Privacy, design and sustainability are drawing buyers to the latest condo development on St. Pete’s 4th Ave NE.

First came Rowland Place, the relatively modest mid-rise. Then Bliss rose to higher heights next door. Now comes The Nolen, due to replace the Watergarden Inn on Rowland’s western flank. 

So why are condo towers marching up the 400 block of 4th Avenue NE in downtown St. Pete? Because you can walk out your door anywhere on this block and in a few minutes get to Straub Park and the bay, not to mention the restaurants and shops of Beach Drive, the Museum of Fine Arts and the St. Pete Pier. 

Location, location, location — it’s still a central tenet of real estate. In the case of The Nolen, it’s the location that drives the project, beginning with the name. John Nolen was the St. Pete urban planner who in 1924 envisioned what is now the city’s waterfront park system — and if you are fortunate enough to purchase one of the remaining residences in his namesake building, the fruits of his vision will be laid out below you.

Speaking of history, the construction of The Nolen will supplant – but not disappear – a piece of St. Pete history. The 1910 Bay Gables house, one of the two buildings comprising the Watergarden, was historically designated in 1994. It will be moved to a location to be determined in the Historic Uptown neighborhood, while the other building now part of the inn will be demolished.

Dates for the move and the groundbreaking are yet to be determined, but it’s hoped that the process will get underway next month, says Liz Heinkel of Smith & Associates, the luxury real estate firm handling the pre-sale of the Nolen. There are 31 residences in the 23-story building, with two condos per floor on levels 5-15, and full-floor homes on levels 16-23. Each residence will have its own private entry foyer and no shared walls. Sales started in late fall, and are over 60 percent sold. Many of those buyers are local, while others have made these decisions entirely virtually from zoom presentations. 

So what’s the allure beyond location? The privacy, for one thing: the relatively small number of occupants, the fact that there are only two elevators and the best part: You exit the elevator into your own private foyer. The design (by Tim Clemmons of PLACE Architecture and interior designer Melissa Kelly) is appealing, too. The renderings of 21-foot arched windows, stone facade and a lobby bathed in a golden glow have a kind of gorgeous restraint, as do the light-filled condominium interiors. And the finishes are top of the line; Tampa-based DDA Developers seem to be sparing no expense, with high-end appliances from Gaggenau and Thermador and thoughtful provisions for wellness and sustainability, including an integrated water softening system, electric car charging stations, and a comprehensive building generator.

Of course, you had better be prepared to spare no expense yourself if you want to buy one of the floor-through homes on the upper floors. There are only two of those left, and the one we’re focusing on here, #1701, is listed at $4,749,000. (There are some homes still available on the two-condo lower floors; #1002, for instance, is being offered for $2,099,900.)

While you should probably get on the phone right away if you want to buy, you’ll have to wait for a while before moving in. The building is not expected to open till early 2024.

For more information on the 3BR, 4B, 3,341-sqft residence at 126 4th Ave. NE 1701, contact Realtor Liz Heinkel, Executive Sales Agent for The Nolen, 727-239-5623, TheNolenStPete.com