At St. Petersburg’s Signature Place, a view worth about $3 million
For nearly a decade after it was finished in 2009, Signature Place was the tallest condo tower in St. Petersburg. Although it no longer holds that distinction, its upper units still have unsurpassed views.
Among them is unit 3104 on the 31st floor, which sold early this month for $2,950,000 after being listed for just under $3.3 million.
Looking north from the 1,500-square-foot terrace, there’s a bird’s-eye view of the St. Pete Pier, Straub Park, the Vinoy and yachts in the marina. To the south are the Sunshine Skyway bridge, the Dalí Museum, Al Lang Stadium, powerboat races and planes departing from Albert Whitted Airport. And when the St. Pete Grand Prix is held each March, 95 percent of the track is visible, making the condo an ideal spot for a race-day party.
The interior of the two-bedroom, 2 ½-bathroom condo “is very nicely done with a lot of special custom upgrades,” says Liz Heinkel, the Smith & Associates listing agent. Those include a chef’s kitchen with a cobalt blue glass table, Luxe cabinetry, double ovens, a Subzero refrigerator, wine refrigerator and built-in Miele coffee maker.
The great room, floored in marble, is accentuated with walnut-wrapped columns with soft LED lighting and a contemporary fireplace. The owner’s retreat features an office, a spa-like bathroom and a private terrace. All owners in Signature Place, known for its seven-story waterfall, enjoy communal amenities that include a heated pool, a spa, a fitness center, outdoor grills and 24-hour staffing at the front desk.
Heinkel said the condo’s pricing was based in part on the “very livable” terrace, large enough to have three separate outdoor seating areas.
In general, Heinkel has noticed that showings for luxury condos in St. Petersburg “aren’t as brisk” as they were last year although units on or near Beach Drive still garner plenty of attention on real estate websites like Zillow. “It’s unbelievable the amount of views that all the condos are getting,” she said. Sales at the higher end are still mostly in cash, and buyers typically use the condos as part-time residences.
Though many factors affect pricing, the Signature Place condo might seem like a relative bargain compared to others in the region. In February, Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik and his wife Penny bought a penthouse in Tampa’s new Edition tower for $8.34 million, a record price for a bay area condo. Last July, a National Basketball Association executive paid $8 million for an Edition condo, while a penthouse in the Virage on Bayshore Boulevard sold a year earlier for $6.9 million.
In St. Petersburg, a penthouse at the Vinoy sold in July for $7.3 million, the most ever paid for a condo in the city. Currently on the market are units for $8.5 million in Ovation and $7.2 million in Parkshore Plaza. And if the 31st-floor condo in Signature isn’t quite big enough or high enough for a buyer’s taste, there’s a three-story penthouse at the very top of Signature Place — $4.95 million.
