Pinellas County, Florida-- In an effort to assist more people, the Pinellas County Department of Building and Development Review Services has extended its hours.

The BDRS office, on the third floor of 440 Court St. in Clearwater, is now open every Tuesday until 6:30 p.m., with a focus on issuing residential building permits.

The current schedule of BDRS hours is: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and the first Wednesday of each month from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

St. Petersburg, Florida -- A new retail project is going up on Tyrone Blvd. near Park Street North, in an area that is packed with major retail names, including, Walmart, Target, CVS and Walgreens.

The site is buzzing with bulldozers clearing the long empty lot and infrastructure is rising from the dried earth.

Photo Gallery: West St. Pete blooms with new retail

St. Petersburg, Florida -- An update on the BayWalk Mall in downtown St. Petersburg was presented to the City Council by owner Bill Edwards at Thursday's meeting.  Edwards acquired the beleaguered mall in September 2011.

Edwards, who also operates the Mahaffey Theater and his own Treasure Island Club, seemed eager to rush through the presentation and anxious to leave the podium. The PowerPoint presentation of marketing materials went so fast it was hard to see read what was on them.