Concierge Medicine Near The Residences at 400 Central

The Residences at 400 Central fills the 400 block of Central Avenue, downtown’s main commercial street, with a 46-story tower. Developed by Red Apple Group, the company led by John Catsimatidis Sr., and designed by Arquitectonica, the project combines 301 condominium residences with about 45,000 square feet of offices and about 60,000 square feet of retail. Suffolk was the general contractor, and Celano Design Studio did the interiors. The architects set the tower at an angle to the street grid, opening up space at street level and turning the views toward the bay. Construction began in late 2022, the tower reached full height in 2024, and phased occupancy began in December 2025.

The Pheil Hotel block

For most of the 20th century, this block was known for the Pheil Hotel. Abram Pheil, mayor in 1912 and 1913, had been the paying passenger on the first flight of the St. Petersburg-Tampa Airboat Line, crossing the bay with pilot Tony Jannus on January 1, 1914. He began the 11-story hotel in 1916, but a World War I moratorium on construction stalled the work, and Pheil died in November 1922. The hotel finally opened on October 31, 1924. In the 1960s an aluminum facade was wrapped around it, and locals took to calling it the “Cheese Grater.” The Pheil and the neighboring former Central National Bank building were both demolished in 2016, clearing the way for 400 Central.

Around the block on foot

Central Avenue’s shops and restaurants run in both directions from the tower. Following OpenStreetMap walking routes, it’s about:

• 0.15 miles to Williams Park, where two columns from the 1913 American Bank and Trust building now stand in the Veterans Memorial
• 0.4 miles to the Al Lang Stadium lot, home of the Saturday Morning Market in season
• 0.7 miles to the approach to the St. Pete Pier
• 0.9 miles to the Dalí Museum

The nearest AnswersMD office

AnswersMD’s St. Petersburg office is at 1201 5th Ave N, Suite 408, St. Petersburg, FL 33705, on the St. Anthony’s Hospital campus. From Central Avenue the drive runs up 4th Street North and west on 4th and 5th Avenues North, about 1.2 miles by road. Visits are booked in advance, so you’re expected when you arrive.

Meet Dr. Ellen Howard

Dr. Ellen Howard, MD, MPH, is the physician at the St. Petersburg office, a little over a mile from Central Avenue. Board-certified in family medicine, she pairs clinical practice with a public health background, including a master’s degree in public health. She completed her residency in St. Petersburg and returned to practice in the city. Her interests include hormone therapy and medical weight management, and her approach leans toward prevention, aiming to catch small problems before they grow.

Dr. Howard is one of the physicians AnswersMD founder Douglas Shapiro, DO, brought together, and she shares his belief that primary care should be personal and unhurried.

New address, new doctor

If you’ve recently moved downtown, setting up primary care while you’re well is easier than searching for a doctor once something comes up. AnswersMD cares for whole families, and the St. Petersburg office sees patients age 6 and up. Membership gives you:

• Your physician’s cell number for calls and texts, plus a practice you can reach 24/7
• Same-day or next-day appointments
• Visits that last as long as you need, thanks to a small patient panel
• Video visits when you’re away
• Executive physicals and advanced early-detection testing, chosen with your physician as part of a prevention and longevity focus
• Specialist coordination from referral to follow-up

House calls are available on a case-by-case basis.

The building is named on this page only as a geographic reference point. AnswersMD is an independent medical practice and is not affiliated with The Residences at 400 Central.

Visit before you decide

Call 813-333-8888 to schedule a complimentary meet & greet and office tour. Allison, the practice’s AI phone assistant, picks up and can answer questions or put you on the calendar. You can also find the practice at AnswersMD.com.

Dr. Howard is welcoming new members from along Central Avenue.