A 1937 Florida home was converted into law offices and once slated for demolition; after nearly 7,800 restoration hours, the 4,000-square-foot house is a residence again and listed for $3.5 million
A 1937 Florida home that was once used as law offices and faced demolition has been restored as a single-family residence. The more than 4,000-square-foot Cade Allen home at 250 Mirror Lake Drive in St. Petersburg has been put on the market for $3.5 million after nearly 7,800 hours of restoration work.The house was built by St. Petersburg developer Cade Allen, who helped shape the architectural character of the Allendale neighbourhood. According to, St. Pete Catalys, it was custom-built for Ena Jackson, a wealthy widow whose late husband had made his fortune selling ice at a time when refrigeration was not widespread.Allen gave the home a distinctive version of the Mediterranean Revival style that was common in Florida at the time. Instead of relying mainly on stucco, the house used materials including marble, granite, fieldstone, silica and sandstone brought from several states. The property still has several of its original features, including hardwood floors, spiral stone columns, arch-shaped entryways, a clay-tiled roof and wood-framed windows.By 2023, the property had been converted into law offices and was slated for demolition. Backstreets Capital stepped in with a plan to preserve the historic house while developing condominiums on the land behind it. The company bought the 4,330-square-foot house and three neighbouring vacant parcels for a combined $5 million in Octoc.
Nearly 7,800 hours spent on restoration
The restoration has now returned the property to its original purpose as a residence. Backstreets Capital restored 16 original doors and 30 windows, while four additional windows were rebuilt to match the original ones. More than 1,000 hours were spent on the exterior, and about one-third of the total restoration time went into the windows.Backstreets founder Will Conroy said the work involved many people and required close coordination. “The 7,800 hours- that was just the restoration. The overall work was many multiples of that,” he told the St. Pete Catalyst.“The most difficult thing was coordination between everyone involved,” Conroy said. “It was our favourite part, because you’re working with so many talented people.”The restoration also revealed details about the original construction that were not immediately visible. Conroy said crews found that much of the old pine used in the house was extremely dense.“One of the things that stood out was just how solid the pine wood was,” he said. “Some of this old wood was petrified. You had to slam the nail in with a hammer extremely hard to get it to go in at all.”Backstreets reused the original wood wherever possible. However, some parts of the house needed new pine to support the existing walls.
The property still has several of its original features
Historic features kept, modern facilities added
While the layout of the house has been changed slightly, the restoration has kept many of its original features. The property now has a modern kitchen, central air conditioning, larger bathrooms and updated plumbing.The living room retains its original stone fireplace and wood-framed windows. Large arched windows on the first floor also remain, offering views of Mirror Lake.The restoration was a particular focus for Conroy, who had previously worked across the street from the property in another Cade Allen home. He said the house was an important part of the area and questioned why it should have been demolished.“We didn’t think Mirror Lake would be the same without this house,” Conroy said, Tampa Bay Times reported. “Cade Allen is a legend. I would argue this is his masterpiece. Who are we to tear that down?”The preservation of the house also became part of a larger change in the area. In 2024, St. Petersburg established the Mirror Lake Historic District. Properties around the lake, including the Cade Allen home, are now given certain protections that make demolition or major alterations harder without city approval.The Cade Allen home is considered a contributing structure to the downtown historic district, although it is not individually listed on the local or national historic registers.
Condominiums rise behind the restored home
Backstreets Capital is also developing a condominium project behind the historic house. Called The Cade, the project will have 15 residences in a seven-storey building.The original proposal called for 18 condominiums, but the developer later reduced the number to 15 larger three- and four-bedroom homes, each measuring more than 2,100 square feet.Construction of The Cade is now about halfway through the structure. Backstreets began work in April and has completed the foundations. “We are pouring the fourth-floor slab next week,” Conroy said. “So we are about 50% done with the structure. We started in April and have the foundations set.”The project is expected to be completed in 2028. Six of the 15 condominium residences have already been sold.The new building will also retain a physical connection with the older house. To make space for The Cade, the detached garage belonging to the historic home had to be demolished. However, Backstreets salvaged its original granite.About 250 pieces of the granite have been preserved and will be used in The Cade’s foyer and entrance. This means the material from the nearly century-old property will become part of the new building.
