ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A special city commission meeting in St. Pete Beach has a big issue on the agenda: the Tradewinds Resort expansion project. It's something the developers are championing as a boost to the local economy, while some neighbors worry about the environmental cost and overcrowding.
If approved, this multimillion-dollar project will launch a huge transformation to Gulf Boulevard.
The special meeting continued late evening with the vote still pending.
People for and against the potential expansion packed the St. Pete Beach City Hall commission chambers, along with an additional room open for viewing.
Tradewinds Resort is looking to add more than 600 hotel rooms with thousands of square feet of meeting and retail space, along with a public rooftop deck. Developers like 1754 Properties CEO Joe Smith said they have been working on this project for years.
“We're also going to have things like climbing walls, bowling alleys for the kids. It's really going to be a fantastic place to be,” Smith said.
He argues the project would be a win for the resort and the community.
“There's about $19 million of tax revenue directly to St. Pete Beach from this project,” Smith said.
Some neighbors in the community like Claudine Reece are excited about this development but said they still have some concerns that haven't been properly addressed.
“That's going to be a lot more cars on the road that's going to be potentially gridlock traffic which it is to some extent currently,” Reece said.
In addition to traffic, residents are voicing concerns about the potential impact on the health of the turtle community.
“Artificial lighting disorients nesting sea turtles and their hatchlings,” Lisa Reich with the Coastal Wildlife Advocacy Group said.
Reich works to ensure the survival of coastal wildlife like sea turtles.
“There's five rows of permanently installed cabanas and we have mommas that come up all the time and get stuck and confused,” she said.
Reich conducted a light test on Friday outside of the resort and filed a complaint with code enforcement ahead of Monday's meeting.
Smith said he's aware of these concerns, but said they are going to be addressed in the expansion process.
“We're investing millions of dollars to protect the sea turtles with everything from adding tint to the windows to replacing all of our wooden loungers on the beach that we can stack at night so we can clear pathways for the migrating turtles,” Smith said.
If the project is approved, officials said it will be completed in four phases and will likely take 20 years to complete.