The Residences at 400 Central to Begin St. Petersburg’s Largest Concrete Pour for Foundation of 46-Story Luxury Condominium
Foundation to include 2,000,000 pounds of cement and more than 5,000,000 pounds of reinforcing steel
Construction of The Residences at 400 Central will enter new phase this Friday, as upwards of 650 concrete trucks are scheduled to drive into downtown St. Petersburg to pour a record-size concrete foundation for the 46-story tower.
Lasting approximately 20-24 hours, the event will rank as the largest-ever continuous pour of concrete for a non-government project in the city’s history, delivering more than two million pounds of concrete, second only to construction of the expansive new pier on the downtown waterfront. The foundation structure is reinforced with more than five million pounds of steel. The 400 Central concrete pour is the equivalent of pouring five basketball courts each measuring eight feet in depth.
“This is an exciting step in the construction of this wonderful project,” said John Catsimatidis Sr., founder of Red Apple Real Estate and principal of the company that is sponsoring development of The Residences at 400 Central. “We are grateful for the expert staff at the City of St. Petersburg who helped to coordinate the foundation pour. We are moving quickly to build this condominium and deliver homes to all of the current and future purchasers that are buying residences in this wonderful city.”
Anticipated to be the tallest residential condominium on Florida’s Gulf Coast when complete in early 2025, The Residences at 400 Central will soar above downtown St. Petersburg’s vibrant Central Avenue, capturing panoramic views from Tampa Bay to the Gulf of Mexico. The project will include 301 luxury condominiums plus Class A office space, ground-level restaurants, shops and cafes.
The general contractor for the building, Suffolk Construction, has overseen the drilling of more than 90 steel-reinforced pilings – some spanning eight feet in diameter – nearly 180 feet below the surface. Crews then built a massive, reinforced foundation structure that will be the focal point of the concrete pour, filled from Friday evening into Saturday with concrete that will harden to form the foundation for the massive tower.
“We are thrilled to partner with visionary client Red Apple Real Estate on this game-changing project for St. Petersburg and the Florida Gulf Coast. Our teams are passionate planners who enjoy managing sophisticated, complex project events like this pour,” said Chris Lewis, project executive for Suffolk. “This pour is an important project milestone that required in-depth logistics planning, close collaboration, tight coordination, and flawless execution—our experienced team is leveraging state-of-the-art technologies and planning processes to deliver a pour that is efficient and seamless. We look forward to continuing our work on this landmark project and help make Red Apple’s vision for this project a reality.”
Because concrete has a fixed amount of time before hardening, this concrete pour is a carefully coordinated, nonstop event. Beginning Friday, four different concrete plants across the region will begin filling hundreds of concrete trucks – an estimated 650 will be on site. At roughly 9 p.m. trucks will begin arriving at the construction site on a rolling basis and in waves. From there, they will be dispatched to four separate stations and begin filling the foundation form. The process is scheduled to finish on Saturday.
Red Apple Real Estate coordinated with officials from the City of St. Petersburg to schedule the process to limit impact on traffic and special events, and Suffolk drafted a detailed logistics plan to ensure safety and efficiency. After the concrete cures, construction crews will begin work on the 46-story vertical superstructure.
The Residences at 400 Central has already enjoyed tremendous success with sales vastly exceeding expectations, including the sale of a 43rd floor 4,237-square-foot penthouse for $5,230,000 that spans 4 bedrooms and 4.5 baths.
The Residences at 400 Central will feature 301 condominium homes with light-filled interiors, high-end designer finishes, floor-to-ceiling glass and large sliding doors that showcase the panoramic views of the waterfront city. Expansive wrap-around terraces allow for prime enjoyment of the Florida sunshine.
400 Central will have more than 12,900 square feet of indoor and 23,100 square feet of outdoor private residential amenities, from the tropical resort-style pool deck to the professional-grade fitness & wellness center. “With a 46th floor observation deck, residents and their guests will be able to look at the stars, look at the moon, and fall in love again,” Catsimatidis said. The observation deck will allow breathtaking views from the highest point in St. Petersburg.
A state-of-the-art sales gallery across from the site at 465 Central Avenue was established by Red Apple and Michael Saunders & Company and is continuing the process of facilitating sales of the luxury condominiums.
