LA VISTA LOFTS
St. Petersburg, Florida

The proposed project consists of the redevelopment of five lots on the corner of 5^th Street North and 3^rd Avenue North at the west end of the downtown area, across the street from the Mirror Lake Library. The Zoning is designated as CBD-2.  The La Vista development includes 6 stories of parking garage and 16 stories of loft style condominiums.  The total number of units is 196 with an average unit size of 950 s.f. The units will vary between 1, 2 & 3 bedrooms and vary in size from 850 s.f. to 1,200 s.f.  Upper most floors will be reserved for costlier penthouse units which may feature outdoor garden areas.  The construction budget is 40,000,000. Cost per unit are projected to be from 255k to 480k. Floor to floor heights in the parking garage and condominium units average 11 feet, with the base floor of the parking garage and upper floors of the condominiums being in the 20 foot range.  

With the close proximity to the Mirror Lake Library La Vista Lofts in embracing all possible ties.  The landscape  area has been enhanced to facilitate relaxed reading area’s with the final landscape design including alcoves, arbors, seating circles with trellises, and New York Style Chess tables.  With all the shaded amenities provided this will be a great area for evening walks.   

The focal point and main entry to the building will be from the intersection of 5^th Street North and 3^rd Avenue North; at this point a glass enclosed spire rises 25 stories and encloses the elevators.  The space in front of this glass spire has been designed with a water feature that radiates outward.  This water feature will include a series of water falls, aquatic vegetation, fish, and space has been allocated for sculpture.  

The streetscape improvements shall include saving of several major Live Oaks, which will preserve the shaded canopy currently prevalent along 5^th Street North,  additional live oaks are designated to be planted around the perimeter at no less than 25’ o.c.  All existing walks will be upgraded to include colored concrete perimeter with a field of textured, colored concrete.  Furthermore, the landscape concept plan depicts an additional row of mature date palms with follow the curvature of the walk at 10’ o.c.  Additional ground cover with highlight plantings and an integral water feature that wraps the corner of 5^th Street North and 3^rd Avenue North is planned. 

The Architecture is intended to evoke an elegant and urban style evident in many Louis Sullivan works throughout Chicago and St. Louis.

Louis Henry (Henri) Sullivan, (1856-1924) was an American architect, often referred to as the "father of modernism" and “Creator of First Skyscraper”, considered by many as the creator of the Prairie School of architecture, was an influential architect and critic of the Chicago School, and a mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright.

Louis Sullivan created a grammar of form for the high rise (base, shaft, and pediment), simplifying the appearance of the building by using ornament selectively, and breaking away from historical styles. Sullivan also used ornament in vertical bands to draw the eye upwards and emphasize the building's verticality.  

Sullivan’s impact was felt in every major city and is evident some of our own historical mid-rise developments including the “Pennsylvania Hotel” and the “Kress Building”.  Like those buildings this development has a clearly defined “base” which is intended to include leasable office space and possibly a small coffee shop at the ground level. To maximize parking efficiency the footprint closely mimics the property line.  The west elevation gently follows the radius of 5^th Street North.  The very top of the base shall serve as a visual break and will feature a landscaped pool area complete with trellis covered seating areas around the perimeter.  The parking garage portion will be setback from the property line at no less than 7.5 feet as required for a windowless wall.

As the building begins to go vertical “the Shaft” is a much lighter color with vertical columns accentuating the verticality, the shaft portion of the building will be entirely comprised of residential units.  The Pediment” is comprised of penthouse units topped with a trellis to give the illusion of the building dissolving into the sky. The shaft portion is designed to be setback from the property line at no less than 15 feet as required by the zoning ordinance for a wall with windows.  The stair towers will be set back from the property line at no less than 7.5 feet as required for walls without windows.

The focal point and main entry to the building will be from the intersection of 5^th Street North and 3^rd Avenue North; at this point a glass enclosed spire rises 25 stories and encloses the elevators.  The very top floor shall include a trellised observation deck to offer vista’s of Mirror Lake and surrounding areas.