This quarter was packed full of groundbreakings! After over a decade of planning, construction has finally commenced on the new St. Pete pier. Construction crews have started driving piles into Tampa Bay to support the over-water portion of the pier. It will take 6 months to complete the pile driving process, however construction on the pier deck is scheduled to begin as early as October.

In other groundbreaking news, located on Fourth Avenue North between Third and Fourth streets, the site of the Museum of the American Arts of Crafts Movement was fenced off this quarter for site preparation. The $70 million privately funded museum will occupy 137,000 square feet and stand 5 stories tall. The museum will include a 100-seat auditorium, a resource library, a children's education center, a 300-seat upscale restaurant, a cafe, retail store and event space. The expected opening date is May 2019.

Two more city-funded projects broke ground this quarter, as well -- The Campbell Park Skatepark and the new St. Pete Police Headquarters. The 167,000 square foot police HQ, which includes an offsite shooting range, will cost the city $85 million. The old headquarters will be demolished sometime in 2019 after the new complex is complete.

Near Tropicana Field in Campbell Park, the Campbell Park Skatepark finally broke ground after over 2 years of anticipation. Once the 28,000 square foot skatepark is complete, it will be the largest skatepark in the entire state of Florida.

Also this quarter, some smaller townhome projects started going vertical. District on 9th (34 units) and Skye333 (10 units) started construction near the EDGE District. On 4th Ave South, The Sabal broke ground on four townhomes.

In May, we broke the news of First North Lofts, an 11-story apartment tower that will soon rise near the EDGE District. The 214-unit tower will also include 18,500 square feet of ground-level retail space. Groundbreaking is set for the first quarter of 2018.

ONE keeps climbing into the St. Pete stratosphere. Currently the condo tower is on floor 30 of 41 and the parking garage is on the 6th and final floor. The Hyatt Place that sits on the same block is scheduled to open by the end of the year.

Lastly, with exciting news, we also bring some disappointing news. We've learned recently that 801 Conway, a 35-unit townhome community located on 8th St North, has been cancelled. Unfortunately, the project was never able to obtain the necessary permits to proceed with construction. No future plans have been made for the land intended for 801 Conway.

As always, be sure to check out our previous downtown development updates to track the progress of all active projects currently under construction (1Q16, 2Q16, 3Q16, 4Q16, 1Q17).

1st Ave S. Retail