Welcome to Misty Bottorff, new executive director of the Skyway Marina District

Word came the other day about Misty Bottorff, the new executive director of the Skyway Marina District. Welcome to Misty. We look forward to working with her. Misty comes to us from Michigan and the pretty little town of Otsego, that straddles the Kalamazoo River a little bit north of Kalamazoo near the Bittersweet ski and snowboarding resort area. Last time we checked, it was about 11 degrees F in Otsego. Of course, last time we checked it was 48 degrees F here. Still, we think Misty made a good choice. Misty was executive director of the Otsego-Plainwell Chamber of Commerce and promotions chair of the Otsego Main Street District, so it was her job to say nice things about the weather up there. We hope she'll find nice things to say about the weather here, especially when it warms up a bit next week. Welcome, Misty!

Welcome to the neighborhood, Don Phillips

Did you see the article in Business Observer about Don Phillips, who heads the Tampa development firm that's building a major project on the Home Depot property on 34th Street? It gives some insight into the man and the company. This quote is particularly of interest: “I’ve learned production does not reward creativity. That’s been a huge transition for me. To have the time to conceptualize and create has been very rewarding" And this: “I’m much more contemplative now, and interested in the body of work I’m going to leave behind. What do I want my legacy to be — another apartment complex or something that adds, in a meaningful way, to the community?” Welcome to the neighborhood, Don.

Great things are happening in our area: Business is definitely growing strong

Wow! Did you see the nice write-up in The Gabber the other day about all the new businesses that have opened in our area recently? Things are happening in the Skyway Marina District. Good things! Congratulations to Keri Melshenker and everyone involved. For years residents on South St. Petersburg have been working steadily to bring new attention to the area, and it's paying off. There's Gator Jim's Tackle (in the picture), a new apartment complex, a new restaurant at Maximo Marina, a new Wawa coming, Dr. Elinor Miranda's new pediatrics practice, and more. Proud to be part of this growing community.

Huge restaurant project for Maximo Marina is fabulous news for the whole community

Wow! Kudos to Skyway Marina District and their efforts to raise the level of our community. Did you see the big write-up in the Tampa Bay Times about the plans by the owners of The Getaway on Gandy Boulevard to create a second restaurant in the old yacht showroom at Maximo Marina? It's expected to be a huge place – 12,000 to 13,000 square feet. This will be a welcome addition to the dining options in the district. We noticed that Tom Ando over at Broadwater Civic Association was quoted in the article as was our city commissioner, Steve Kornell. The video above offers a architectural rendering walk-through of what the project might look like. Enjoy. Read the article, and join us in the anticipation.

Apartment-restaurant complex developers seeing a great future for our community

Late last year, you may remember, we had an item about a new development project coming to South St. Petersburg. It's to be a mixed-use development on 34th Street just north of the Ceridian complex and the St. Petersburg College Allstate Center. It is to include one- and two-bedroom apartments, shops, and restaurants. Phillips Development & Realty in Tampa has been working with our friend Keri Melshenker at the Skyway Marina District to bring about the complex. Word comes now that the purchase of the property from Home Depot has been completed ($4.2 million) and construction is supposed to begin in five to nine months. “The Skyway Marina District is screaming for retail, luxury living and involvement from the St. Petersburg art scene,” said Donald Phillips, managing director of the development company, according to Business Observer. Mayor Rick Kriseman is all for the project and has been championing the prosperity of the Skyway Marina District for years.

Apartment, shopping, and restaurant project coming for 34th Street near SPC Allstate

South St. Petersburg is on the move. Phillips Development & Realty is filing site plans today for a mixed-use project on 34th Street just north of the Ceridian complex and the St. Petersburg College Allstate Center. It is to include one- and two-bedroom apartments, shops, and restaurants. The people at Phillips have been working with Keri Melshenker, executive director of the Skyway Marina District. This is just one part of work the city has been doing to ramp up business development in our community. To Phillips, we say welcome. To Keri Melshenker and the Skyway Marina District, we say bravo! Here's a story in the Tampa Bay Business Journal with all the details.

We're gonna be in pictures! Watch the premiere of the Skyway Sizzle Reel

Okay, so maybe it's not exactly like the Hollywood premiere you see in the picture. Still and all, it promises to be exciting. After all, the star of the show is right here -- the place that we live. We're talking about the Skyway Sizzle Reel. Word comes from Keri Melshenker, executive director of the Skyway Marina District, that there will be a showing of the short video at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, November 1 in the Desoto Room at the St. Petersburg College's Allstate Center.

As far as what's in the video, you'll have to wait and see but you could make some pretty good guesses. There's lots to love about the outdoors where we live, and not just the beaches. So we'd expect to see lots of pretty shots. South St. Petersburg is a vibrant business district, so we'd expect to see shots that reflect that, too. The bridge, of course, and the marinas, naturally. We;d doubt that there are any speaking parts, though we're  sure the pictures are going to say a lot. A picture is worth ... and all that.

Keri has been working with the city for quite awhile to get this video made. If you have any questions, you can email her at keri@skywaymarina.com or call her at 727-866-2696 As for us, we're just humming that old 1934 Rudy Vallee hit "You Ought To Be In Pictures." Can't help it. Go ahead. Listen below. Then it'll go round and round in your head, too.

Bike Wayfinding Pilot Study could lead to a brand new bike path in South St. Petersburg

The Gabber, Gulfport

You may remember the big bike ride project back in July. The Skyway Marina District teamed up with ShiftStPete, a non-profit group of activists pushing for bicyclist and pedestrian infrastructure, to produce the event. About 50 people participated and there was a nice write-up in The Gabber. The bike ride was generally considered a great success.

Well, an email from Keri Melshenker, executive director of the district, showed up in the inbox yesterday afternoon announcing that the district is part of the new St. Petersburg Bike Wayfinding Pilot Study designed to gather people's ideas about where a bike path around the community should go, what kinds of signage would be helpful, and so forth.

Keri said the Skyway Marina District's Improvement Team had offered some ideas, including Wayfinding signs to Eckerd College, the beaches, and various parks, such as Fort Desoto, Maximo Park, Clam Bayou, and Boyd Hill Nature Preserve. There also were thoughts about solving lighting, fencing, trash, sediment deposition, and drainage issues for a Lakewood Trail Connector, and crosswalk safety issues for various places.

So, there's this online survey you can take to offer your ideas. If you click on the link, you'll be taken to the survey. Be aware, though, you'll be asked for your email address. If you put it in, you'll be able to log in and fill out the survey. You can also return to add to your answers. You also can log in anonymously but if you do you won't be able to return. There's a built-in control to limit repeated access to the survey unless you put in your email address.

The map above shows the proposed route for the bike trail. The map comes with the survey. Click on it to get a better look at it before you take the survey. 

This is a great opportunity to contribute your ideas about a bike path for South St. Petersburg so we urge you to participate. And thank you to Keri and the Skyway Marina District for pursuing this worthwhile endeavor.

Skyway Marina District presents the classic madcap family adventure film The Goonies

Who can forget One-Eyed Willy, the legendary 17th-Century pirate, and the kids from the Goon Docks neighborhood in Astoria, Oregon, and their madcap adventure of a lifetime in the 1985 movie The Goonies? Well, you can enjoy it all over again and take the kids to see it, too. The Skyway Marina District is presenting Skyway Marina Movie Night on Friday, August 26 beginning at 6 p.m. at St. Petersburg City Theatre on 31st Street South. It's free but you should register here. There will  be a food truck -- Heavy D's BBQ -- and a concession stand. You can get more information on the Skyway Marina District's Facebook event page. Play the preview above to remind yourself how fun that movie was.

Skyway Marina District leads successful bicycle tour of South St. Petersburg sights

Did you see the article in The Gabber about Skyway Marina District's recent Saturday bicycle ride exploring some of the natural wonders of South St. Petersburg? It is gratifying to see some 50 bike riders, including families with children, out enjoying our community. By all accounts it was a great success. Thank you to The Gabber for being on the scene to cover this worthwhile community event.

Join the community on a bike ride and see parts of the city you've never seen before

Get on your bike and ride with friends and neighbors to explore our community! Here's a terrific community-building event you won't want to miss. The nonprofit ShiftStPete and the Skyway Marina District Association are sponsoring a family-friendly bike ride through some less well-known parts of South St. Petersburg. They're planning to highlight some of the city's trail network, neighborhoods, and the business district. The five-mile trek begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday, July 16 at Maximo Marina. It's free for ShiftStPete members and $5 for non-members. You can get more information here. You can get tickets here. Take pictures along the way and we'll post them here.

Skyway Marina Movie Night on Friday: Behold! The Princess Bride reigns again

There are a lot of memories associated with The Princess Bride, the 1987 film that has been called one of the best movie love stories of all time. Remember Fred Savage? He was Kevin Arnold, the baby-faced star of The Wonder Years Remember Peter Falk? He was Columbo, the rumpled homicide detective with a knack for shrewdly gathering evidence until the murderer has no escape.

Well, before Fred Savage became famous in The Wonder Years, he appeared as Peter Falk's grandson in The Princess Bride. Fred's character is ill and his grandfather is reading a story to him. That's the framing story for this beautiful movie. The good news is that the movie is going to be shown on Friday for The Skyway Marina Movie Night. And it's free!

It'll be a great night of family entertainment. Festivities begin at 6:30 p.m., at St. Petersburg City Theatre at 4025 31st St. South. Heavy D's BBQ food truck will be available for dinner. And they'll be popcorn. Before the movie at 8 p.m. you can participate in the Tweasure Raffle to win Princess Bride games. Here's a link for all the details.

The big draw, of course, is the movie. We've included a trailer the movie above in case you have forgotten what a great movie it is. It's a classic fairy tale but has plenty of action and great characters. Among the stars are Cary Elwes, Robin Wright (the princess), Mandy Patinkin, Billy Crystal, and Andre the Giant. Yes, it'll be a night to remember.

Skyway Marina District and St. Petersburg City Theatre to present iconic 1980s film

Okay, so Sixteen Candles was made more than 30 years ago, and Molly Ringwald isn’t the pretty red-headed heart-throb of millions of adolescent boys anymore but the iconic John Hughes movie remains one of the great romantic teenage angst films of all time. To refresh your memory or (if you haven't seen it), take a look at the trailer we've posted above.

It’s the perfect choice for the Skyway Marina District’s new Movie Night project, which happens to be on Valentine’s Day weekend. Skyway Marina District has teamed up with St. Petersburg City Theatre to present the film on Friday, February 12. Doors open at 7 p.m. The film starts at 8. Admission is free but seating is limited to 250. The theatre is located at 4025 31st Street S. Check the Skyway Marina Facebook page for more details.

 Beer lovers can try the offerings of Mastry's Brewing Company and coffee lovers will be able to indulge with Cold Brew Iced Coffee on draft from Voyage Cold Brew.

For the record, Molly Ringwald is 47 years old now and no longer a redhead. She is happily married, has three children, and pursues a career as a jazz musician, a discipline she learned from her father and to which she returned after acting. She counts music is just another thing that she does. She and her husband, writer Panio Gianopoulos, showed up on the red carpet last spring at the Billboard Music Awards.

On Friday, though, we can be transported back to the 1980s and that delightful teen love story. Can’t think of a better way to get the romantic weekend under way.