TradeWinds Island Resort on St. Pete Beach moves forward with expansion
By Breanne Williams
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Apr 25, 2023

The ownership of TradeWinds Island Resorts on St. Pete Beach is moving forward with a major expansion that includes improvements to Gulf Boulevard.

South Florida-based 1754 Properties has submitted a conditional use application to proceed with an expansion that would add a mixed-use project next to the existing resort, which has operated in St. Pete Beach for more than 60 years.

"We believe it's time to transform the beloved TradeWinds into a property befitting our guests and the wonderful gulf-front property we reside on,” Joe Smith, founder and CEO of 1754 Properties, said in a release. “We are excited about the opportunity to expand our offerings and also create jobs. Our conversations and presentations to constituents helped us design a project that will benefit the community and resort alike.”

The property totals just over 25 acres along the beach and Gulf Boulevard. The expansion consists of a net addition of 629 rooms in three towers; the redevelopment plans include the demolition and rebuilding of 21 existing rooms. The developer will also build approximately 68,000 square feet of accessory uses like retail and restaurant space. When the expansion is complete, TradeWinds will have 1,596 rooms and 170,126 square feet of accessory space. The three towers will be built in phases.

The project will “significantly increase the functionality of Gulf Boulevard” by moving guests onto an internal roadway on the property, according to the permit application. There are nine access points on the property to Gulf Boulevard. The expansion will eliminate five of those access points.

The development team includes Nunzio Marc DeSantis Architects, Perry-Becker Landscape Architects, Harris Civil Engineering and Stearns Weaver Miller.

The project will also include new beach access points for the community and double the size of the existing sidewalks on Gulf Boulevard. Improvements on the northern end of the property will mostly consist of landscape and drainage improvements. Along Gulf Boulevard, the buildings will be set back with “heights that step up incrementally so that a ‘condo canyon’ is avoided.”

Part of the expansion will also include improving stormwater management. Gulf Boulevard currently floods during most heavy rainfalls, and the proposed multimillion-dollar improvements will help combat that issue, fixing various traffic issues near the entrance to the property.

“The TradeWinds team is focused on creating a beautiful project that exceeds the community’s expectations and the already high standards the City requires,” Alex Galewicz, Managing Partner of 1754 Properties, said in a release.

1754 Properties has executed more than 50 successful investments with equity partners. According to its website, the group has over $2 billion in assets and more than 30 hotels.