A highly anticipated redevelopment project on the site of the old St. Petersburg Police headquarters may soon be moving forward after months of delays.
On Wednesday, the city sold the 2.1-acre property at 1300 First Ave. N to Ellison Development for $6.4 million. That’s according to two separate deeds filed with the Pinellas County Property Appraiser.
Ellison Development plans to transform the site into The Central, a mixed-use development with a 15-story Marriott Autograph Collection hotel, a 12-story office tower, 14,000 square feet of retail and 42 lower-cost apartments.
Celebrity chef Geoffrey Zakarian will open a restaurant at The Central and Cathie Wood’s company Ark Invest will establish its headquarters there.
“The Central has the potential to strengthen our local economy and contribute to a more vibrant and inclusive downtown,” St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch said in a statement. “We look forward to seeing tangible progress as this vision becomes reality.”
The project broke ground in 2024. At the time, it was expected to be completed by 2026. So far, the only piece that’s been completed is a parking garage.
Company CEO Casey Ellison declined to comment for this story. But he previously told the Tampa Bay Times that the land sale was the final step before construction could resume.
Ellison Development has until 2030 to finish everything, according to its most recent contract with the city.
A spokesperson for the company did not answer questions about when construction would resume or how long each component would take to build, but said Ellison Development would provide updates “as plans progress.”
