St. Pete-based Canopy Builders announced this week that, beginning in January, it is merging with Brick Street Homes, a welcome piece of news in a city feeling the crunch of a housing shortage. The merger makes Canopy Builders one of the largest homebuilding companies based in St. Pete, paving the way for even more projects to come.

Canopy Builders, founded by Ben and Lauren Gelston, specializes in building homes in St. Pete’s historic neighborhoods, designing structures that match the area’s architecture. Brick Street Homes, founded by Tony and Katie Mullersman in 2020, had a similar vision, making this new partnership a natural fit. Canopy Builders was already growing fast before the merger, completing 134 homes since their launch in 2013. Under the banner of Canopy Builders, this new combination of companies will bring an expanded portfolio of authentic architecture to a pipeline of more than 100 homes and townhomes for 2023.

While soaring towers are taking over downtown, projects like these from Canopy Builders are a big part of helping to ease the housing crisis in St. Pete’s residential neighborhoods. It’s a multi-tiered approach, all of which are key. Both Canopy Builders and Brick Street Homes are infill builders, purchasing properties where the homes have irreparable damage, and opening those spaces back up for families. They construct a mix of detached and attached single-family homes, providing a range of options for residents seeking new construction in St. Pete.

Adding to the diversity of the housing stock, they work to include mother-in-law suites (know as accessory dwelling units, or ADUs), expanding affordable rental options on the market and accommodating multi-generational living.

Canopy Builders is a full-service design-build company, working with clients from beginning to end as they construct their dream homes, and partnering locally to develop in St. Pete’s historic neighborhoods. Founders Ben and Lauren Gelston, in their new partnership with owners Tony and Katie Mullersman, bring decades of experience to the table in design, residential real estate development, and home building.

“We are thrilled for this next chapter of Canopy Builders,” said Ben Gelston, Owner and President. “With the combination of these two companies, we can better serve our customers, employees and the legacy of the neighborhoods in which we build”

One of the company’s newest developments is Canopy Oaks on 9th Street N. Read more about it here.