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Belleview Biltmore to shine once more
By HARLAN WEIKLE
Article published on Thursday, Sept. 20, 2007 |
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![[Image]](/content_images/092007_bee-01.jpg) |
| A concept design depicts what will be the new entryway of the Belleview Biltmore Resort. |
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BELLEAIR – Promising a new roof first and $100 million later a five-star hotel, Legg Mason Real Estate Investors’ Joseph Penner Sept. 19 presented his firm’s plans for restoration of the historic Belleview Biltmore Resort.
A standing room only crowd at Town Hall started gathering early for what was to be their first look at Coral Gables architect Richard Heisenbottle’s vision for the restoration of the fabled hotel.
Following Penner’s introduction, Heisenbottle told the audience, “We do a lot of restoration projects and we do them at the highest level. If it’s a tough project, a difficult project then that’s the kind of project we choose. You’re looking at one of them now.”
The architect presented a series of slides illustrating the team’s proposed changes to the resort, some minor and others more significant, which, according to the architect will return the hotel to its former 1940’s elegance.
A new 10,000 square foot ballroom, larger rooms – some with cathedral ceilings – tucked below the famous gabled green roof and the addition of retail shops including a bakery, ice cream shop and high-end jeweler are just a few of the many details Heisenbottle highlighted. The audience, clearly responding favorably, fell captive to the imagery of landscaped event lawns and a new “grand drive” along a palm tree lined boulevard leading to the new entrance of what he said would be once again a “destination hotel.”
“Some demolition will have to take place first, however,” Penner said.
The much maligned pagoda entrance erected by previous Japanese owners will be first to go, he said to cheers from the crowd.
At the Beach Club property on Sand Key, a swimming pool and two restaurants will go to provide for a new “57-unit boutique hotel” with cabanas on the beach, which Heisenbottle assured will still be run by the Biltmore.
The existing resort spa will be demolished and a new spa with a parking garage below will replace it, where the tennis courts are now situated.
Responding to a question from the audience, Penner said that their best estimate of the schedule for the project was that in about 18 months the hotel would be closed while construction proceeded. The project managers are looking for completion two years later.
Swedish construction giant Skanska with local offices in Tampa has been chosen to manage the project, which Penner said will be an environmentally sensitive undertaking bringing a large economic benefit to the community.
“We really need to know soon that you’re behind us,” he told the audience.
In recent budget discussions the Town Commission has, among other revenue added proposals, considered raising the town’s development permit fees from 1 percent to 2 percent of the cost of a project. The ordinance, which was due for its second and final reading Wednesday evening, was continued to a future date. Town Manager Micah Maxwell confirmed that LMREI and city officials were in the process of discussing alternative proposals such as a possible fee cap or some type of sliding scale.
If the ordinance is approved as it stands, LMREI’s cost in fees to Belleair would rise from $1 million to $2 million. LMREI’s lawyers have petitioned the town to reconsider. Currently Belleair’s development fees are among the lowest in the county.
Following the meeting, Penner said they had met with the administration to review those fees. “The city has been great,” he said. “We just want it to be fair all around.”
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Article published on Thursday, Sept. 20, 2007
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