Joel Greene here from Condo Hotel Center.

The other day I was reading about an interesting little city and how its people solved a difficult problem.

Viganella is a small village in the Italian Alps located at the bottom of a deep valley about 80 miles north of Milan. It’s a lovely little place except for one thing: it’s on the wrong side of a steep mountain.

For three long months every winter, the surrounding mountains cast a long shadow over the entire village, blocking the sun.  In fact, the sun completely disappears from November 11 until February 2, making the villagers feel like they live in cold, dark Siberia.

Viganella is a small Italian village that had a big problem: no sunshine for 3 months of the year.

For centuries, they villagers of Viganella had simply accepted their fate.  But then a local architect came up with a brilliant idea: use a mirror to reflect sunlight into the village.

Giacomo Bonzani, an Italian architect, had an idea for bringing the sun down to the little valley village.

In 2005, 100,000 Euros were raised to construct the mirror.  And in November 2006, the 131-foot mirror, weighing 1.1 tons, was installed on the opposite slope of the mountain. The mirror was too small to light up the whole town so Viganella’s main square was chosen as the target.

The giant mirror was installed atop Mount Scagiola in 2006.

The mirror is controlled by computer software that tracks the sun and tilts and turns the panels of the mirror so that the rays are always reflected downwards onto the village square.  They bathe an area of 300 square yards in glorious sunlight and warmth for at least six hours a day.  Problem solved.

Pierfranco Midali, the mayor of Viganella, says the reflected sunlight “created a positive change in the mood and behavior of the town’s inhabitants.”

So I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m telling you about the little Italian village of Viganella. Besides the fact that it’s an interesting story, the location of today’s featured property is the polar opposite of Viganella. Instead of endless days of cold, gray darkness, the city where this property is located holds the Guinness World Record for the most consecutive days of sunshine – 768!

The city is St. Petersburg, nicknamed “The Sunshine City” for its world record, located on Florida’s beautiful west coast.  And I have a wonderful, new property there to tell you about.  Read on for details.

ONE St. Petersburg will be a 41-story tower.

Mixed-Use Tower

In the heart of downtown St. Petersburg, soaring 41 stories above the city, ONE St. Petersburg will soon encompass an entire city block. A mixed-use building, when finished it will include 253 luxury tower residences, 174 hotel rooms and 17,000 square feet of retail space.

At a height of over 450 feet, it will be the tallest building in downtown St. Petersburg overlooking Tampa Bay and the St. Petersburg skyline.  ONE St. Petersburg will become a new iconic destination for shopping, dining and entertainment.

In addition to 253 condo residences, ONE St. Petersburg will have a 174-room Hyatt Hotel.

Fabulous Amenities

When you enter ONE St. Petersburg, you’ll find yourself in a soaring 28′ high atrium lobby.

The lobby will have a dramatic atrium with comfortable seating areas.

Cruise up to the second floor where you can relax in the owner’s lounge, complete with the latest technology.

The resort deck will have a pool, private cabanas and a lounge.

A 40,000 square foot elevated resort deck includes:

• 5,000 sq. ft. free-standing fitness complex overlooking the resort deck
• Resort-style pool with 75′ fitness lap lanes
• Whirlpool/spa in a private, intimate setting
• Numerous cabanas designed to provide shade and privacy
• Extensive lounging and seating areas
• Splash Lounge – informal social room on pool deck

One of many private seating areas where residents can enjoy the water views.

• Game room – Big screen TV, billiards, other games
• Club ONE – 2,100 sq. ft. club with bar and catering kitchen for parties

The game room offers a variety of games and has a big screen TV.

Owners will also benefit from being in a building that encompasses a 174-key Hyatt Hotel offering a full complement of services including: meeting spaces, restaurants, fitness center, bar and elevated pool deck and retail – encompassing one entire city block.

ONE St. Petersburg will have 17,000 square feet of retail space.

Condo Features

The individual condo residences will have contemporary architecture in keeping with the building’s modern exterior.

The condos will have expansive terrace balconies.

Buyers will have a choice of designer finish packages.  Other features include:

• Panoramic views through floor-to-ceiling windows
• Indoor-outdoor living spaces that flow onto expansive terrace balconies
• Porcelain tile flooring throughout main living areas

Floor-to-ceiling windows will offer incredible views of St. Pete from every angle.

• Large social islands for entertaining
• Gourmet kitchens with large social islands for entertaining
• State-of-the-art, built-in gourmet Jenn-Air® Euro stainless steel appliances
• Imported Nolte® European cabinetry
• Imported quartz countertops

Condos will come with a gourmet kitchen and large island, ideal for entertaining.

• Luxurious spa-like features
• Beautifully coordinated stone and porcelain surfaces

The ensuite master baths will be luxuriously appointed.

St. Petersburg, The Sunshine City

St. Petersburg, or St. Pete as the locals call it, is located on a peninsula between Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. It is connected to mainland Florida to the north.

It’s known for its fabulous weather (hence its “Sunshine City” nickname), making it popular for golfing, boating, fishing and beach going.

The St. Petersburg cultural district has seven museums, including the world-renowned Salvador Dali Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, and the incredible Dale Chihuly glass collection.

Downtown St. Pete includes retail shops, restaurants, and movie theaters.  More than 900 events bring over 10 million people each year to the Sunshine City to experience yacht races, triathlons, baseball, basketball, cycling, festivals, cultural exhibits, and music.

Sunset at St. Petersburg Beach (photo by Susan Greene)

St. Pete is an eclectic mix of tradition and innovation coming together to create a vibrant sense of community.

Dusk at St. Petersburg Beach (photo by Susan Greene)

But its biggest attraction is its beautiful beaches.  Sugary-white sand, dolphins leaping just off shore and eight major barrier islands make St. Pete Beach a postcard-perfect seaside destination. And every day you can watch the sun dip inch-by-inch into the ocean when it sets each day.

Condos can be reserved now at preconstruction prices.

Preconstruction Pricing

Construction on ONE St. Petersburg is expected to begin the first quarter of 2016 and the anticipated completion date is December 2018.  Condos are available with two bedrooms on up to three bedrooms with den and ranging in size from 1,402 to 2,475 square feet.

Preconstruction prices start at $549,000 and can be reserved now with a 5% deposit.  And, during a special summer promotion ending September 30, buyers will get a 7.5% discount off the stated prices.

Want to know more?  I have plenty of details and photos in my data sheet, yours for the asking.  You’ll just need to provide your name and contact information per the developer’s requirements.

Request the ONE St. Petersburg data sheet here.

I hope you enjoyed hearing about ONE St. Petersburg and the “Sunshine City” of St. Pete.  As for Viganella, the little Italian village with a lack of sunshine, you’ll be glad to know the giant mirror continues to reflect brightness onto their little part of the world.

Viganella’s giant mountainside mirror is fired up for reflection every November to February.

Personally, if I lived there, I’d always be worried that some joker would turn the device into a sun-death ray and fry the entire population like an ant colony under a magnifying glass, but maybe that’s just my over-active imagination.

With a little help, the sun shines on in Viganella year-round.

As always, thank you for reading my Property Alerts, even when they do veer into strange and unexpected territory.  And if you’re in the market for a condo or condo hotel in Florida, I hope you’ll give me a call.  It’d be my pleasure to show you what’s available in this fine state where the sun is 100% the real deal; no smoke and mirrors.