Inside 400 Central, St. Petersburg's tallest building
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The view from the 45th floor of The Residences at 400 Central. Photo: Kathryn Varn/Axios
Standing on a penthouse terrace of his city's tallest building Wednesday morning, Mayor Ken Welch took a beat to reflect.
- "This is not my grandfather's St. Petersburg anymore," he said.
Why it matters: The Residences at 400 Central will begin welcoming its first residents in the coming weeks, a major milestone for the tallest residential tower on Florida's Gulf Coast.
The big picture: It's also a milestone for the Sunshine City, which in recent years has experienced a surge of vertical construction and luxury housing with projects like Art House and Saltaire.
- Already, another high-priced high-rise in the works — the Waldorf Astoria Residences St. Petersburg — is set to unseat 400 Central as St. Pete's tallest building.
- Its penthouse also broke the record for the highest-priced condo sale in Tampa Bay.
State of play: City officials recently granted a certificate of occupancy for 400 Central's first 25 floors while construction continues on the upper half of the 46-story building.
- About 50 of the 301 residences remain available, director of sales Marijke White told reporters, "but they're going fast." Units start at $1 million.
- So far, Dynasty Financial Partners, PNC Bank and specialty grocer Volta Wine + Market are set to move into the tower's office and retail space. Several more leases are in the works.
Driving the news: Welch and developer John Catsimatidis offered reporters a first look inside the tower Wednesday — including the penthouse unit Catsimatidis bought for himself and his wife, Margo.
- Here's what we saw:
A sleek lobby with wood finishes that will include 24-7 security and a concierge service for residents.
An "amenity deck" overlooking Central Avenue with a pool, gym, putting green and more.
A completed residence on the 21st floor offered modern finishes and terrace views of Tropicana Field, the Gulf and the Sunshine Skyway.
- Also in view: the office building that a 400 Central crane toppled onto during Hurricane Milton.
And of course, Catsimatidis' two-story penthouse. The interior was still under construction, but its views of downtown, the bay and Albert Whitted Airport were photo-ready.
- And that's not even the highest point in the building. The tour didn't include the sky lounge on the 46th floor.
