A long-discussed 18-story LeCesse tower at 201 18th Street North in St. Petersburg is finally poised to rise, shifting from sketches to skyline. Developer WSLD St. Petersburg LLC has filed to begin vertical construction on a project slated to bring about 279 apartments, a five-story parking podium and a sixth-floor amenity deck anchored by a pool.
According to Florida YIMBY, the “go vertical” filing outlines a mix of studios and one- and two-bedroom units, with floorplans running from roughly 550 to 1,200 square feet. Levels two through five are reserved for garage parking, while the sixth floor blends residential units with shared amenities, including the planned swimming pool.
Project design and scale
The tower, designed by Tampa-based Baker Barrios, is envisioned as an 18-story, roughly 212-foot building with 279 units on a 0.87-acre collection of parcels two blocks north of Central Avenue. The plan calls for a five-story podium with about 383 parking spaces plus a ground-floor lobby, leasing office, bicycle storage and other back-of-house operations, St. Pete Rising reports.
Approvals, bonuses and neighborhood concerns
The city’s Development Review Commission signed off on the site plan and density bonuses in December 2023 but attached strings after nearby residents raised alarms about traffic and neighborhood character. Conditions include requirements for a screened parking façade and additional traffic analysis. St. Pete Catalyst notes that LeCesse also must purchase transfer-of-development rights and contribute at least $729,000 to the city’s Housing Capital Improvements Projects trust fund to secure extra floor area ratio.
Where it fits in the downtown building boom
Trackers of St. Pete’s building boom list Lecesse Tower among the wave of projects reshaping the Grand Central and Edge districts, signaling that the high-rise push is not stopping at the traditional downtown core. The development appears on MMG Real Estate Advisors' Tampa pipeline as a planned 279-unit tower, grouping it with other mid- and high-rise proposals in the city’s growing pipeline, MMG Real Estate Advisors shows.
Next steps and what to watch
Before any above-ground construction can start, the developer still has to satisfy the DRC conditions, buy the required TDRs, make the HCIP contribution and secure building permits, and city reporting indicates those items are still in progress. St. Pete Catalyst also reports that the developer told commissioners it intends to keep existing tenants on site until the project moves further along.
No construction start date came with the vertical filing, but renderings show a contemporary white-and-brown exterior with bronze balcony railings and generous glazing in plans shared by the design team. Florida YIMBY notes that permit filings are likely the next step, setting up the tower as one to watch for neighbors and commuters along 18th Street.
