George Gower

Serving St. Petersburg, Tampa, Pinellas, Hillsborough Counties, and beyond!

George’s interest in investing in the rebirth of downtown St. Petersburg comes from his multi-generational ties to the city. He is a lifelong St. Petersburg resident whose family roots in local real estate track three generations. His grandfather started a real estate company in downtown St. Petersburg in the 1920s during the Florida boom which produced many of the historic buildings that inform today’s downtown landscape.

After graduating from USF George entered the family business in 1974, becoming president of Gower Goheen Realty in 1985, which merged with Berkshire Hathaway Florida Properties Group. George also has owned interests in Mortgage Lending, Publishing, Internet Marketing, and managing thousands of real estate transactions.

For nearly 46 years, George has been active in the St. Petersburg business community. He was the President of the Northshore Neighborhood Association which was formed to save the Vinoy Hotel from demolition. He has served on the board of directors of the St. Petersburg Suncoast Board of Realtors®, Canterbury School, Quarterback Club, Suncoast Epilepsy Foundation and is a 30 year member of the Kiwanis Club. He has served on the city’s Budget Review Committee, Community Alliance, also Rays season ticket holder from the beginning and several Chamber of Commerce initiatives including repeal of no-sidewalk dining laws.

George became involved in buying, renovating and selling single and multi-family homes in the sleepy downtown area during the 1980’s and early 1990’s. In 1999, he completed a new-construction project Fareham Villas, which was at the time the first new downtown project in nearly 15 years and facilitated the five other adjacent new townhomes. The five Mediterranean/modern-styled townhomes on Fareham Ct between 3rd and 4th Aves North, west of 1st St. have won design awards and the quality construction has endured. This was the first experiment in “$0” community maintenance fee development and three of initial owners still reside these years later reporting positive outcomes for all.

George had been a State Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser since 1976 before non-renewing his license in 2018, and has completed hundreds of assignments for lenders and non-lending parties.

Currently George is factory-building modular homes using a proprietary structural insulated panel built on a mobile slab foundation. This product has myriad applications requiring hurricane resistance, highest fire rating, superior energy efficiency, and factory-built economy, and currently is developing affordable housing on 20 scattered residential lots.

University of South Florida 1974 BA Arts and Letters, Northeast High, Meadowlawn, North Ward Elementary, Married: Paula Sympson, Daughter: Ginger in NYC, Sailboat:Driftwood, Cat:Jacsi
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George Gower, Cell 727 688 8338 ggower@tampabayhousing.com
Mod-Build Development Inc CGC 1521722, Florida Real Estate License #BK3216307