Farewell To The Belleview Biltmore

1 Pm Monday June 1st will be final checkout for guests of the Belleview Biltmore Hotel until it re-opens in 2012.

Special events are planned for the weekend, including a poolside Victorian Garden Party, Back to the Future fundraising party , and The Final Final Tournament, a long standing golf tournament involving golf club members from the Biltmore and Foxborough Country Club near Boston. It will be the rivals' last chance to stay at the hotel, but the Biltmore Golf Club on Indian Rocks Road will remain open throughout the restoration. The golf club will also recieve improvements, including a members-only lounge, expanded restaurant menu, Friday prime rib buffet, and Sunday brunch.

After extensive renovations the resort will be "the place to be", as it was in it's heyday. It will be a 22 acre Victorian-style resort with gardens and walking paths. When it reopens, it will be without vehicles driving around on the property. Underground parking will be accessible through "rabbit holes" where vehicles will disappear from view at the entrance. The exterior and first floor will be restored to what it looked like in the 1930s to make it as historically accurate as possible. The hotel's historian is cataloging and photographing everything of historical significance.

There will be 450-plus guest rooms, 50k square feet of meeting space, and a spa. The three cottages on the property will also be restored and will be perfect for weddings, reunions or business meetings. While the resort will look "old" it will be an energy efficient green project

Around 200 employees will be displaced, many but not all have found new jobs. Hundreds of construction jobs will be created over the three years.

New Belleair Bridge Has Gulf Views

Drivers using the new Belleair bridge now have a gulf view thanks to the higher elevation of the new structure.

The Belleair Beach Causeway Bridge opened to traffic on Friday, May 29. The sidewalks will remain closed to pedestrians through the completion of the project for public safety. Construction started in March 2007, and the $72.3 million infrastructure project is on time and on budget.

In addition to the new bridge- new storm drains, retaining walls, sidewalks, bicycle lanes, curbs and gutters, and a widened roadway are part of the project. Over the next few months, construction and demolition will continue with removal of the existing bridge and temporary roadway, completion of the south half of the relief bridge, building of a new boat ramp park, construction of retention and detention ponds, grading, paving, signing and pavement markings. Over 2 acres of seagrass beds will be enhanced to improve water quality and the marine habitat, and along the southern shore of the causeway, a new tidal wetland will be constructed as required by federal and state environmental agencies. The higher bridge elevation creates an acre of land with additional parking, accommodating trailers up to 45 feet.

Belleair Beach Boat Slip Available

The city owned marina has a slip available, call 595-4646. The rate is $7/foot with a 30 ft minimum, and is only available to Belleair Beach residents.

New City Hall Ahead of Schedule

The new Belleair Beach city hall is ahead of schedule and could be finished in July or August. Completion had been scheduled for September 12th. The building is about 70% complete.

Belleair Causeway Bridge Set To Open May 29th

Traffic will begin using the road and bridge in three weeks so that workers can remove the old roadway and bridge and build the retention and recreation areas. The entire construction will not be complete until late November or early December.

Sea Turtle Nesting Season Starts Today

Sea turtle nesting season starts today and runs through October 31st. If you live near the beach, make sure you shut off or dim your lights at night. This reduces artificial light that reaches turtle nests and will help hatchlings reach the water safely. Newly hatched turtles find their way to the sea by following the natural light reflected by the water.
If you find a turtle nest on the beach, don’t disturb it. If the nest is unmarked, notify the Clearwater Marine Aquarium at (727) 441-1790.