Ellison Development has acquired the former St. Petersburg police headquarters site for $6.4 million and is preparing a mixed-use project to be known as The Central. Plans for the redevelopment call for a new 10-story office tower, a branded hotel, affordable housing and ground-floor retail, transforming the former civic facility into a multiuse destination.
The office component, named Halcyon, is expected to be a 10-story tower. According to reporting cited from the Tampa Bay Business Journal, the office building is projected to be delivered within 19 months after vertical construction begins, positioning it as one of the first major elements of The Central to come online. The plan also includes more than 11,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space incorporated into the office structure, adding a street-level commercial layer to the project.
Hospitality is a key part of the program, with Ellison Development planning a 165-key Autograph Collection hotel at the site. The hotel is expected to feature a signature restaurant, rooftop experiences and event spaces, according to the project outline. Construction of the hotel is anticipated to take approximately two years, indicating that the hospitality piece will follow the office and affordable housing components in the delivery timeline.
Residential uses are incorporated through 42 affordable housing units planned as part of the overall redevelopment. These units are on a 16-month construction schedule once building begins, placing them on a similar but slightly shorter timeline than the office tower. The inclusion of affordable housing alongside office, hotel and retail uses positions The Central as a mixed-income and mixed-use project anchored by multiple demand drivers.
An existing 531-space parking garage on the property is already operational and will remain open throughout construction. Keeping the garage in service during the build-out is intended to support ongoing parking needs in the immediate area while the site transitions from its former role as a police headquarters to a new commercial and residential hub.
Collectively, the office tower, 165-key Autograph Collection hotel, 42 affordable housing units, ground-floor retail and the functioning parking structure illustrate a comprehensive redevelopment strategy for the former police headquarters property. While specific delivery dates will depend on the start of vertical construction, the phased timelines for the office, residential and hotel components outline a multi-year build-out for The Central.
