July 2025 Edition
The Ledger is your source for the latest updates, stories, and insights on the Live Local Act (LLA) and its profound impact on affordable housing across Florida. Every month, we delve into the transformative projects, legislative updates and community voices that are shaping the future of housing for Florida’s workforce.
Stay informed with in-depth features on innovative developments, learn about implementation strategies of leading municipalities and explore the dynamic conversations within communities about urban planning and housing initiatives.
The Ledger is more than just a newsletter—it’s your gateway to understanding how policy and practice converge to create a more inclusive and affordable housing landscape in Florida.
Spotlight: From Printing Press to Neighborhood Anchor
Revitalizing the Former Tampa Bay Times Plant in North Kenwood
For over six decades, the Tampa Bay Times printing plant in North Kenwood stood as a physical symbol of local journalism’s daily grind. Located at 1301 34th Street North, the facility once printed more than 300,000 newspapers each week. But like many legacy media operations, the building was shuttered in 2021 when printing was outsourced to Lakeland.
Now, a new chapter is unfolding.
Dallas-based Crow Holdings has filed plans to redevelop the 27-acre site into a mixed-use residential community called Alexan 34th North. The project would include 392 garden-style apartments, 109 townhomes, a clubhouse, dog park, pool, and over 500 parking spaces. It’s a massive shift for a site that long embodied the industrial heartbeat of the region.
What’s striking is not just the scale — but the symbolism. This redevelopment is part of a broader trend happening across Florida: transforming previously active commercial or industrial spaces into urgently needed housing.
In this case, residential construction is made possible through Florida’s Live Local Act, which allows housing to be built on sites zoned for non-residential uses—if at least 40% of units are reserved for workforce housing. Crow’s proposed project is also taking advantage of stormwater infrastructure already in place, further supporting its adaptive reuse strategy.
This isn’t Crow Holdings’ first foray into Florida, but it marks a notable entry into the St. Petersburg market. Their original plans in 2021 for a different site fell through after community pushback. This time, they’re stepping in to breathe life into a dormant space—without displacing any existing residents or businesses.
As St. Pete continues to grow and grapple with housing demand, the Alexan 34th North project represents the kind of purposeful infill development that aligns with both housing needs and community preservation. It may no longer print the morning paper, but the site’s next story is just beginning.
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Live Local Development Round-Up: July Highlights
🔨 The HueHub | West Little River, Miami
Spanish developer Pablo Castro has received final approval from Miami-Dade County for The HueHub — a $880 million, 4,032-unit Live Local megaproject in West Little River. Slated to break ground by the end of 2025 (or earlier, pending financing), the seven-tower, 35-story community will rise on a 12-acre site near the Northside Metrorail Station.
Designed by Arquitectonica, the towers will offer fully furnished units with attainable rents starting at $1,300 for studios. The project will dedicate 3,000 units to teachers and first responders at fixed rents for 10 years — making it the largest Live Local Act development to date.
Amenities will span 200,000 square feet and include coworking space, tutoring, childcare, urgent care, pools, gyms, meal prep classes, and daily convenience services like laundry and dog walking. Backed by Coastal Construction, Bilzin Sumberg, Greenberg Traurig, and Franyie Engineers, The HueHub aims to raise the bar for middle-income living in Miami-Dade, where over 60% of renters are cost-burdened.
🔨 Alton Delray | Delray Beach
Kolter Group is moving forward with Alton Delray, a 386-unit Live Local project on a 12.3-acre industrial-zoned site at 2101 S. Congress Ave.
The community will include five residential buildings with units ranging from studios to three bedrooms, averaging 951 square feet. Planned amenities include a pool and dog park. Kolter acquired the site for $21.9 million, and MSA Architects is leading the design.
🔨 Tulip Edgewater Tower | Edgewater, Miami
Amit Kort and Ofir Gabriel’s Tulip Developments Group has secured Live Local Act approval for a 47-story, 499-unit tower in Edgewater — boosting the value of their 0.8-acre assemblage now listed for $34 million. The project, located at 3350 Biscayne Blvd, will include 203 workforce housing units, 296 market-rate units, and 5,555 sq ft of retail.
Designed by Kobi Karp, the project benefits from both Live Local incentives and its location in a transit zone. Tulip originally planned a mixed-use condo and office high-rise but pivoted to rental housing to align with the Live Local framework. The site, purchased for $16.5 million in 2022, also lies within an Opportunity Zone.
