Good morning, St. Pete — and happy National Florida Day! Yes, that's a real thing. January 25th is officially the day we celebrate the Sunshine State, which feels appropriate given that it's going to be 75 and gorgeous while the rest of the country freezes. Let's get into what's actually happening in our neck of the peninsula.

Here's a housing story that's been simmering for months and finally boiled over at Thursday's city council meeting.

Residents of The Morgan apartments showed up pleading with the city to purchase their complex, which is careening toward foreclosure. The property — owned by Dallas-based Lurin Real Estate Holdings — owes roughly $46 million on its mortgage and hasn't made a payment since last summer. The city is also suing to recover more than $400,000 in unpaid water bills.

This isn't the first time The Morgan has made headlines. Last summer, tenants nearly lost water service when the complex fell behind on utility payments. In November, about 30 residents narrowly avoided eviction after the fire department cited severe safety violations. Reports from tenants include maintenance nightmares, rat infestations, mold, and amenities that have simply... disappeared.

"The city has a responsibility to step in," said William Kilgore, an organizer with the St. Pete Tenants Union. "These landlords, what they do is they come in and buy these properties and run them into the ground for profit."

The city's response? A polite but firm "not right now." Officials said they don't plan to acquire the property but are focused on collecting those water bills and helping residents who want to relocate. Councilmember Richie Floyd said he supports the idea in principle: "When the private sector fails, the public sector needs to step in." But whether that translates to action remains unclear.

Lurin, for its part, released a statement saying The Morgan is "operating normally" and that seizing the property would not be "in the community's best interest." Make of that what you will.

Bottom line: Corporate landlord lets property deteriorate, faces foreclosure, tenants are left scrambling. The city says it's monitoring the situation but has no acquisition plans. This is what housing instability looks like in real time.

FOX 13 has the full story | Tampa Bay Times coverage

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Remember the Cordova Inn? That charming little 105-year-old boutique hotel on 2nd Avenue North that's been a downtown fixture forever? Well, it's about to get a lot less little.

A five-story expansion at 253 2nd Avenue North is nearing completion, and here's the headline number: the hotel is going from 32 rooms to 97 rooms — tripling its capacity. Co-owner Tommy Del Zoppo says they're targeting a February 15th opening, which is like three weeks away.

But the rooms aren't even the most exciting part. The expansion includes a new ground-floor restaurant (about 3,000 square feet), a fifth-floor rooftop bar with cabana-style seating and views of the St. Pete Pier, three luxury suites on the top floor, and a second-floor terrace for events. There's even a five-story white peacock mural by Tampa Bay artist Aaron Tullo from the SHINE Mural Festival.

Oh, and a barbershop called Billy's Corner Barbershop is moving in on the first floor. Because of course it is.

Del Zoppo has a specific vision for the restaurant: "What I want is a great restaurant that just happens to be in a hotel. I don't want a hotel restaurant." A subtle distinction, but locals will appreciate it — hotel restaurants have a certain reputation, and it's not usually "must-try."

The hotel has been closed since December 2019 while construction wrapped up. It's been a long wait.

Bottom line: Downtown is about to get a legitimate rooftop bar with Pier views plus a new restaurant from owners who seem to actually care about locals, not just tourists. Mark February 15th on your calendar.

St. Pete Rising has the full details

⚡ Lightning going outside: Rink construction has begun at Raymond James Stadium for the NHL Stadium Series game on February 1 — Lightning vs. Bruins. It'll be the first outdoor NHL game ever hosted in Florida. Tim McGraw is performing at intermission. They're using a climate-controlled tent to keep the ice from melting. Florida, man.

🏈 Bucs hire special teams coordinator: Tampa Bay brought in Danny Smith, who spent 29 seasons in the NFL including the last 13 years with Pittsburgh. The team is still searching for a new offensive coordinator after going 8-9 this season.

🏫 Pinellas school shakeup proposed: Superintendent Kevin Hendrick is recommending closing two elementary schools — Cross Bayou Elementary in Pinellas Park and Disston Academy — and merging others to fight off "Schools of Hope" charter applications. The district received 56 building notices from three charter organizations. Final vote is February 24.

🌊 Clearwater wants you to adopt a drain: The city launched an Adopt-a-Drain Program, asking residents to voluntarily keep storm drains free of leaves and debris. The goal is reducing localized flooding and improving water quality. Free way to feel like a good citizen.

🌴 Happy National Florida Day: Yes, that's today. January 25 was designated as National Florida Day in 2017. Florida became a state on March 3, 1845, but apparently January needed a boost.

🛒 Corey Avenue Sunday Fresh Market — 10am-2pm at Corey Avenue, St. Pete Beach. The year-round open-air market with 75-100 vendors, live music, and food trucks. Free parking at the library and City Hall.

🧘 Yoga at The Dalí — 10am at The Dalí Museum. Lucky Cat Yoga hosts a monthly yoga session inside the museum — a truly St. Pete experience where Dalí's energy meets your downward dog.

🧗 Sunday Catch Solo Climbing — 1pm-4pm at Vertical Ventures (116 18th Street South). No climbing partner? No problem. Professional belayers on-site so you can scale the main wall solo.

🎻 The Florida Orchestra — 7:30pm at Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater. If you're feeling fancy tonight, the orchestra is performing. One of the perks of living in a region with actual cultural institutions.

On January 25, 1834 — exactly 192 years ago today — the Florida Territorial Legislature established Hillsborough County, carving it out of Alachua and Monroe Counties. Here's the thing: that original Hillsborough County was massive. It eventually got broken up into eight present-day counties, including... Pinellas County, where we live.

That's right — the territorial foundation for the entire Tampa Bay region, including where St. Petersburg would later be founded, was officially established on this exact date. Pinellas was separated from Hillsborough in 1911, which is why there's still that friendly rivalry across the bay. Happy birthday to the bureaucratic paperwork that made us possible. 🎂

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ AMAZING!!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, do better
⭐️ You didn't bring the heat