Time Running Out for Historic Belleview Biltmore

The clock is ticking down on efforts to save this historic Belleview Biltmore in Belleair from the wrecking ball.

The city has two special meetings set for Tuesday to address plans by developers to tear down the historic structure to make way for townhomes and condos. While the current plan calls for saving a portion of the historic hotel for transformation into a small boutique hotel, opponents say that’s not enough.

The hotel was built in 1896 by railroad tycoon Henry Plant. Constructed using heart pine, the aging structure does need extensive renovations, but proponents of saving it say it’s structurally sound.

A solution that would result in the hotel’s rescue has been found in Peabody Hotels & Resorts, which says it has an interest in a full-scale restoration that would only involve a small loss of the original structure.

The Peabody’s plan is the one being backed by preservationists, but JMC Properties currently has the first option to purchase the property and has its sights set on demolition.

“No reasonable person would believe that restoring the hotel is feasible as a practical matter,” JMC’s attorney, Ed Armstrong, was quoted by WFLA as saying.

Peabody Hotels seems to disagree. The company sent a postcard out to 3,000 Belleair homes this week, promoting its plan for preservation.

See Also:

• Price of Historic Sarasota Home $1
• Clearwater’s Century Oaks Headed to Auction

“Peabody Hotels would like an opportunity to restore the Bellview Biltmore to its original grandeur,” the postcard reads. “The important of your struggle to save this iconic property in terms of its historic value to this community could never be overstated.”

The postcard goes on to detail Peabody’s experience in restoring and successfully running historic properties. The hotel and resort company is responsible for the restoration of The Peabody in Memphis.

“We wholeheartedly support the vision of the ‘Friends of the Belleview Biltmore’ for a full-scale restoration, rather than a substantial demolition that would only save a fraction of the original structure,” the card, signed by Craig Smith, vice present of Peabody Hotels, went on to say.

The Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau sent a letter of endorsement for the Peabody group’s work directly to Pinellas County and Belleair commissioners this week, as well.

Jason Aquilar is among those who wants to see the historic structure saved. He personally paid for the creation of an aerial drone video to prove the “White Queen of the Gulf,” as the Biltmore has been dubbed, “still stands tall today, and is in no danger of falling down as a high paid attorney would like citizens to believe” he wrote in a letter to Pinellas Commissioner Karen Seel.

Aquilar and others like him are urging commissioners in both Belleair and Pinellas County to stand behind preservation efforts and uphold the city and county’s preservation codes in saving the hotel.

“This shouldn’t be about who can afford the best attorney,” Aquilar continued in his letter. “It should be about preserving this one-of-a-kind historic structure for future generations.”

The Belleair Historic Preservation Board is set to meet on the topic Tuesday, Dec. 9 at 4 p.m. A special city commission meeting follows at 5:30 p.m.

For more information on efforts to save the hotel, visit SavetheBiltmore.com.

What do you think should happen to the Biltmore? Share your ideas by commenting below!