South St. Pete’s historic corridor along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Street S. is about to change. Developer John Barkett announced the Looking Glass Initiative, a private‑investment project that will refurbish several long‑neglected properties and bring seven new businesses to the area.
Private capital and possible public support
Barkett said his family is committing roughly $3.5 million of its own money to the redevelopment. In addition, Mayor Ken Welch has earmarked $325,000 from the city’s Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) Economic Development Incentive Program. The funds are included in the FY 2026 CRA budget but still require City Council approval.
What the project will include
The initiative will transform an aging retail strip on the east side of MLK Street and expand across the street to the former Twigs & Leaves Nursery site at 10th Avenue S. and a former American Legion building at 927 MLK S. Extensive upgrades are already underway, including new plumbing, electrical, mechanical systems, storefronts and structural repairs. A single masonry and parking change order alone cost about $350,000.
Seven businesses will occupy the renovated spaces, three of which are Black‑owned. Planned tenants include:
- Café Aura – a Black‑owned coffee shop and art gallery run by Meiko and Simone Seymour.
- CodeWiz – a center offering computer coding and robotics programs for children.
- The Nest – a social‑skills and therapy space for children on the autism spectrum.
- A physical‑therapy and wellness practice.
One storefront was reconfigured into a 600‑square‑foot business incubator after the original 1,000‑square‑foot space proved too large for Sober Roots, a Black‑woman‑owned venture operated by Monica Smith. The redesign added $45,000 to the budget.
Affordability and community focus
Barkett emphasized that rents are being set to cover the lender’s debt rather than market rates. He estimates tenants will pay roughly 55 %–60 % less than they would for comparable new space a mile and a quarter away on Central Avenue, with lower pass‑through expenses.
Beyond retail, the project includes the Healthy Roots Garden & Community Center across MLK Street. The garden will feature a teaching garden, produce stand and space for cooking classes, computer access and, eventually, health services. Garden Life, a Black‑woman‑owned business relocating from Atlanta, will operate within the garden to teach families how to grow and prepare fresh food.
Orlando Health has already contributed a modest amount toward the garden’s start‑up, and Barkett says discussions are ongoing with Orlando Health and Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital to bring additional health services to the neighborhood.
Public‑infrastructure improvements
The city’s CRA spending plan also proposes about $1.05 million for new crosswalks at 9th, 10th and 14th Avenues S., including crossings near the Looking Glass site, and $175,000 for a study of potential lane changes between 9th and 18th Avenues. Barkett argues these improvements will make the area safer for pedestrians and better connect neighborhoods divided by a busy roadway.
Community response and next steps
Historic Roser Park Neighborhood Association Vice President Meiko Seymour urged officials to ensure CRA resources benefit existing residents and small businesses, warning that rising property values could displace longtime occupants. Barkett responded that the project is “not a re‑gentrification project” but an “intentional project to create generational wealth, to level the playing field from an educational perspective.”
The first retail space, CodeWiz, is slated to open before the end of September. Work will then shift to the garden, while permitting for the community center is being prepared.
When the development is fully operational, Barkett says the ultimate test will be whether the community can run the center without his ongoing involvement. “It’s not my community center. It’s the community’s center,” he said. “We’re building scaffolding. When we can pull the scaffolding away and the community center continues to run, we’re successful.”
Original reporting: St. Pete Catalyst — read the source article.
