Five-Story, 60-Unit Project Planned for 3200 First Avenue South in St. Petersburg

• Blake Investment Partners is partnering with Vessel Technologies on a 60-unit multifamily project at 3200 First Avenue South in St. Petersburg.
• The planned building will rise five stories and use prefabricated components manufactured in Pennsylvania, including stairwells, elevators and cabinetry.
• The project will include 56 one-bedroom apartments and four two-bedroom apartments, with construction potentially taking about six months because of the prefabricated approach.
• The development will be Vessel Technologies' first Florida project and will be part of the larger Whitney Village development.

What Is Planned for 3200 First Avenue South

A new 60-unit apartment building is planned for 3200 First Avenue South in St. Petersburg, Florida, at the corner of 31st Street South and First Avenue South. The project is being developed by Blake Investment Partners in partnership with Vessel Technologies and will become part of the larger Whitney Village development. The five-story building will use a prefabricated construction system, with major components manufactured by Vessel Technologies in Pennsylvania before being transported to Florida for assembly. The approach is intended to shorten the construction schedule, with the building potentially taking only about six months to construct.

What the Prefabricated Design Includes

The project will use prefabricated elements for several major portions of the building, including stairwells, elevators and cabinetry. The design will also avoid traditional painted drywall in favor of high-pressure laminate wall systems. The construction strategy is intended to make the development faster and more efficient to build. For Vessel Technologies, the St. Petersburg project also represents its first development in Florida, bringing its prefabricated housing model into the state's growing multifamily market.

What Residents Will Get in the Apartments

The 60 apartments will consist primarily of one-bedroom homes, with 56 one-bedroom units and four two-bedroom units planned. Residences are expected to feature integrated smart-home technology, spacious showers and in-unit washers and dryers. No communal amenities had been disclosed at the time of the report.

What Whitney Village Adds to the Project

The new apartment building will be part of the broader Whitney Village development, which is already taking shape nearby. Another major component is The Henry at Whitney Village, a 325-unit, five-story apartment project that recently topped out and is expected to be completed in March 2027. The addition of another 60 units will further expand the residential component of the larger development.

What This Means for St. Petersburg

The project adds another multifamily development to St. Petersburg at a time when housing demand continues to drive new construction across the city. Its use of prefabricated construction also makes the project notable beyond its unit count, particularly as developers look for ways to reduce construction time and improve efficiency. With Vessel Technologies manufacturing the building components in Pennsylvania and shipping them to Florida, the project will provide a local test case for a construction model that could potentially be used on additional multifamily developments across the state.