Inside the Snell Arcade’s Next Big Reinvention

Downtown St. Pete is leveling up again, and this time the action is happening under your feet. The historic Snell Arcade is getting a members-only social club in its basement, with plans to open in 2026. It is one of the boldest uses of historic space we have seen downtown in years.

The Basement Glow-Up Nobody Saw Coming

Ask any longtime St. Pete resident about the Snell Arcade and you will get the same reaction: a smirk, a shrug and a story about supposed Prohibition tunnels. Those tales are unconfirmed, but the building’s history is very real. And now the basement is being transformed into a modern luxury social club called Medina 405.

Tricera Capital, the Miami based firm investing heavily in St. Pete, secured nearly nine thousand four hundred square feet of underground space for the project. Their plan is a sleek, atmospheric club for networking, relaxing and showing off a little.

A Club Built to Impress, Not Blend In

This is not a casual hangout. Medina 405 will feature a wine cellar, a cigar lounge with advanced ventilation, a billiards room, a private dining suite, a theater style room, a library-inspired lounge and a golf simulator.

Members will have daily access along with weekly and monthly programming. Even without a full kitchen, the team is partnering with a local cigar company and nearby restaurants to deliver curated food and amenities.

The Downtown Power Play

St. Pete has a growing wave of entrepreneurs, creatives and out-of-state transplants looking for spaces that feel elevated. Medina 405 is clearly built to capture that energy.

Tricera’s CEO, Ben Mandell, says the idea is to support the city’s momentum and create a home base for the people shaping its future. If it hits, this could become the place where founders, investors, artists and deal-makers cross paths in ways they normally would not.

The Historic Headache Behind the Cool Factor

Turning a century-old landmark into a modern social club is a puzzle with a thousand rules. The Snell Arcade is on the National Register of Historic Places, which means every decision has to protect the structure while still bringing it into the present.

The cigar lounge alone required major ventilation innovations to keep smoke from drifting into offices above. Multiply that type of engineering challenge across an entire basement and you get a sense of what the project is juggling.

The Question St. Pete Will Absolutely Debate

A private basement club in the center of downtown will not go unnoticed. Some locals will love the sophistication. Others will see it as another signal that downtown is drifting toward exclusivity.

The real test will be culture. If Medina 405 becomes a true connector for St. Pete’s creative and professional communities, the city will embrace it. If it feels closed off or corporate, expect the comments to light up fast.

Countdown to Celebration

Construction cannot start until permits are approved, and once they are, Tricera expects a nine to twelve month path to a soft opening. As the buildout moves forward, St. Pete will watch closely to see how the club blends historic preservation with modern luxury.

The moment doors open, the city will decide for itself. It could become a downtown hotspot for big ideas and new connections. It could spark debates about identity and accessibility. Either way, that long-famous basement is stepping straight into the spotlight again, ready or not.