ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. — Another St. Pete Beach hotel is looking to expand. Postcard Inn On The Beach staff held an informational meeting Wednesday evening for residents about their proposal: A five-story hotel with 87 rooms and parking at an existing lot, General Manager Jeremy DaSilva said.
"We really want to cater to the families, so we really think it's going to be a great addition to this parcel that we have," DaSilva said.
The proposal is much smaller in scale than the plans of nearby resorts on Gulf Boulevard.
This year, St. Pete Beach commissioners approved the expansion of the Sirata and Tradewinds resorts. The contentious votes drew criticism from several residents who expressed concern over congestion and loss of the city's character.
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DaSilva and the team members presenting said they want to elevate the potential of the iconic hotel while still working to meet the needs of the community.
St. Pete Beach residents questioned the team, with some expressing concerns over the impact on traffic.
Many neighbors from the Silver Sands property nearby attended the meeting. Among them was Gary Miller who said he has worries about the noise levels and the crowds.
"The big thing is PCI pushing their people down in front of Silver Sands. That's the big concern, and the music level," he said.
Meanwhile, those like John Kurzman who has expressed concern over the Tradewinds property before, said the expansion could be a benefit to the community.
"This project didn't try to max out the property. It tried to stay within the realm of normalcy and tried to share beach access with the residents," he said. "The new building is still going to continue to have the shops that are along the street, and that's important, too."
Postcard Inn has been a staple in the Tampa Bay area for decades. Initially constructed in 1957, the resort features a lobby café, more than 200 feet of frontage along the Gulf of Mexico and a full-service restaurant.
The hotel was sold in 2022 in a multi-million dollar deal and was renovated after to modernize it.
A timeline for the proposed project is still unclear as it is currently in its early stages. If approved before St. Pete Beach commissioners, a presenter estimated the process including construction would take at least two years.