Miramar Hotel renovation plans gain support from St. Pete Beach residents
ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. - Another hotel on St. Pete Beach is looking for a major makeover. The owner of the Miramar hotel gave neighbors a first look at their plans on Tuesday.
It comes after two controversial hotel expansions were approved this year, but neighbors at Tuesday night’s community meeting at the hotel had a much different reaction to this hotel project.
Many neighbors who were opposed to the large expansions at the TradeWinds and Sirata said they were pleasantly surprised by the plans for the Miramar.
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"St. Pete Beach has been going through a lot of transformations lately, and a lot of it, the residents haven't been pleased with because it really hasn't been fitting with the quality of lifestyle that we have," said St. Pete resident Claudine Reece.
At the community meeting, residents could see the renderings, walk the property, check out a sample room and share feedback.
"I think what makes this really special is that the hotel owner preserved the character of this hotel," Reece said.
Owner Kevin Bowden bought the hotel eight years ago, and while charming, he said the hotel needs a refresh.
"Guests have expectations if they're going to pay $600 a night. I think you need to give them a good product. So I think that's really all that's happening here," Bowden said.
The renovation looks to take the property from two stories and 27 rooms to a seven-story, 50-room hotel with a small rooftop eatery.
This project is a little different from the other hotels, because the Miramar actually already got approval for a larger expansion, with far more amenities, two years ago.
Bowden says with the construction costs after COVID, he scaled back the project. He’s also seen the intense controversy over the other hotel developments and says he wanted to make this something the residents would embrace.
"We thought we'd come back to the drawing board, and we've been listening to the talk about (how) things should be in character with what St. Pete Beach is. And so I think we kind of redesigned it to be less expensive and more (of a) fit with St. Pete Beach," said Bowden.
Reece agrees with Bowden's vision for the project.
"I’ve heard one or two critiques, but overall, this project looks like something that is very fitting and very exciting for the residents," said Reece.
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Bowden says they still have the approval for the larger hotel, but he’s hopeful the planning board will give approval to this new plan.
Development is far from finished on St. Pete beach. The Postcard Inn is also applying for renovations. That will come before the commission in May.
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