Coming soon - Azalea Gateway
 |
| Click on image to enlarge. |
Azalea Gateway - Raytheon/Porter Site:
Current status: At the August 2025 Azalea Neighborhood meeting, Councilman Copley Gerdes reported that civil and engineering permits for the former Raytheon property are expected to be completed by the end of 2025. Construction on Phase 1 is projected to begin in 2026. Councilman Gerdes noted that, in his view, there’s about a 90% chance that Phase 2 will move forward and a 50% chance that Phase 3 will ever be realized.
The complex is located at 1501 72nd St N, St. Petersburg, Azalea neighborhood
The project is described in many documents as totaling 1,058 units, though the site map shows 1,052 so that is the number used on this page.
History of the Project:
🏛️ July 2023 Council Meeting: Neighborhood Opposition to Azalea Gateway
In July 2023, the developer presented a revised plan for the former Raytheon site—now called Azalea Gateway—for City Council approval. This marked Phase 1 of a multi-phase, mixed‑income residential project totaling over 1,000 units
At the meeting, over 60 residents spoke in opposition, while only about 13 voiced support. Additionally, an online petition attracted more than 1,400 signatures from concerned neighbors
🎤 Neighborhood Concerns:
Overdevelopment: Many residents cited the project’s scale and density as incompatible with the character of surrounding neighborhoods.
Traffic & infrastructure stress: Speakers raised alarms about added congestion, strain on nearby schools and utilities, and increased demand on local roads.
Environmental fears: Given the site's legacy contamination, neighbors emphasized risks around stormwater runoff, vapor intrusion, and potential exposure during construction.
Zoning mismatch: Critics argued that residential towers were not appropriate in what remains industrially zoned land, and that the prior plans featuring a lagoon and sports complex were a better fit for mitigating impact.
Despite this widespread neighborhood opposition, City Council unanimously approved the $200 million development, endorsing the revised vision even as Forward Pinellas (the county planning authority) opposed the associated land-use changes
The city council unanimously approved the site plan in July 2023. At the time, the developer planned three phases: Phase 1 estimated completion in 2025 (but has not started yet), Phase 2 will be a year later, Phase 3 will take an additional 18 months. Latest estimate is that Phase 1 will begin in 2026.
On January 14, 2025, the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved a $5.25 million funding allocation from the Penny for Pinellas affordable housing program to support Phase 1 of Azalea Gateway.
In February 2025, the City Council approved $6.0 million in public subsidy for the Azalea Gateway development, via a 6‑1 vote, to help secure the broader $110 million first-phase buildout.
Sole “no” vote: Richie Floyd, who expressed concerns about environmental risks and the amount of subsidy relative to the number of truly affordable units.
The city’s funding is a critical match to county support and enables the developer, Azalea Gateway LLC (led by Les Porter), to move forward with construction at the site near Tyrone Square Mall in West St. Pete.
Richie Floyd represents District 8 on the St. Petersburg City Council which covers neighborhoods like Disston Heights, Central Oak Park, Bear Creek, and areas near Tyrone Mall, encompassing much of the area directly adjacent to the Azalea Gateway project site.
This first phase includes 340 total apartments, of which 102 are designated as affordable or workforce housing, reserved for households earning up to 80% or 120% of the area median income (AMI).
Size of the Complex:
Note:
This information is presented to offer an honest, fact-based view of the proposed Azalea Gateway development. The intent is not to exaggerate or influence opinion, but simply to provide accurate details such as size, scale, and layout, so that residents and stakeholders can understand the scope of the project.
The developer provided this image of the apartments ‒ it is just a small portion of the complex:
Here is a picture of The Interlace, a 1000-unit building in Singapore
Years ago, I lived in Riverview Tower in Minneapolis. 24 stories, 202 units. Studios, 1 and 2 BR, no 3 BR. Units were not particularly large. Units are on both sides of the building (facing east or west). Pictured: Five 24-story Riverview Towers do not quite make it to 1,052 units.
Cars:
There will be 1826 parking spaces in the complex.
This is what 250 parked cars look like...
Update: 60+ more parking spots are now planned on 72nd Street.
Population:
How many people will be moving into our neighborhood? About 2000, maybe more. That doesn't include family and friends who will be coming to visit.
Azalea neighborhood statistics:
| Current | In Progress | Future | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single Family Homes | 750 | 0 | 750 |
| Rental Units | 20 | 1,052 | 1,072 |
| Population | 1,685 | 2,000 | 4,061 |
| % in Homes | 97.40% | — | 41.16% |
Among neighborhood concerns:
- The developer funded the traffic and environmental impact studies. Despite the scale of the project, the city did not pursue any independent traffic or environmental studies.
- Three of the four entrance/exits will be on 72nd Street, a two-lane street that children from the complex will cross to get to Azalea Park and Azalea Elementary.
- In order to avoid the gridlock along 72nd Street, traffic will make its way through Azalea, Jungle Prada and Crossroads neighborhoods, causing a significant increase in traffic along 72nd, 74th, Farragut, Russell, Par, Robinson, Park, Country Club Road and other streets.
- Can the Northwest Water Reclamation Plant handle the sewage of what is the equivalent of another Azalea neighborhood?
- This neighborhood was designed in the 1950s with a balance of homes and jobs — including the industrial corridor that became the Raytheon site, once home to hundreds of workers. That job center is now being replaced by apartments. While the new project is billed as workforce housing, one has to ask: where is the workforce supposed to work?
- Concerns persist about toxic chemicals on the site, including the potential to release contaminants into the air during construction. In 2008, environmental technicians estimated it would take 75 years to fully remediate the property. The long-term health and safety of future tenants should remain a central consideration. Rigorous, independent oversight is essential to ensure environmental safeguards are followed throughout construction and beyond.
- Population density: Many residents are concerned about the sheer number of people expected to move into the complex. With over 1,000 units planned, the development will add more than 2,000 residents to a relatively small area. This raises important questions about livability, infrastructure strain, and neighborhood character — especially in Pinellas County, which is already considered the most densely populated county in Florida.
The Scrapped Sports Complex
-
Original Vision (2021): Developer Les Porter pitched a sprawling mixed-use redevelopment of the 29-acre former Raytheon site (1501 72nd St. N), including residential units, a lagoon, and a sports complex. This plan was later rejected by Forward Pinellas, the county’s planning agency.
-
In response, Porter withdrew the sports complex and lagoon components and reworked the project into what became known as the Azalea Gateway development.
