Since they are our neighbors, it might be useful to keep you up to speed on the heated debate over two sizeable hotel expansions on St. Pete Beach.
The city council approved a major expansion of the property we know as the Sirata resort. The new project includes the construction of a 290-key luxury JW Marriott hotel, a 130-key limited-service Hampton Inn, and a massive revamp of the existing 382-key resort at 5300 Gulf Boulevard.
Neighborhood groups are threatening a lawsuit over city codes they say were violated and they say the construction will block Gulf views, add to traffic congestion and they say the construction will harm the beach aesthetics.
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Coverage by St Pete Rising reported:
“I see benefits that haven’t been talked about tonight; those are the beach easements and [beach] access,” Commissioner Karen Marriott said, explaining how it’s rare to have private property owners provide beach access points and how the developers also plan on restoring the dunes.
Plans for the redevelopment of the Sirata include the construction of a public boardwalk that runs along the beach that will be fully funded by the developer.
Additionally, Columbia Sussex plans to widen the sidewalks along Gulf Boulevard to 10 feet, have parking on-site to prevent congestion on Gulf Boulevard, and add lighting restrictions and a special film on the new building’s windows for sea turtle nesting safety.
“If we don’t approve the application for the conditional use, we lose the ability to negotiate on a lot of those things depending on what they decide to do,” Marriott said. “Not a single person who lives adjacent to that property bought their property when there wasn’t a hotel there … None of us get to dictate what is happening on our neighbors’ properties.”
Some commissions made comments on redesigning certain parts of the project, specifically the project’s proposed parking garages, asking the developer to go back to the drawing board. As a result, the developers will host a design charrette shortly to solicit feedback from the community on the parking garage design.
Another expansion project, this one at the Tradewinds, is on deck next. Tradewinds Island Resorts, located just north of the Sirata, recently revealed their expansion plan that includes the addition of 650 new upscale guest rooms, three new swimming pools with slides and other amenities, three new parking garages, construction of a 33,000-square-foot conference center with a 20,000-square-foot ballroom, and nearly 18,000 square feet of new retail space, including neighborhood retail space along Gulf Boulevard.
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