Easy access<\/p>\n
Pinellas County property records show the lafrate family began purchasing the property that makes up their \u201cCreator\u2019s District\u201d one parcel at a time as early as June 2005, when the family purchased two parcels from the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority for a combined $5 million. The final pieces of property were purchased in June 2024, bringing the overall total cost of the acquisition to $20.15 million, records show.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The \u201cCreators District\u201d is also easily accessible by walking or bicycling down the Pinellas Trail, located one block north of the entrance. Those using public transit can take the No. 7 or No. 9 bus to reach the property.<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Screenshot-2025-11-17-115205_t850.png\" "\\"The")
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\n\t\t\t\t\tThe 28-acre “Creators’ District” will be located just west of the Warehouse Arts District, behind the St. Petersburg Distillery.\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
Courtesy image<\/p>\n
The Iafrate family created \u201cSt. Pete Cre8\u201d to be a community-focused initiative behind the planning and development of their new \u201cCreators\u2019 District\u201d \u2014 the first time the family has ever embarked on such a venture. The family aims to build a neighborhood centered on \u201ccreativity, collaboration and local culture\u201d they say in a statement to the Business Observer, replacing older concepts with a more authentic, people-centric plan inspired by historic urban design principles.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are enough prepackaged, same old, same old communities being built across Florida,\u201d Dominic Iafrate told the Business Observer in a statement on behalf of his family. \u201cSt. Petersburg deserves something better, something rooted in creativity, collaboration and a real sense of place.\u201d<\/p>\n
Officials with the family and the chamber didn’t respond to requests from the Business Observer for more details on the project by paper’s deadline.<\/p>\n
Take shape<\/p>\n
The Iafrate\u2019s initiative comes a century after John Nolen created his 1925 master plan for the city of St. Petersburg \u2014 another effort that emphasized a people-centric approach to urban design.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThis project honors the legacy of the 1925 John Nolen plan and invites the community to design St. Pete\u2019s future from the ground up,\u201d the St. Pete Chamber of Commerce says in a statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The free, four day event included drinks, food trucks, free gelato, live music, trolley tours and community planning conversations. Members of the public were invited to not only share their ideas for the new district, but also their stories about living and working in St. Petersburg, the chamber says. Participants collaborated with planners, artists and project planners to help their ideas take shape.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe enjoyed talking with urban designers and town planners about ideas for this space, such as a park atmosphere for meandering walks and bike rides, live music, shops and community spaces,\u201d says Dawn Stewart, who runs the Instagram account Taste Testers St. Pete.<\/p>\n
Participants also shared in tours of the future parcel and its surrounding gems, walking away with insights into the community in which they live. \u201cWe took a great trolley tour of the property, which included a historic bus depot, steel factory, concrete facility and the St. Petersburg Distillery,\u201d Stewart says.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And the group learned some cool facts, Stewart says, such as these nuggets:<\/p>\n
Local honeybees nest in a collection of the St. Petersburg Distillery\u2019s barrels outsideDuring Covid St. Petersburg Distillery made and donated over 250,000 bottles of hand sanitizer.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
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