ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — In what developer Red Apple Group describes as a massive yet carefully coordinated effort, 68 trucks will work on a loop to deliver 650 loads, or about 2 million pounds, of concrete to the site of the future Residences at 400 Central. The developer said it will be the largest-ever continuous pour for a non-government project in the city’s history.

“This has been a moment we’ve been waiting for,” said Marijke White, director of sales for the project. “It’s about four football fields big.”

According to Red Apple Group, the 1.3 million-square-foot development will include 301 luxury condos — with prices starting around $1 million — 40,000 square feet of retail space, and Class A office space.

Trucks started pouring the foundation at about 9 p.m. Friday. The developer said the amount of concrete expected to be used is second in the city only to the construction of the St. Pete Pier. 

John Miller is a co-owner of Daddies Donuts and Delites, which is located just across Central Avenue from the construction site. Miller said he and his team have watched the progress of the construction — and felt it, too.

“It’s this constant kind of, 'zzz', it goes. It's not the pounding like a, 'ding, ding, ding,’” Miller said. “I tease that my fillings I think are coming out because it's this constant vibration stuff where my ovens will sometimes roll forward or boxes will vibrate off the shelves."

Aside from shaking things up inside the shop, Miller said it’s hard to tell if the project has impacted business. He said it did eliminate some parking spots across the street.           

“We’ve had to get creative and tell people, you know, 'Hey, order online or order ahead of time and then swing down our back alley and just call us and we'll run stuff out to you,’” he said.

White said another business also reached out about the vibrations.

“They had the old metal shelves, and everything just started rattling, you know," White said. "So, yeah, we were in contact a few times, but the majority of the people have been extremely positive about us."

According to Red Apple Group, sales have already exceeded expectations, with a $5.2 million penthouse on the 43rd floor that has already been snatched up.

“It's going to bring people in from the entire United States, and we're having people from Canada, Europe, South America coming in," White said. "So it's going to bring an international vibe, as well. It's waking up the city."

Miller said in the nearly two years Daddies has been on Central, change has been a constant downtown.         

“There’s always something going on," he said. "There's always new construction, there's a new place going up."

Miller told Spectrum Bay News 9 that he’s trying to be optimistic about what this latest project will bring.

“All the people that are going to be living in that beautiful high rise across are going to want donuts, you know?" he said. "Come on over to Daddies, and that kind of thing. So, that's really what we're hoping for."

As for the concrete pour, Miller said he wasn’t sure what to expect.

"It's progress, and it's what they need to do in order to get where they need to get for it," he said. "So, it's going to be interesting, let's just put it that way. I'm interested to see how it all goes."

The developer said the pour would be a non-stop process that could take up to 24 hours. Red Apple Group said the building will be the tallest residential condominium on Florida’s Gulf Coast upon its expected completion in 2025.