Affordable Apartment Groundbreaking March 6

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Affordable Apartment Groundbreaking March 6

February 29, 2024 - Partnership between County and Cities will bring hundreds of new homes to construction or completion through spring 2024

  • Pinellas County Commissioners, St. Petersburg Mayor and other local officials to celebrate groundbreaking of SkyWay Lofts II, a new 66-unit apartment, on Wednesday, March 6, at 8:30 a.m.

  • Under the countywide partnership between the county and cities, several hundred new affordable and workforce homes will begin construction or be completed this spring.

  • The March 6 groundbreaking and subsequent housing events through June will highlight stories of residents, neighbors and community champions working to ensure local people can afford to stay in their hometown. Numerous interview opportunities will be available for media.

A groundbreaking for 66 new affordable apartments in St. Petersburg on Wednesday, March 6, will kick off a season of progress for a partnership dedicated to creating homes everyone can afford.

The start of construction for SkyWay Lofts II at 3800 34th St. S. is the first of many events this spring that will bring more than 400 new affordable and workforce homes to the county.

Pinellas County, the City of St. Petersburg and other cities have joined forces on these projects and other programs that make it easier to build affordable homes anywhere in the county.  

Their shared mission is to lift up local individuals and families who can no longer make ends meet in their own hometown due to the unprecedented cost of housing.

Pinellas County Commissioner Charlie Justice and St. Petersburg Mayor Kenneth T. Welch along with other county and city elected officials will join the development team of Blue Sky Communities to break ground on SkyWay Lofts II at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 6.

The $22.9-million development project is supported with $6.5-million from St. Petersburg and $3.4-million from a portion of the County’s Penny for Pinellas funds dedicated to creating new affordable homes.

SkyWay Lofts II follows the successful construction of SkyWay Lofts, a 65-unit apartment building that opened in 2022 located next door to the new development.

Both apartment developments are reserved for people who earn 80 percent or less of the area median income (AMI), which is about $46,000 for an individual. Rents range from $358 per month for 1-bedroom for the lowest income residents up to $1,807 for a 3-bedroom apartment for those earning up to 80 percent AMI.  

Residents who live in the current SkyWay Lofts apartments work in Pinellas County Schools, health care companies like BayCare and Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, and a variety of other retail and service jobs.

The apartments are located along a major commercial corridor on 34st Street South in close proximity to transportation, grocery stores, shopping and other amenities.

SkyWay Lofts II is the latest project supported by a countywide partnership that has helped thousands of individuals and families find a quality home they can afford since 2018. Local governments in the Advantage Pinellas Housing Compact work together to promote consistent policies and programs and support projects that create more housing choices.

The countywide compact includes plans developed by each member city to help local people find homes they can afford in their own communities, such as St. Petersburg’s Housing Opportunities for All plan.

For an overview of countywide housing efforts, see: www.homesforpinellas.org.

Formed in 2012 in Pinellas County, Blue Sky Communities is a leading advocate for helping local governments and nonprofits across Florida reach their affordable housing goals by developing state of the art, environmentally sound affordable housing units. Learn more here: https://blueskycommunities.com/