Nov 17, 2022
Brian Hartz
InVision Advisors serves as a consultants for the 27,700-square-foot food hall
After nearly a year of excavation work, vertical construction has begun on Central Park St. Pete, a five-level, 27,700-square-foot food hall that will include a basement speakeasy and a full-service modern Asian rooftop restaurant and bar when it opens next year.
The project broke ground last November at 551 Central Avenue, the former Dome Grill site. Hi Hospitality Group founder Natalia Levey originally estimated the project would open by the end of 2022, but construction delays have pushed the debut to the end of 2023.
Hi Hospitality Group currently owns and operates a collection of award-winning destination restaurants on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Speaks Clam Bar, which celebrates classic and crave-able Italian-American flavors in a fun, speakeasy-inspired atmosphere, has two locations in Lakewood Ranch and St. Armand’s Circle. The Asian-inspired Kojo, located in downtown Sarasota, features flavors from China, Japan, Taiwan and Korea and has quickly become one of Sarasota’s most talked-about restaurants.
Central Park St. Pete will be home to seven delicious quick-service food concepts on the main level, several full-service bars, and two elevated full-service restaurants, one of which will be Kojo. The top level will be an events/creative arts space that will highlight local musicians and performers.
“We hope this food hall will become the central hub for international culinary experiences, delicious celebrations, and create lots of jobs and opportunities in the community,” Levey says.
Central Park’s other highlight is a rarity for downtown St. Pete — a basement level that will feature a speakeasy-style bar. The former Iberian Rooster bar and restaurant had a similar space nearby and used it as a venue for live music, drag brunches, and standup comedy.
However, the Iberian Rooster never recovered from the loss of event revenue during the pandemic, and the restaurant shuttered in February last year. With the COVID-19 crisis mostly in the rearview mirror, Central Park shouldn’t face such a challenge.
St. Pete-based Behar + Peteranecz is the architect for Central Park, BLOK Design Group is in charge of the interior design, and Barr & Barr is managing construction. Invision Advisors and SSA have been retained as consultants.