconnect with Your Body, Mind and Spirit

Above: Awakening Into Wellness offers a variety of services including meditation classes. Below: Donika Vlada (Special Events & Communication) and Esperanza “Hope” Cuesta (Managing Director) Photos by Musaweron

By Suzanne Driscoll There is no need to travel far from home to find a sacred and safe space that combines age-old healing modalities and new discoveries for holistic well-being. With a variety of classes, educational workshops, salt room, and practitioners from all around the world, Awakening into Wellness offers a unique combination of multicultural wisdom and multigenerational knowledge here in St. Pete.

Founder Maria Carranza, originally from Puerto Rico, came to the Tampa area as a young woman. A certified laboratory supervisor in hematology, she became interested in alternative medicine and established a place where the community can take advantage of holistic therapies. Carranza opened Awakening into Wellness in 2017. She shares her time between the clinical field and her wellness studio.

Awakening is home to 15 practitioners offering a variety of services including meditation, breathwork, family constellation, shamanic work, astrology, massage, stretch, Reiki healing, crystal therapy, tarot, yoga, sound therapy, tai chi, Jin Shin Jyutsu, and career wisdom. “Our focus is on balance, using non-invasive natural modalities, treating the whole person – physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually,” says managing director Hope Cuesta.

studio for Social Friday, happening at 11 a.m. every Friday, for a unique community circle, or at 7 p.m. the 11th of every month, for a support group that meets to share concerns, joys, and the ups and downs of life.

“It’s a great way for anyone from out of town to meet new people and for all of us to support each other,” says Donika Vlads, the studio manager. “There is something special happening when you sit on the floor in a circle, and you feel safe to ‘just be,’ surrounded by people that are speaking your language.”

Since Awakening is a women-owned business and sees the potential of partnership and cooperation, it is hosting a local chapter of Power Social Fridays and Support Groups Gals Networking. Power Gals Networking of St. Pete meets at noon on Awakening is one of the few places in town that offers free the first Thursday of each month. If you would like to connect with likecommunity space where newcomers and locals, holistic healers and minded businesswomen, receive support, get referrals, and discuss best diverse groups can meet and share time together. Make sure you visit the practices, learn more at www.PowerGalsNetworking.com.

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Find crystals, meditation stones, and protective jewelry in the Awakening Into Wellness retail shop.

A Retail Shop and Awakening Markets Located right in the heart of St. Pete, Awakening maintains a retail shop as well – from healing crystals, meditation stones, protective jewelry and malas to sound bowls and salt-treatment products. They also host Awakening Market from noon to 7 p.m. on the third Saturday of every month, where shoppers converge onto the Grand Central District to select products from a variety of wellness vendors and crafters. Inside the Awakening studio, you can also find psychic readings, clairvoyants, and energy readers.

At Awakening you will also find a spa-like, controlled salt room which uses pharmaceutical grade salt for Halotherapy. Read more about this at awakeningstpete.org/salt-therapy/

Awakening into the Sun Festival Be sure to mark your calendar for the 10th annual Awakening Into the Sun Festival to be held March 11 and 12 at North Straub Park in downtown St. Pete. There will be free live music, yoga, food vendors, and an indie market with over 150 vendors specializing in all aspects of wellness.

“We are like a melting pot of different businesses, cultures, groups,” Cuesta says, “and we hope that the community will take time for themselves to practice self-care by stepping into Awakening.”

For more information or to view the schedule of classes and events, please visit www.AwakeningStPete.org or call (727) 2894747. The studio and retail shop are at 1990 Central Ave.. A commercial kitchen is available for rent for a vegan café.

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The Kind Mouse: Making A Difference One Tummy at a Time

By Tina Stewart Brakebill In 2012, Gina Wilkins, was compelled into action after becoming aware of the number of children in Pinellas County suffering from chronic hunger and food insecurity. Her decision to take action became The Kind Mouse. In the 10 years since, the nonprofit has helped fill more than 750,000 tummies. The Kind Mouse will continue its mission to feed hungry kids, one tummy at a time, but they can use our help.

As Mice In Training and Mice Interns, young volunteers ages 5 to 18 immerse themselves in the mission of the organization Photos courtesy of The Kind Mouse

Food Insecurity in Pinellas County The number of chronically hungry kids in Pinellas County has risen dramatically in the last decade. As of 2020, nearly 16% of local children struggle with food insecurity, the lack of access to enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle. The myriad of adverse social and health outcomes can be especially devastating for children. Hungry kids struggle to concentrate, learn, and make lasting social connections.

Children who don’t know where their next meals are coming from cannot build the strong foundations necessary to rise and succeed.

Making sure that fewer kids go hungry is an achievable goal with the help of organizations like The Kind Mouse.

Why Be a Kind Mouse?

Studies repeatedly show that food insecurity can be reduced with multilevel interventions that include participation in food-assistance programs like The Kind Mouse. To fulfill its mission “to assist … chronically hungry children,” the organization partners with other community groups. In 2019 alone, they distributed 123,000 pounds of food and served over 1 million meals through various avenues. Every week, the Mouse Nibbles program delivers nonperishable foods in unidentifiable bags to hungry kids at Pinellas County schools so that they and their families have nourishment for weekends and holidays.

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Kids Feeding Kids In addition to helping kids and families in need, the organization seeks “to develop the next generation of volunteers to carry on the mission of The Kind Mouse.” They raise awareness about childhood hunger while also fostering good citizenship with programs that demonstrate the importance of nonprofit community service. The various efforts under the “Kids Feeding Kids” umbrella serve a vital role in this effort. As Mice In Training and Mice Interns, young volunteers ages 5 to 18 immerse themselves in the mission of the organization, make a meaningful difference in the lives of hungry children, and learn valuable skills as leaders.

The Kind Mouse Loves its Helpers: Big and Small!

The Kind Mouse also loves its grown-up helpers. Volunteers of all ages can lend a hand by organizing food drives or events, working in the pantry or office, sponsoring a program, and/or raising awareness.

As founder Wilkins notes, The Kind Mouse prides itself on being “lean and mighty,” but the organization still needs to take care of its staff and operations. During these times of rising needs and diminishing means, fiscal gifts are more important than ever. Donations to the non-profit 501(c)(3) organization are tax deductible. As you think about end-ofthe-year contributions, please consider The Kind Mouse.

Contact Information For information, visit www.thekindmouse.org or phone (727) 5757834 or send email to info@thekindmouse.org

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St. Petersburg Opera Company: World-Class Opera For All Ages

By Suzanne Driscoll If you’re a fan of classical music or theater but have felt unsure about attending an opera, this may be the season you will want to give it a try. The St. Petersburg Opera Co. has been putting on first-class productions since 2007, with singers and musicians coming from all over the world to perform here.

Offering a theme of justice, freedom, and the power of the human spirit, this year’s performances will entertain and enthrall music lovers of all ages.

Staged at the 850-seat Palladium Theater with a full orchestra, they feature the struggles of three different women and the price they pay for the freedom

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Maestro Mark Sforzini. Photos by Musaweron

of their loved ones. Tosca was presented in October. In Fidelio, written by Beethoven and scheduled for March 24-28, 2023, a wife disguises herself as a man to liberate her husband from prison. This will be sung in German with translations above the stage, along with English dialogue. The heroine of L’Italiana in Algeri is a clever enchantress who must trick her way to free herself, her fiancé, and her people. To be presented June 2-6, 2023, it will be sung in Italian, also with translations.

Each season, the opera stages a production for kids. This year, it was Pinocchio. In November, more than 1,200 third-graders from across Pinellas County were bused to Opera Central to attend special private performances.

Before that, St. Pete Opera performers conducted in-school presentations in which students learned about opera and musical theater and participated in a few pieces from Pinocchio.

Maestro Mark Sforzini is an Alabama native who received his music training at Florida State University. He served as principal bassoon of the Florida Orchestra from 1992 to 2007 and composed orchestral and chamber works as well as one-act operas that were performed by orchestras throughout the United States. While working as the artistic director of the Encore Series of chamber music at the Palladium, he was invited to guest conduct Madama Butterfly. He knew then that he was “meant to be doing opera.”

Dr. Sarah Klopfenstein (Pinocchio) and Kevin Mitchell, Jr. (Geppetto) rehearse for this year’s production for kids

Upcoming Events St. Pete Opera’s annual holiday extravaganza, “Holiday Sparkle,” runs from Dec. 15-22 and features a fully staged production of Amahl and the Night Visitors along with 16 singers and a 20-piece orchestra performing holiday music from the sacred to the popular. A POPera-style holiday show at North Straub Park will take place at 3 p.m. on Dec. 18 with “pay what you can” seating options. In April 2023, the company will bring the critically acclaimed Opera Cowgirls to three locations in Tampa and St. Pete.

Myths About Opera Sforzini likes to dispel impressions that might prevent people from attending a performance. “I think people expect heavy-set singers who will be very loud,” he says, “but the truth is they come in all shapes and sizes and vary the dynamic of their voice to different degrees of volume. And if you enjoy watching foreign films with subtitles, an opera will be a similar experience so you will understand all that is going on. Some may also think you have to get dressed up, but this is Florida, and we see everything from T-shirts to tuxes. Come as you are and leave inspired!”

St. Petersburg Opera Company is located at 2145 First Ave S. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.stpeteopera.org or call (727) 823-2040. Donations are always welcome to make education programs and productions possible, and sponsorships are available at all levels.

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Boyd Hill Nature Preserve is located at 1101 Country Club Way S. Photos by Brian Brakebill

Parks of St. Pete: Boyd Hill

By Tina Stewart Brakebill Beginning with City Park (today’s Williams Park) in the late 19th century and expanding to the waterfront in the early 20th, St. Petersburg’s parks have a long history of providing locals and visitors with a wide variety of amenities.

Today, St. Pete can boast more than 150 city parks and numerous Pinellas County parks. According to the Trust for Public Land, 77 percent of residents live within a 10-minute walk to a park. Park amenities vary depending on location and size and can include picnic areas, playgrounds, beaches, boat ramps, fishing docks, playing fields, sports courts, fitness equipment, trails, nature preserves, art installations, and historic sites. Dogs and skaters even have their own spaces. Parks & Recreation also offers classes, service projects, camps, and a variety of after-school educational programs. Choose an activity or choose to relax, and there’s a park or recreation center that fits your needs.

Trails, Trees, Birds, and More!

Located at 1101 Country Club Way and bordering Lake Maggiore, Boyd Hill Nature Preserve offers numerous ways for visitors to connect with the natural world. First-time visitors should start with “The Ripple Effect: Understanding Nature’s Connections” at the onsite Lake Maggiore Environmental Education Center. This exhibit provides a great introduction to the park’s numerous and interconnected ecosystems. An extensive network of trails and boardwalks takes visitors throughout the park so they can experience the beauty and tranquility of nature. Daily tram tours also are available. In addition to tranquility, these winding paths take hikers and riders through multiple habitats and offer ample opportunities to get a glimpse of some of the fauna that make Boyd Hill home, including at least 60 species of amphibians and reptiles, over 50 species of butterflies, and more than 165 species of birds. For the more adventuresome, overnight camping spots can be reserved at St. Pete’s first public primitive family campground.

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Random Bits of History Boyd Hill’s history as a site to experience nature within the city dates back to the 1940s. Construction began on the “Nature Trail” in 1947. By the 1950s, the popular trail had expanded to include a zoo. By the 1970s, however, animal overcrowding and park vandalism spurred a call for a change. The result was the rebirth of Boyd Hill as a nature preserve and educational hub. Today that focus is more evident than ever. In addition to the on-site exhibit, the education center also offers a wide array of classes and activities designed to teach and entertain nature lovers of all ages. The Park also is home to the Birds of Prey program.

Birds that cannot be released back into the wild find a safe home at Boyd Hill, where they serve as ambassadors to help educate the public. Boyd Hill is a special place. As the “Friends of Boyd Hill” describe, “This quiet corner of a sprawling city is so much more than just a nice place to walk on a sunny afternoon. It is a classroom, a playground, a camping area, a lecture room and a lovely setting for a wedding or a quiet picnic lunch.”

We’re lucky to have it.

Thank St. Pete Parks & Rec! For more information about Boyd Hill’s entrance fees, policies, hours, numerous programs, and volunteer opportunities, call (727) 893-7326 or send email to visit bhpreserve@stpete.org. For information about any other of St. Pete’s many parks visit www.stpeteparksrec.org or call (727) 893-7441.

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Central Park St. Pete is coming soon to 551 Central Avenue

Downtown Developments

By Brian Zucker, Owner of St. Pete Rising It seems like each time we take a stroll through downtown there are new restaurants and galleries opening and more apartment complexes and condo towers being built. We realize it’s difficult to keep track of everything. Luckily, we’ve done the research, so you don’t have to. Each month we will feature a few of the most exciting new downtown developments that are on the horizon for the Sunshine City.

Central Park St. Pete, a massive five-story food hall, is coming soon to 551 Central Avenue. After nearly a year of excavation work, vertical construction has begun on Central Park, which will include a basement speakeasy, seven quick-service food concepts and a bar on the main level,

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Allie Padin, owner of The Canary, now open at 655 Central Ave

two elevated full-service restaurants on floors three and four, and an events/ creative arts space that will highlight local musicians and performers on the top level. Hi Hospitality Group founder Natalia Levey originally estimated the project would open by the end of 2022, but construction delays have pushed the debut to the end of 2023.

The Canary, a home and gift shop, is now open at 655 Central Avenue in downtown St. Pete. The new shop carries everything from furniture, rugs, and light fixtures, to gifts for all ages such as puzzles, picture frames, tablewares, coffee table books, toys, specialty food items, and much more.

If you visit, be sure to give the shop cat, Gator, a pet!

A four-story, 132,000-square-foot cancer and orthopedic center is coming soon to 5th Avenue South and 7th Street in the Innovation District.

Bayfront Health will construct a technologically advanced facility offering world-class care to the Tampa Bay region and beyond. The new facility will offer cancer care expertise in urogynecology, colorectal, thoracic,

Taylor Sam’s is coming soon to 312 3rd Street South

lung, head and neck, breast, and skin cancer treatments. Bayfront Health is expecting the new building to debut in 2024.

Taylor Sam’s, a homestyle breakfast and brunch cafe, is coming soon to 312 3rd Street South on the ground floor of the Camden Pier District apartments. It’s the second Taylor Sam’s location for Owner and Executive Chef Scott Spivak, who launched the concept in Brick, New Jersey, in 2013. The menu will feature fresh takes on classic comfort foods, including breakfast empanadas, chicken and waffles, and a corned-beef hash featuring braised brisket called “Hashtag Delicious.” Taylor Sam’s plans to open for business in February or March next year.

Affordable housing for teachers could be coming soon to 296 Mirror Lake Drive which is currently home to the recently shuttered Tomlinson Adult Learning Center. While the construction of new housing for teachers is a main priority, the historic building itself could be utilized in a number of ways, including “transforming it into a housing, business, entertainment,

A 13-story hotel is coming soon to the corner of 11th Street & Central Avenue

or mixed-use facility.” The school board has set a deadline of 4 p.m. on February 1, 2023 for proposals to be submitted. An evaluation committee will shortlist responses on February 17, 2023 and provide a final ranking on March 22, 2023.

A 13-story, 114-key hotel is coming soon to the corner of 11th Street and Central Avenue in the EDGE District. The project will consist of the main hotel tower plus approximately six food and beverage concepts scattered throughout, including a lobby bar, a pool bar on the 2nd floor, and a rooftop bar on the 13th floor with sweeping views of the downtown St. Pete skyline. The developer hopes to break ground on the hotel by early 2023 with an opening in the first half of 2024.

St. Pete Rising is an urban development blog covering future retail, restaurants, and real estate in Downtown St. Petersburg, FL. Stay up-todate, visit StPeteRising.com.

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DECEMBER 2022

EVENTS Stuff & Things & Stuff When: Opens Dec. 3rd. See website for hours.

Where: MIZE Gallery, 689 Dr. M.L.K. Jr St N unit c Cost: Free Annual holiday showcase of artist-made gift items and ornaments. Chadmize.com

A Christmas Carol When: Friday, Dec. 9th - Sunday, Dec. 18th, Friday & Saturday @ 7:30pm, Sunday @ 2pm Where: 4025 31st St. S. Cost: Adults $23; Students $15 A host of beloved characters come to life on stage in this spectacular annual production. www.spcitytheatre.org

Candlelight Tour Returns to the Jazz Age

When: Sunday, Dec. 11th from 3pm - 8pm Where: Historic Old Northeast Cost: $25 advance; $30 day of The Roaring Twenties of the last century brought an economic boom and an era of celebration to the United States in the

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years after World War I, and St. Petersburg reveled in that exuberance. This year’s Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood Association Candlelight Tour of Homes will re-create that period, featuring homes built during the era. Tour homes range in style from cozy bungalows to Mediterranean mansions. Period attire, music, and vintage automobiles will take visitors back a century to when St. Petersburg and the Old Northeast neighborhood burgeoned. Food trucks will offer a variety of refreshments.

Tickets are available online at www.HONNA.org or in person at Marion’s, 1301 Fourth St. N; Old Northeast Rally, 2131 Fourth Street N; and Sunken Gardens, 1825 Fourth St. N. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Community Action Stops Abuse (CASA). HONNA.org

Historic Old Northeast Candlelight Tour. Photo via honna.org

and the Pinellas Trail on a flat, chip-timed course. Walkers and strollers are welcome. Registrants receive a race shirt and a super potato latke buffet. runsignup. com/Race/FL/SaintPetersburg/ ChasetheDreidel

Pickleball 101 When: Tuesday, Dec. 13th from 6-7pm Where: Coquina Key Park, 3595 Locust St SE Cost: Free Every 2nd Tuesday of the month.

Family-friendly. healthystpetefl.com

Chase the Dradel 5k Putt the Pier: When: Sunday, Dec. 11th Holiday Edition from 4pm - 7pm Where: Parking at Congregation B’nai Israel, 300 58th St N Cost: $36 Chase a life-sized dreidel down the streets of St. Petersburg

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When: Friday, Dec. 16th Sunday, Dec. 18th Where: Majeed Foundation Nature’s Walkway, St. Pete Pier, 600 2nd Ave NE

Cost: $12 per person; children under 4 are free Play putt-putt with holidaythemed obstacles surrounded by holiday decorations while listening to classic holiday tunes.

Golf Balls being used are made of biodegradable materials in case they get in the water* Tickets are limited per time slot.

PuttStPetePier.com

Holizaar: Handmade Holiday Bazaar When: Saturday, Dec. 17th from 10 AM - 3 PM Where: The Studio @620, 620 1st Ave S Cost: Free Featuring handmade work from 30 local makers. From snacks to jewelry, fine art to holiday decor, you’re sure to find something fun and funky for yourself and everyone on your gift list this year. Thestudioat620.org

View from St. Pete Pier. Photo by City of St. Petersburg

WINTER IN THE ‘WOOD

First Night St. Pete

When: Sunday, Dec. 18th from 2pm – 7pm Where: Seminole Park in Historic Kenwood, 2900 3rd Ave. N. Parking at Metro Inclusive Health, 3251 3rd Ave N Cost: Free A delightful winter festival with exhibits and performances by enclave artists, activities for children and adults, a visit by Santa (3 – 4:30 pm), delicious food, live music, and last-minute holiday shopping opportunities from hyper-local arts & crafts vendors. Bring your lawn chairs, or blankets. kenwoodartistenclave.org/ winter-in-the-wood

When: Saturday, Dec. 31st from 2pm - midnight Where: Downtown St. Pete Cost: Donations & Button sales.

See website for details.

First Night St Petersburg is our area’s only family-friendly New Year’s Eve, Community Celebration of the Arts and each year we ring in the New Year with music, dance, aerial arts, silent disco, fire, bubble stompin’, sea creature puppets, aerial art, creative fun, fireworks a scavenger hunt and so much more! This year, we are coming back live and in person in downtown St Petersburg!

Firstnightstpete.com

For more events, or to submit an event, visit greenbenchmonthly.com/events

DECEMBER 2022 /

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