St. Petersburg Housing Authority proposes 47-unit senior building at Clearview Park

The St. Petersburg Housing Authority plans to build a four-story, 47-unit apartment complex for seniors at its Clearview Park property in St. Petersburg. The proposal includes extensive renovations to the existing family housing units on the site.

The project is located at 3200 37th Avenue North. SPHA President and CEO Michael Lundy stated that the decision to focus on senior housing was driven by the agency's waiting list. He noted that the list shows a high demand for elderly housing.

Clearview Park currently contains 22 garden-style apartments built in 1982. The property sits on 3.12 acres of land owned by the housing authority. Under the new plans, 18 of the existing apartments will undergo renovation, while four units will be demolished to create road access for the new structure.

Upon completion, the property will house 65 apartments, representing a net increase of 43 units. The new building will occupy approximately one acre of open land at the rear of the property. Architectural plans prepared by MLK Architecture detail a 55,652-square-foot structure.

The new building will include 39 one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartments and eight two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartments. Unit sizes will range from 680 to 923 square feet. The ground floor will feature a lobby, management offices, a meeting room, and indoor bicycle storage. Upper floors will contain community activity spaces. The proposal calls for 61 parking spaces across the property.

Existing family apartments will receive interior upgrades, including new cabinets, countertops, flooring, windows, and paint. SPHA is evaluating whether to install in-unit washer and dryer hookups, as residents currently use an on-site laundry facility. Lundy said the agency has been meeting with residents to present the proposal and gather feedback.

Construction sequencing is not yet finalized. One potential approach involves building the new senior apartments first. This would allow eligible older residents to move into the new building before renovations begin on the existing units, potentially reducing the number of households needing temporary relocation.

For residents whose units must be vacated, SPHA will arrange relocation and offer the option to return after the work is complete. Households affected by the demolition will be rehoused on the property or elsewhere, depending on availability and eligibility.

The application lists an estimated project value of $13 million. Lundy described this figure as preliminary, noting that the final budget will depend on completed architectural drawings and construction bids. SPHA is working with development partner Trouble Creek Road Development, which is affiliated with LEMA Construction. A general contractor has not yet been selected.

SPHA intends to apply for Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funding in early 2027. If funding is secured in the first quarter of 2027, construction could begin in late 2027 or early 2028. The financing source will also determine the final income restrictions for the apartments, with the application currently identifying senior housing at 60% of Area Median Income.