Good morning. If you've ever sat in Skyway traffic and thought "I could've walked across Tampa Bay faster," just know you're not alone. Let's get right into todays amazing newsletter (lots of drama…).

Here's the big one. Superintendent Kevin Hendrick announced Monday that Pinellas County wants to close Cross Bayou Elementary and Disston Academy, plus consolidate several other schools into K-8 campuses. The district has 35,000 more seats than students, and about a third of campuses are running at less than 60% capacity.

This isn't just about saving money—though it would save roughly $15 million in personnel and capital costs. Florida's "Schools of Hope" law allows charter operators to move into underperforming public schools, and Pinellas just received 56 building notices from charter companies looking to do exactly that. The district is essentially racing to consolidate before someone else does it for them.

If you have kids at affected schools, community meetings start today and run through February 6. The school board votes February 24.

Bottom line: Declining enrollment plus charter school pressure equals tough choices. Parents with kids at Cross Bayou, Disston, Fairmount Park, Lakewood, or Campbell Park should attend those community meetings.

Despite neighborhood opposition, the Development Review Commission voted 4-1 to approve The Pelican—a $134 million, 370-unit apartment tower at 5th Avenue North and 4th Street North. It'll be 221 feet tall, which is about as subtle as a 21-story building can be in a National Register Historic District.

The project includes 3,819 square feet of ground-floor retail, a $1.5 million contribution to the city's affordable housing trust fund, and $50,000 for public art. The catch? Seven historic multifamily buildings from the 1920s and '30s get demolished to make room. Preserve the 'Burg and several residents pushed back hard, arguing the site provides naturally occurring affordable housing that can't be replaced.

St. Petersburg-based Stadler Development is behind the project. Former City Councilmember Robert Blackmon spoke in favor, calling the existing structures "blight."

Bottom line: Love it or hate it, it's happening. Another piece of old St. Pete makes way for luxury apartments—and we get another $1.5 million for affordable housing elsewhere. Make of that what you will.

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The Warehouse Arts District just landed its next big project. An industrial building at 2301 3rd Avenue South sold for $3.535 million on January 16, and the new owner plans to transform it into Urban Office—a coworking concept out of Houston that's never been in Florida before.

Developer Alec Lapin of Lapin Development is investing around $4 million to convert the nearly 24,000-square-foot building into more than 100 private offices plus retail space. The building was previously home to the Louise Graham Regeneration Center, a paper shredding operation that employed adults with intellectual disabilities before closing in late 2025.

Urban Office was founded in 2016 by Braun Enterprises, a Houston-based developer. If you're not familiar with the Warehouse Arts District, it's the industrial-turned-creative corridor south of downtown that's been quietly filling up with studios, breweries, and maker spaces.

Bottom line: More office inventory for freelancers and small businesses in a neighborhood that's becoming increasingly attractive. Watch this space—literally.

🏟️ Rays stadium update: Hillsborough Community College's board unanimously approved a non-binding memo to let the Rays explore building a ballpark on their Dale Mabry campus. The team wants to open by April 2029. Translation: St. Pete's relationship status with its baseball team just got more complicated.

⚓ Gasparilla is coming: Three-time Stanley Cup champion Pat Maroon ("Big Rig") will serve as Grand Marshal for the Seminole Hard Rock Gasparilla Pirate Fest on January 31. Children's Gasparilla is this Saturday, January 24.

⚽ Rowdies reload: After missing the playoffs for the first time since 2018, the Rowdies signed 17 new players—only 5 return from last year. Free open practice at Al Lang Stadium this Saturday (Jan. 25) from 10-11 AM if you want to see the new squad.

🐥 Giant duck alert: That 61-foot-tall inflatable rubber duck named "Mama Duck" is in Clearwater through January 26. Duck-themed movie night is January 23.

🌡️ Weather: Highs in the mid-70s today, dropping to 66-68°F later this week with lows in the mid-50s. Keep a light jacket handy for mornings.

🎭 "Numbers Don't Lie" — CLASS ACTS Educational Performance — 11:15 AM at Mahaffey Theater, 400 First Street South. Part of the Bill Edwards Foundation's educational series for students and families.

🌿 Florida Conversations: Florida-Friendly Landscaping — 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM at Tampa Bay History Center (or virtual). Learn the nine principles of Florida-friendly landscaping with UF/IFAS Extension. Great for anyone trying to keep their yard alive without drowning it.

🎵 Southern Avenue (Live Music) — Evening at Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa. Memphis soul, blues, and gospel vibes at one of Tampa Bay's most iconic music venues.

January 21, 1985: Tampa Bay experienced the coldest day in modern history when temperatures plummeted to 21°F during the infamous "Freeze of the Century." The arctic blast destroyed 90% of Florida's citrus crop, causing $2.5 billion in losses and permanently shifting the state's citrus belt southward. Pipes burst across Pinellas County, electricity demand hit record highs, and firefighters' hoses literally froze mid-spray. The cold was so severe that President Reagan's inauguration parade in Washington was canceled. If you think 55 degrees is cold, imagine waking up to actual frost on your windshield in St. Pete.

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