St. Petersburg Seeks Developer for Affordable Townhomes

St. Petersburg is giving developers another shot to bring affordable housing to a high-profile city-owned site. Now, it’s all-for-sale, all-affordable townhomes or nothing.

The city issued another request for proposals for the 5.24-acre site at 7045 Burlington Avenue North, the former home of St. Petersburg College’s Gibbs Wellness Center, the Tampa Bay Business Journal reported.

Proposals are due by May 5, with final selection subject to City Council approval.

The city is seeking a for-sale townhome community that targets buyers earning up to 80 percent of the area’s median income. Developers can include units for households earning up to 120 percent the median income with 30-year resale restrictions. Condos and rental apartments are explicitly excluded from consideration, and proposals should not request rezoning.

The RFP also specifies that construction should not require city funding, although the city may consider some level of subsidy if clearly outlined in the proposal.

This marks the city’s second attempt to develop the property. A 2023 solicitation that sought 105 residential units drew three responses — including bids from D.R. Horton, Habitat for Humanity and HP Capital Group — but no agreement materialized.

This time around, the city has dropped its preference for a 15,000-square-foot arts facility with a more urgent focus on housing delivery. It is also encouraging bidders to coordinate with the city’s workforce development team and engage small business enterprises during construction.

The 228,000-square-foot site includes a 21,000-square-foot building and is zoned neighborhood suburban multifamily. No additional entitlements are required. Appraisals conducted in 2023 valued the property between $4.6 million and $5.04 million, with an average valuation of $4.82 million.

The project reflects growing urgency in West St. Petersburg to deliver affordable homeownership options. Developable land in urban neighborhoods is increasingly limited. City officials are betting that a tighter scope and clearer affordability requirements will finally get shovels in the ground.

— Judah Duke