TradeWinds Island Resort owner tweaks expansion plans
By Breanne Williams
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Jun 22, 2023

The developers of TradeWinds Island Resorts on St. Pete Beach have made several aesthetic upgrades to their expansion plans for the 25-acre property.

South Florida-based 1754 Properties on Wednesday filed additional information for its permit application for the expansion, which will add a mixed-use development to the existing resort. 1754 Properties has finalized its plans for the expansion, called NextGeneration, following community input on the proposed project.

1754 Properties filed its initial application in April. The new additions include detailed site plans, landscape plans and elevations. The application now includes a “number of enhancements made to the original plan incorporating community feedback, including creating two new beach access paths for the community.”

“The updated plan improves our initial submission and incorporates feedback from the community,” Joe Smith, founder and CEO of 1754 Properties, said in a release. “We want to do our expansion in a way that works for both our guests and St. Pete Beach residents. We’re pleased that we were able to provide convenient access to the fabulous beach for neighboring residents.”

The new plan incorporates screens on the parking garages, adds greenery to garage exteriors and lowers the height of landscape enhancements to “minimize disruptions to the Seamark Condo’s beach views.” It also offers lounge chairs and space on the beach that guests of the neighboring Coral Reef Beach Resort can use.

The site plan shows the expansion will be completed in four phases.

The expansion will bring a net addition of 629 rooms in three towers, which will be built in phases; the redevelopment plans include demolishing and rebuilding 21 existing rooms. The plans show 1754 Properties intends to build 33,000 square feet of conference space, nearly 18,000 square feet of new retail space and a state-of-the-art, 20,000-square-foot ballroom.

New amenities include three swimming pools with slides and a kids’ center with a bowling alley. When the expansion is complete, the property will have 1,596 rooms and 170,126 square feet of accessory space, including retail and restaurant space.

Improvements to Gulf Boulevard are also included in the expansion. Plans show they will build an internal roadway to move guests off Gulf Boulevard onto the property via four access points. Major stormwater management improvements are also planned, which should help with flooding during heavy rainfalls.

They will also build new beach access points and widen the size of the existing sidewalks on Gulf Boulevard. Tradewinds is also in discussions with the city to “financially contribute to the further expansion of the successful Freebee Shuttle rideshare program in St. Pete Beach,” according to a release.

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

TradeWinds and the developer will continue to engage with the community regarding the plan in the coming months.

“We look forward to continued dialogue with the city staff and with residents throughout St. Pete Beach,” Smith said in a release. “Quality projects only come about when we take input seriously, and this plan reflects that.”