The proposal drew immediate concerns from some neighboring condominium owners, who said the new building could obstruct beach views and create privacy issues by placing hotel balconies and public restaurant seating near their residences.
Some residents suggested moving the building farther east to protect views from adjacent condos. Bowden said doing so would reduce the parking available on the narrow site.
“For every 10 feet we build farther back from the Gulf, we would be losing two parking spaces, so if I move it back 50 feet, I lose 10 spaces that we need, but it would allow some of the condo owners to maintain their view,” Bowden said.
Bowden said additional setbacks from the neighboring condominium buildings would require reducing the room count, while the project cannot be built taller under current regulations.
He and Bodziak said they would reassess the design and make a good-faith effort to better address neighbors’ concerns while preserving a feasible redevelopment plan.
The property sits less than a half-mile north of Bowden’s Miramar Beach Resort at 4200 Gulf Boulevard, where a renovation and expansion is nearing completion. That project includes a new 30-room, eight-story hotel tower and will join the JdV by Hyatt collection.
If the project advances through St. Pete Beach’s approval process, Bowden said he hopes to begin construction by mid-2027 and complete the resort by the end of 2028.