St. Petersburg Local Briefing: Pink Towers, Power Fight, and Film Premiere

St. Petersburg, FL – Here is a quick look at what is making news around the city today.

Pink apartments become a canvas before condo tower rises

Downtown St. Pete is in the spotlight this weekend as a block of older apartments at 4th Street and 4th Avenue South, freshly painted bright pink, turns into a temporary outdoor gallery. A team of local mural artists is set to cover the pink facades with new artwork as part of a sendoff before the buildings are demolished.

The block will eventually be cleared for the Roche Bobois St. Pete Tower, a 29-story luxury condominium planned by a local developer and the French design brand. The high-rise is expected to include condos, retail and restaurant space, and art features throughout the building, with construction targeted to begin later this year.

St. Pete weighs future with Duke Energy as bills climb

Rising electric bills are pushing St. Petersburg into a high-profile showdown over who should control the city's power lines. City officials are examining what it would take to break from Duke Energy when the current franchise agreement comes up, including the option of creating a city-run electric utility.

Advocacy groups have been canvassing neighborhoods and turning energy affordability into a 2026 election issue across the Tampa Bay region. Clearwater is taking similar steps, reviewing Duke's local infrastructure as part of its own analysis. Any move away from a private utility would require years of financial and legal work, but the debate is already reshaping conversations at City Hall.

'Mission Possible' documentary premieres at Eckerd College

Later today, Eckerd College will host the world premiere of 'The Mission Possible Book Award' documentary during the Black Arts & Film Festival. The film follows author and filmmaker Dr. Juan Phillip Chisholm and his book about graduating from college without taking on debt.

The screening is scheduled for the afternoon on campus, with a discussion and meet-the-filmmaker session planned afterward. Organizers say they hope the event will inspire students and families looking for practical ways to navigate college costs while also highlighting Black creatives working in film and publishing.