February 18, 2026

On February 4, 2026, the City of St. Petersburg broke ground on an affordable housing project known as the “Fairfield Avenue Apartments” (the “Project”). The Project includes 264 affordable and workforce housing units located near the Warehouse Arts District.

Reporting from Florida Politics  states that this development is the first housing project in Florida to move forward under a state law that permits residential construction on land previously zoned for industrial use. City officials say that the Project is moving forward under Florida’s House Bill 1339 which permits qualified affordable housing developments to be approved administratively on industrial-zoned land. This approval is intended to reduce approval times. City and county officials described the project as part of broader efforts to expand housing supply and increase access to units near employment centers and transit. Total development costs for the project are estimated at $94.2 million and will be financed through a variety of both public and private means.