In May, St. Petersburg’s Community Planning and Preservation Commission (CPPC) unanimously denied the church’s zoning request for a land use change from Institutional (I) to Residential Medium (RM) as well as the zoning change from Neighborhood Traditional (NT-3) to Neighborhood Suburban Multifamily (NSM-1).

With City Council overturning the CPPC vote, Pasadena Community Church can move forward with plans to sell the property and reinvest the proceeds back into the church’s campus through a major renovation of the main ministry building.

The homes in the development, dubbed Pasadena Groves, will have an average sales price of $750,000, according to Onyx+East.

Some council members expressed concerns about how the zoning change could set a new precedent for development in the area, potentially jeopardizing the character of the old neighborhood; however, denying the requested change could threaten the financial future of the church. 

“We have different needs today and don’t have the luxury to hold acres of land with an aging building,” said Scott Russell, the church’s Building Oversight Committee Chairman, during the public forum.

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