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Historic Corey Avenue reborn after hurricanes
The historic Corey Avenue shopping district in St. Pete Beach is experiencing a major resurgence, as local businesses reopen following devastation from Hurricanes Helene and Milton. FOX 13's Kailey Tracy reports.
ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. - The historic Corey Avenue shopping district in St. Pete Beach is experiencing a major resurgence, as local businesses reopen following devastation from Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
St. Pete Beach recovery
What we know:
The historic Corey Avenue shopping and dining district, which dates back to the 1930s, has undergone a massive rebirth. Hurricanes Helene and Milton devastated most of the businesses on the street.
Community members helped each other rebuild, and now many original shops have reopened alongside new neighbors, leaving only two storefronts vacant on the strip, according to Sarah Laracuente, the president of Corey Area Business Association.
"It really is amazing what has happened in two years, knowing the devastation that did happen from the storms and looking at what's happening now," she said. "Many people just reopened this last year."
New Additions
Dig deeper:
Among the newest additions is Fellas Vinoir, a coffee, crêpe, and European cuisine café that has been open for a week and a half.
"Dino found the location and really fell in love with Corey Avenue and really wanted to be part of the resurgence and the building back of a historic neighborhood that was decimated by the hurricanes," Diana Pemelton, the general manager of Fellas, said.
The owner has also run La Creperia Café in Ybor City for two decades. He signed a lease last Tuesday to open a gelato shop next door to the café on Corey Avenue too.
Other businesses coming
Big picture view:
Additionally, the vintage and antique store, Salt and Story Mercantile, is scheduled to move onto the street in September.
"I have watched this neighborhood just go through this really nice resurgence lately," owner Tiffany Margaritondo said. "It's almost like our own kind of renaissance, and seeing the market come in and just really pick up and all of the life coming back to the beach, I feel like I have a personal attachment to this neighborhood."
She said she wanted to invest her time and money in the local market, so Corey Avenue was a perfect spot.
"I think when this area thrives, the beach, it totally thrives. This is just our little lifeline, our heartbeat here," Margaritondo said.
Community energy shift
What they're saying:
Other community business leaders noted a distinct shift in the area's energy.
"When we reopened the Beach Theatre almost a year ago, this street was, you know, starting to come back a little bit," Beach Theatre Owner Hannah Hockman said. "But I think in the last six months, we have seen such a resurgence out here on Corey Avenue," she said. "Everyone’s been through so much out here. It’s so nice to finally see businesses reopen."
Upcoming beach events
What's next:
Corey Avenue is hosting a free Sip and Stroll event this Friday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., featuring drinks and live music. It’s held on the last Friday of each month.
The district also hosts a free market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Sunday.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from FOX 13 reporter Kailey Tracy, who interviewed local business owners on Corey Avenue, as well as official event details provided by the Corey Area Business Association.