75-Unit Senior Housing Opens on Burlington Avenue in St. Petersburg

A new affordable apartment building for seniors opened Wednesday in St. Petersburg.

Burlington Post II stands at 3295 Burlington Ave N. with five stories and 75 units. The building is designed for older adults whose incomes fall between 22% and 80% of area median income. Amenities include a fitness center, outdoor community space, a game room and around-the-clock security.

Green Mills Group, a Fort Lauderdale firm run by founders Oscar Sol and Mitch Rosenstein, developed the project. Construction started about two years ago, and the first residents moved in roughly a month before the opening. Sol said the deal began much earlier than that. "We signed the ground lease on this property 11 years ago," Sol said. "It was an old post office parking lot. That's what was here." He said securing approval for affordable housing money takes time because the resources are competitive.

Funding came from several sources. The City of St. Petersburg put up about $5.8 million. Pinellas County added $3.75 million. The Housing Finance Authority of Pinellas County issued $16 million in tax-exempt housing revenue bonds. Sol said city and county money helped the team build a financing package that did not depend on a state funding allocation.

Rosenstein described the construction work as difficult. "It was a rather tight sight," he said, adding that the company worked with the city to confirm the parcel could be built on. He also said the number of funding sources created legal and underwriting complications. The site sits next to Burlington Post I, which began taking residents in 2018.

City Council chair Lisset Hanewicz spoke at the opening. "Developments like this matter to our community," she said, calling it a place where seniors can stay connected. Pinellas County Commissioner René Flowers said the building lets residents avoid choosing between rent, food and medication. Resident Robyn Bryan said she is glad to remain in the area. "I get to stay in the community," Bryan said. "I'm very happy about that." Green Mills Group has built three communities in St. Petersburg and five in the region.