Cabana Club and Biltmore Under New Ownership

After months of rumors, it's official- the Belleview Biltmore is now owned by KAWA Development. The investment group consists of brothers Raphael and Daniel Ades, and another partner. The group purchased the mortgage on the property for $8 million, and now control the hotel, as well as the golf course and Cabana Club in Sand Key.

According to Raphael Ades, they will focus first on paying bills and keeping the golf course in operation and later decide what to do with the hotel. Legg Mason (now Latitude Management Real Estate Investors) mortgaged the property for $26.8 million with intentions to restore the hotel.

The future of the property is still unclear. In October, Ades said his group was primarily interested in the golf course and had plans to upgrade the 136-acre golf course. In November, Senior Care Group said it was negotiating with the investors to possibly restore the Biltmore and convert it into an assisted living facility. Ades has recently said they may separate the properties or find another party interested the properties as a whole.

Cabana Club Hearing Rescheduled

A hearing concerning the building of the Cabana Club on Sand Key scheduled for December 15 was postponed and will now take place in January. Save Our Neighborhood (SON), a community action group formed to fight the building of the new Cabana Club, appealed a decision of the Clearwater Planning Department to allow building code derivations that would permit construction of the $25-million Cabana Club as a proposed 38-room high-end hotel resort at 1590 Gulf Boulevard which would be operated in conjunction with the Belleair Biltmore Hotel scheduled for a $125 million upgrade.

SON gained the support of The Clearwater Beach Association (CBA) and the Sand Key Civic Association (SKCA) and received donations from the groups for its legal battle against Legg Mason, owners of the Belleview Biltmore. SON representatives and Sand Key residents oppose the project because they feel it is not in keeping with the residential character of the neighborhood and would diminish the views of properties adjacent to the site and would create traffic and parking problems.

They oppose the Planning Commission's September 16 approval of code deviations that includes a reduction to the required lot width; a reduction to setbacks; allowance of proposed temporary cabanas and an increase to building height; a reduction to perimeter buffers and a reduction to the width of interior landscape islands. SON has opposed the granting of code variances except for safety or ecological reasons citing a reduction in quality of life and the environment that results from such variances.

Sand Key Residents Fight Cabana Club Development

Legg Mason Real Estate Investors, the owner and redeveloper of the Belleview Biltmore and the Cabana Club, plans to replace the current club and swimming pool with a 6 story luxury 38 room boutique hotel with a large restaurant, bar and beach side cabaña amenity. Lead architect Richard Heisenbottle presented the details of the project in a public meeting last Tuesday at the Belleview Biltmore.

Many Sand Key residents say that the project is too commercial for the residential area, although the present site operates commercially. Community activists have organized opposition to the project and have fashioned an information blog and web site pointing out their objections. One is heavy beach use as a result of the hotel and cabanas in an area they consider environmentally sensitive. Ocean views coveted by residents near the project could conceivably be diminished by the height of the proposed building. It measures 67 feet above the flood zone line that is approximately 6 feet above ground level at the site. The code calls for 25 feet, but many buildings in the area surpass that and 2 properties at 1350 and 1370 Gulf Boulevard have received variances to 80 feet within the past three years.

Design and construction plans that have been revised by the developer seek various deviations to the Community Development Code including set backs, distance to neighboring properties and building height, all of which pose problems according to opponents. The issues are now under review by the Clearwater Planning Department and a report should be available in August with city staff recommendations concerning the variances. The board will study the report before taking action on the issues at their August 19th meeting at city hall.

Cabana Club Plans Submitted

Revised plans were resubmitted June 11 for the refurbishment of the Cabana Club on Sand Key. Originally built in the 70s, the Cabana Club was purchased by Legg Mason Real Estate Investors as part of their development plans coinciding with the restoration of the Belleview Biltmore . Now known as the Belleview Biltmore Cabana Club, plans call for a 38-room Victorian-style boutique hotel with ground level parking, and new restaurant . The Cabana Club,which includes a restaurant and pool, has been available to guests of the Biltmore since 2002. Plans call for transportation to and from the Cabana Club site via van and boat launch from the main hotel.