ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. — As the clock struck midnight at St. Pete Beach City Hall, residents continued to take turns addressing city commissioners and sharing their feelings about the proposed redevelopment of the TradeWinds Island Resort. 

While a vote was scheduled to take place at the completion of Monday night’s special meeting, commissioners decided after more than eight hours to continue the meeting to April 23. 

The meeting consisted of a presentation from 1754 Properties’ development team, the city’s traffic consultant and emergency services.

After 10 p.m., the floor opened to public comment. A handful of TradeWinds employees took the mic to voice their excitement about the development plans to commissioners asking them to approve the deal.

“I’ve met people from all over the world and they come here to share our beautiful beach,” TradeWinds employee Raymond Brooks told commissioners. “They come here and visit and it just makes sense we give them a beautiful resort to come to and a world class resort to come to. That’s what Joe Smith is trying to give us, he’s trying to improve our community, and we have to keep moving forward.”

Those who live in the Seamark Condos, which sits between the TradeWinds and Sirata properties, shared their frustrations about development projects on both sides of their condos and urged commissioners to hold off on approval. Other residents took turns sharing their concerns with commissioners regarding sea turtles, the strain on resources, traffic and what the integrated design would do to the view.

“This plan turns our view into a wall of structured parking lots and buildings and then the developer is inviting people up to the rooftop as a consolation prize,” resident JoLynn Lawson told commissioners. “How many people can fit on this rooftop and, in contrast, how many people are losing their beautiful view?”

The city’s traffic consultant informed commissioners about a recent traffic study that shows when the TradeWinds build out is complete, an additional two cars per minute on average would be added to Gulf Boulevard. Residents believe that study doesn’t look at the full picture and doesn’t include the approved density increase at the nearby Sirata resort.

Under the proposed plan, TradeWinds will add three new hotel towers, more than 600 additional guest rooms, restaurants, retail, a ballroom, new pools, three new parking garages and a publicly accessible glass-bottomed observation deck. The build out would happen in phases and is expected to take 20 years.

Commissioners are now scheduled to vote on the project on April 23.