Developer pays $12 million for piece of St. Petersburg YMCA land

The YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg has sold a portion of the land belonging to one of its clubs to developers who plan to build a mixed-use residential and retail development on the site. 

The center is the Jim & Heather Gills YMCA, which is at 3200 First Ave. S. 

What was sold is 4.5 acres of the property. 

Lisa Eccles, chief marketing and communications officer for YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg, says in an email that the land sold for $12 million. 

The YMCA kept 7 acres of the property and intends to use the proceeds of the sale to modernize the center. That includes relocated athletic fields with artificial turf and lighting, expanded parking including access to a covered parking garage and updated locker rooms. 

The first phase of the YMCA project is expected to begin this spring. 

As for the apartments and the retail center, the project will be developed by the St. Petersburg firm Blake Investment Partners and national developer Greystar.

The retail center will be known as Whitney Village and have 32,000 square feet of space along 1st Avenue South. 

There are also plans to build smaller, attainable apartments for local employees, including YMCA staff, above the retail space. 

The apartment portion of the project, The Henry at Whitney Village, will have 325 residences with studio, one-, two-, and three-bedrooms units available.

Greystar is also building a six-story, 600-space parking garage. 

The city of St. Petersburg has already approved the developers' plans, Eccles says.