Decision on Tradewinds Resort expansion delayed after lengthy meeting in St. Pete Beach
ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. - The Tradewinds Resort is pushing for a major renovation, but they'll have to wait on a final decision on the expansion, as St. Pete Beach city commissioners delayed making a decision at their meeting.
The meeting started at 4 p.m., and by 11 p.m. commissioners voted to extend the time to midnight. Commissioners decided to delay making a decision and continue discussion on Tuesday, April 23.
READ: Tradewinds Resort in St. Pete Beach one step closer to major renovation
If ultimately approved, the project would be built in four phases over 20 years, connecting existing buildings by building new ones in between.
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TradeWinds, which operates the Island Grand and Rumfish beach resorts, currently has 967 hotel rooms, and a little more than 102,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space.
The project would add 629 new rooms across three newly built guest towers. Plans also include a 68,000 square-foot commercial space for shopping and dining, thousands of more parking spaces in newly built garages, new beach access points for the community, plus sidewalk expansions and a new stormwater drainage system to address Gulf Boulevard flooding.
Supporters say the redevelopment will modernize the family resort and have a great economic impact in the long run.
But, just like with the controversial Sirata resort expansion, which recently received conditional use approval from the city commission, a vocal group of residents has objected to the TradeWinds expansion.
READ: St. Pete Beach leaders approve controversial expansion of Sirata Beach Resort
They've cited fears of increased traffic during the construction of multiple projects in the area, blocking of gulf-front views, threats to marine wildlife, and the detriment of the island’s small-town ambiance.
"It feels like déjà vu. It feels like the residents have no voice," said Lisa Robinson, a St. Pete Beach Neighbor.
Robinson, like many of these residents, opposed the expansion of the Sirata earlier this year, which ultimately received approval from commissioners, after days of debate. Neighbors feel that the two projects combined is more development than the community can support.
"Renovation is not out of the question, redevelopment is not out of the question- it’s a matter of how much is enough and all I’m asking for is the truth in data," said Robinson.
"The idea that there is going to be a lot more of these (developments) doesn’t really match the facts," said Kyle Park, whose public relations firm represents the TradeWinds developers.
"If this did not happen, I think St. Pete beach would lose a real opportunity, everything from creating a world-class resort, which the TradeWinds already is, but also lose the opportunity to have St. Pete Beach be a place of tourism from all over the country," said Park.
The TradeWinds listed several community benefits, including beach access points, dune restoration and sea turtle conservation efforts.
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Back in March at a standing-room-only meeting, the development team tried to calm everyone with concerns and argued that the redevelopment plan would fit nicely in St. Pete Beach. The planning board recommended approval of the project’s conditional use permit in a unanimous vote.
