I was flipping channels (today) and saw a bit of the city council. DIngfelder made a reference to a Ritz-Carlton (he also said they had the Ikea before them) - I think maybe in West Shore or Rocky Pointe (but he did not say) . . . anybody see any thing or know anything?

I would be happy with a Ritz but I would like it somehwere that would have some effect on the area around it. . .

You got to it first, Smiley, because I heard the same thing flipping through.

From what I saw, its definitely a new project (taking the Radisson's place on Rocky Point) and a rendering I haven't seen before, and a big project (hotel, condos, residences, and docks). Didn't hear "Ritz Carlton" until Dingelfelder made the comment "first an Ikea on one end, and now a Ritz Carlton on the other ... what a Council meeting" (or something to that effect).

I know all of the Council members were excited about it (as they were the Ikea, and the community really came out in support of Ikea as well).

Ritz Cartlon? Pretty damn exciting ... guess we'll find out in the morning.

Well, I have to say Rocky Point is the least favorite logical location (ok, 22nd St and Hillsborough Ave is less of an ideal location but still) than I would have liked.

Wow... Hadn't heard anything about this until now...

Florida already has more RCs than anywhere else, so it's plausible. This would be big. But as already said, too bad it has to be stuck by the airport.

I think that it should be in Downtown or Channelside. I think it would benefit more from these two areas. Not to mention it would be another notch on the bedpost for downtown. I do not see the point in sticking it way out there.

Well if it replacing the Radisson it's likely the Ritz had water views/front in mind when picking its location. I also think it should be in a more urban area where Downtown and the Hotel could both benefit from each other.

If Rocky Point had maybe a Grocery Store and of some sort it would be a very cool place to live.

odd but neither paper mentioned either the Ritz or the IKEA. Well, not that od given the the quality of the Trib and the fact the projects would be in Tampa and the Times hates tampa

odd but neither paper mentioned either the Ritz or the IKEA. Well, not that od given the the quality of the Trib and the fact the projects would be in Tampa and the Times hates tampa

True, I'm thinking that the Business Journal will have something on it today, hopefully.

I'm sure they will.

Nope. I may try to contact the Trib to see if they will run something

Perhaps there isn't as much to this as people think? This seems wierd to me.

Well Ikea itself would be big news... One would think.

Here we go finally, only 2 days after the freaking meeting, and still nothing on IKEA.:bash:

Courtney Campbell Soon May Be Puttin' On The Ritz
Skip directly to the full story.
By ELLEN GEDALIUS The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 26, 2007


TAMPA - Plans are under way to bring a Ritz-Carlton hotel to the shores beside the Courtney Campbell Parkway.

Developers hope it becomes the area's first five-star hotel.

Clearwater-based developers Orion Communities and RPS LLC are in the final stages of negotiations with the hotel chain, said Sandip Patel, president and chief executive of the development companies.

He hopes to reach an agreement within the next two months, break ground on the 6-acre parcel in early 2008 and open in October 2010.

"It's just going to be the showpiece for the city," Patel said

A Ritz-Carlton official would not discuss the deal other than to say no contract had been signed.

If the plans go through, the Radisson Bay Harbor hotel will be torn down to make room for the new development, said John Grandoff, an attorney for the developer.

Plans call for two 220-foot towers on the Courtney Campbell at Rocky Point Drive. One tower will have 274 hotel rooms and 48 residential units.

The second tower will have 136 condo units.

"Some people want to live at the Ritz," Grandoff said.

The hotel will include a restaurant and boutique retail shops, such as a jewelry and clothing stores. It also will feature boat docks, but those will be accessible only to condominium dwellers.

Building the dock requires approval from the Tampa Port Authority.

The hotel will be close to Rocky Point's bars and restaurants. Several other hotel and condo projects are in the area as well.

The development team debuted plans at a city council meeting Thursday night; those plans were well-received, Councilman John Dingfelder said.

"Between Ikea and Ritz-Carlton, it was definitely a good evening for Tampa and putting Tampa back on the map," Dingfelder said Friday.

Mark Huey, the city's economic development administrator, said he had been trying for years to bring a Ritz-Carlton to Tampa.

"This is the closest a Ritz-Carlton deal has come," Huey said. "Of all the five-star hotels, they have the strongest brand identity. That's something our community has lacked."

Huey said he hopes having a five-star hotel in Tampa will help the city land more national conventions and other large events.

The city council is expected to give preliminary approval to the project June 14.

Researcher Catherine Hammer contributed to this story. Reporter Ellen Gedalius can be reached at egedalius@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7679.

http://www.tbo.com/news/money/MGB5NPHD52F.html

I tell you if they work off the waterfront well by putting a restaraunt on it, and try to get some street/water interaction with the retail this could be one heck of a project.

It is just a shame that this is delegated to Rocky Point when we possibly could've had a nice 40 story mixed use proposal for downtown.

I wonder if this will jepordizes the Westin project.

^Maybe, maybe not... Hotel vacancies are low enough to warrant some construction of new hotel rooms... And since the Ritz is replacing old stock (just as the Westin is doing), all this is really doing is moving Rocky Point further up the hotel food chain. Rooms are being added, but it isn't the same as all together new growth.


Mmm... An article finally published only two days late.... Dammit, can we code a blog into the software already!?!?


Oh, and for those who were wondering, now we know what is taking up the slack since Harbour Island is essentially built out. IIRC, this is the 3rd highrise project for Rocky Point, encompassing 6 towers.

Thanks to HI being built out all they can do is build up.

Thanks to HI being built out all they can do is build up.

On HI? lol, built out... means that there is no more land. I don't expect to see much of the current HI being redeveloped for several more decades. :lol:

Two restaurants according to the Times.

http://blogs.tampabay.com/breakingnews/2007/05/tampa_may_be_ge.html

Tampa may be getting a Ritz

TAMPA — A Clearwater developer is negotiating to bring what it says will be the only five-star hotel in Tampa to property near the Courtney Campbell Parkway.

If negotiations between Ritz-Carlton and developer Sandip Patel are successful, the new hotel would be built where the Radisson Bay Harbor Hotel at Rocky Point now stands. The Radisson would be demolished.

In January, Patel’s company said the new $300-million development would have two towers, one with 325 luxury rooms and condos while the second would have just condos. Residents and hotel guests would share two hotel restaurants, a spa, bar, pool and banquest hall.

City officials said Patel’s development companies should know by July is negotiations are successful. Mark Huey, the city’s economic development administrator, said negotiations appear far along and he is confident a deal can be struck.

A five-star hotel, Huey said, would help Tampa market itself.

“It really is an element that will make us more competitive for certain kinds of convention and tourism business,” Huey said on Saturday.

If this rendering is accurate, it is a very unisnspired beachy looking project, unlike other projects and current towers that are mostly glass. Definitley like TTT not fitting in with the downtown skyline.

http://orioncommunities.com/rockypoint/images/rp_1.jpg

From one of the developer's websites: http://orioncommunities.com/rockypoint.htm

Looks like the basic idea of the one in Sarasota - and it is not downtown anyway, so who cares . . .

Nonetheles, the design is not too inspired - just what one expects from a Ritz

^^I think that is a different project, not the Ritz.

^^I think that is a different project, not the Ritz.

I'm pretty sure it is the same. The number of hotel rooms mentioned at the developer's site matches the Trib article, and it is one of the developers mentioned in the Trib article. Everything seems to match. :dunno:

Oh... I saw that last week (via the marketing guy at work. where he got it from I have no clue) and thought it was something else... Jeez, I am such a dumbass. I think my company made a bid on this, or is going to... Something. I'll find out tuesday.

Maxim, I was not stating in the immediate future. I was meaning that they have hit a plateau with space unless they do more infill and make more land. I personally would not mind seeing it happen sooner than later. It will not happen in the forseeable future though.

Comment on the "render". I think it is well poor designed for the area and basically no style to the surrounding area. Rocky Point deserves more classy and up to scale development than this. I say allow Ritz to build but come back with more trendy design that will fit in.

I think the design is fine. I'm pretty sure that the Ritz Carlton people know what sort of style their customer base is looking for... It certainly didn't appear to to be a cheap, tacky or tasteless design from what I saw of it, so I say bully for Tampa...

You're right Jason, Ritz Carlton isn't exactly known for its innovative modern style. If the design is good with RC, it should pass our city council.

I agree with Smiley, this is basically the same project as Sarasota. 18 story hotel tower and a similar 18 story condo tower to go along with it. Hopefully this does the same wonders for the Tampa area as the Ritz has done for Sarasota. Two $1 billion dollar developments on the way, another 5 star hotel, and many other hotel projects. The Ritz Carlton opens up a whole new set of possibilities.

^Although the Ritz may help Rocky Point, as it has been said the Ritz in Sarasota is in downtown. Where it can feed off its surroundings and the surroundings can feed off it better. The Ritz is still a plus for the city as a whole though, just not as great as it would be if it was downtown.

^If there was waterfront property available DT that had a good vista, I'm sure that the RC people would be all over it... Maybe they should have gotten with BofA a couple years back on The Heights, and we would be talking about a Ritz Carlton going up on the Hillsborough River only a few blocks from downtown (and in the middle of an area ripe for redevelopment/renewal), not on the bay...

I would think down by the St. Pete Times Forum/Channelside District would be an excellent location, if there was room to build.

What about the Trump site or the Blu site. I am sure, though, they do not want to pay the millions for buying the land.

^The Blu site would maybe come close to providing enough land, but there's nowhere for the boat slips they require.

And besides, considering the shitstorm Byrd got from the sociopaths on Harbour Island over a frickin driveway, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Blu site remain a vacant eyesore for years to come.

While I really wish this was downtown, I have to say that the Ritz in Sarasota really does not do anything for downtown. I have never seen anyone cross 41 to go to or from the Ritz

^Indeed. As nice as the Ritz is to visit, it's walled off completely from DT. It shares nothing with the city of Sarasota except an address.

Well, it sure sends a good bit of business into the city, especially DT. It may not be logical to walk, but seriously, like the people staying at a 5-star hotel are going to hoof it.

While it is true, no one ever walks along U.S. 41 to or from the Ritz, it still brings in a ton of business. Once Sarasota Bayside opens up along with the Procenium, I think we might eventually see a pedestrian overpass built along north 41. The Sarasota Ritz also has a beach resort on Lido Key, and a golf course out in Lakewook Ranch, does the Tampa hotel plan on having either one of these?

^^ nah. but they are considering a horse ranch and a petting zoo. :horse:

Are you kidding? Ritz does nothing for DT Sarasota?

We are not talking I-75. I stayed at the Ritz last August for my anniversary and walked accross 41 to the restaurants almost every night. It is right accross the street from all the action. Didn't seem much different than crossing Ashley in DT Tampa.

I did drive to Ruth's Chris one night.....now that was far from DT.

The Beach Club part was far from the hotel and DT though. They have a shuttle that takes you to St. Armands Circle and the Club.

I have lately been occasionally seeing people walking to and from DT to the Hyatt and Ritz, something I never saw 5 years ago. A pedestrian bridge would be alot better then the traffic calming and roundabouts they want on 41.

^^ ped bridge wouldn't hurt. It wasn't a problem walking to me though.

One thing I can say for sure.....Sarasota sure is headed in the right direction. Great city with tons going for it. Oh, the natural beauty is a bonus! Definitely some of my favorite beaches in Florida.

They will build a skybridge only if it is 40 feet wide and 10 feet tall with high tolls at both ends and is beige with red tile on the sides.

lolol.... I love looking at the ridiculous skybridge going to the TCC from the Embassy Suites, and thinking about the interminable debate the city had about the look and the merits of the skybridge...

I remember the big deal about the ART value...right?

I drive through there at least once a week...Today I drove onto HI from Platt/Franklin and don't even remember looking up to see the sky bridge...

Well, I've seen it countless times, as I live in the neighborhood and like to bike around there as well. It's not the ugliest thing that I've ever seen, but it's certainly not what I would consider "public art."

It just shouldn't have been built in the first place, IMO. I have NEVER seen a single person using it, and as I've said, I go by there at least a couple times a day. A complete waste of money. :ohno:

I think it would've helped if it was atleast covered, so people using it don't fry or get soaked if it is raining.

But yea it is one of the cheapest looking skybridges I have ever seen, which is a shame because skybridges are good concepts in urban areas if used correctly.

^^ Agreed, FF. Why am I not surprised that they didn't even bother to cover it. Everything done on the cheap...

I was speaking in terms of urban activity. The Ritz doesn't create contribute to a truly urban environment like most projects of similar scale because it is upscale and walled off. It's a fact. That doesn't mean it doesn't do anything for DT aesthetically or financially; it's a huge draw and the feather in Sarasota's cap, in my opinion. It elevates an environment in terms of who frequents businesses, but it doesn't offer that urban interaction like most projects do - that's all I was saying.

True, but all of those missing Urban links will be filled with Sarasota Bayside, Pineapple Square, and The Proscenium.

^Oh, it's no fault of Sarasota... it's an asset. I just doubt it'll make much different on Rocky Point in Tampa. That area is, and will remain, a car culture.... but then again, I doubt any project could elevate that area of Tampa like Ritz Carlton will. I'm extremely excited.

Car culture? It's the Ritz Carlton, the epitome of car culture. You could put it in the middle of side walks, bike paths, train stations and a segway depot and people will still drive or be driven to and from. Unless there is a private runway.

Exactly... which is why I confessed that it doesn't really matter.

Ritz-Carlton To Rise In Tampa


By ELLEN GEDALIUS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 28, 2007

TAMPA - For years, city and tourism officials have lamented that the Ritz-Carlton's flag hasn't flown over Tampa.

Now they are celebrating the news that plans are on track for the city to land its first Ritz hotel as soon as 2011.

Ritz-Carlton officials intend to announce Friday their plans to open a 269-room hotel on the Courtney Campbell Parkway at Rocky Point Drive. The project also will include 176 luxury residential units, retail space and a marina, according to information from the hotel chain.

Developers hope it becomes the area's first five-star hotel, and tourism leaders hope a high-class hotel attracts more events, conventions and visitors to the Tampa Bay area.

"We've lacked five-star hotel rooms," said Mark Huey, Tampa's economic development administrator. "It will give us a tool we haven't had in the past to compete for events."

Word started leaking in May that the Ritz was looking at the area, but no deal had been struck. Tuesday's release confirms the hotel company intends to make its mark on Tampa.

Huey said the hotel chain has scoured parts of the city, including downtown and the West Shore area, during the past few years for a location but never sealed a deal.

The Tampa Ritz will be the 10th Ritz-Carlton in Florida. The project will be developed by Clearwater-based Orion Communities and R.L. Pearson & Associates.

The hotel portion of the project will feature a 15,000-square-foot spa and wellness center, boutique shops, retail space, swimming pools and restaurants. A marina will include boat slips for hotel guests and residents.

John Grandoff, an attorney working on the project, said he is discussing marina details with the Port Authority. He said he expects the marina to be permitted by mid-2008.

The hotel also will include 30,000 square feet of event space, including a 12,000-square-foot ballroom.

Atop seven floors of hotel rooms will be 44 residential units. An adjacent 19-story second tower will include 132 residential units. The average floor plan is 2,800 square feet.

Pricing information was unavailable late Tuesday. A sales office is scheduled to open on Rocky Point Drive early next year.

The Radisson Bay Harbor hotel will be torn down to make room for the development.

Steve Hayes, executive vice president of Tampa Bay & Company, the area's convention and visitors bureau, said the Ritz will be a welcome addition to an area seeing substantial hotel development.

A Westin Hotel is under construction in Rocky Point, at least three hotels are planned for the West Shore area and an Embassy Suites plans to open soon in Brandon, Hayes said. Currently, 20,500 hotel rooms exist countywide.

Louis Miller, head of Tampa International Airport, said having a high-end hotel could help the city land big events. The Super Bowl will be played in Tampa in 2009; a Ritz could help the city secure future games, Miller predicted.

"You're seeing more and more hotels in the West Shore district," Miller said. "It's a convenient place to be. You're seeing a resurgence of the high-end hotel rooms."

Reporter Ellen Gedalius can be reached at (813) 259-7679 or egedalius@tampatrib.com.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2007/nov/28/me-ritz-carlton-to-rise-in-tampa/?news-metro

^^ Great news, but the year 2011 is another 3-4 yrs. from now!!!

Can't wait! They are fun to go to just to have dinner or tea in the afternoon. This will be great for Tampa.

Steve

2011???

2011 is not that far away, it is only a month over 3 years. I am sure that part of the reason is to wait for the housing market to start to turn, they are trying to sell 44 luxury units in the hotel tower and then 132 more in the adjacent building. Add that to the time to demolish the Radisson, build a marina, one 7-9 story hotel/residential tower, one 19 story residential tower....and I doubt they would open the hotel and have major constructinon going on next door for the residential tower, and now I can see the three year time frame. This seems to be a pretty major project, IMHO.

Steve

I'm pretty sure that the hotel/condo tower will also be like 15-16 floors. A floor or two for the lobby, spa and meeting rooms...7 floors for the hotel... 6-7 floors for the condo units.

Sounds like the Radisson will come down after the snowbirds are gone next year.

I'm pretty sure that the hotel/condo tower will also be like 15-16 floors. A floor or two for the lobby, spa and meeting rooms...7 floors for the hotel... 6-7 floors for the condo units.


Even better! :okay:

Steve

Why not downtown???????

That is what I had been thinking...^^

this site is in the center of the Tampa Bay business sector...Gateway/Toytown/Pinellas, Westshore, South Tampa, and Downtown. I can see a future Ritz in Downtown....after the dust settles and what hotels actually go up. Gaylord Hotel & Convention is a great example, why build downtown if all future convention center space is private and already inside a high-end hotel. Ritz likes to make a landmark, give them time as downtown now enters into a hotel and office building phase.

Huey said the hotel chain has scoured parts of the city, including downtown and the West Shore area, during the past few years for a location but never sealed a deal.


Sounds like they were at least interested in downtown. I guess the chance to be on the Rocky Point waterfront was more attractive to them.

Confirming what we already knew???

http://tampabay.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2007/12/03/daily48.html?jst=b_ln_hl

Ritz-Carlton coming to Tampa
Tampa Bay Business Journal

Orion Communities Inc. and RL Pearson & Associates Inc. are planning to build a 269-room Ritz-Carlton Tampa Bay and The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton Tampa Bay in the Rocky Point area near Tampa International Airport.

It will be the 10th Ritz-Carlton in Florida and the second one in Tampa Bay. Ritz-Carlton Sarasota opened in 2002.

Special amenities include a 15,000-square-foot spa and wellness center, movement studio, boutique shops, retail space, separate hotel and residence outdoor swimming pools with whirlpools and a selection of dining options, including a signature restaurant and a South Beach inspired beachside bar and grill.

Select guests and residents will have access to the private Club Lounge, a signature amenity that provides a catered, social environment for children and adults offering daily entertainment, light cuisine and refreshments.

The Beach Club will offer a boardwalk along the bay, cabanas and a waterfront bar and grill. The marina will provide boat slips for hotel guests and select residences. A designated dock master will service the marina.

The Residences at the Ritz-Carlton Tampa Bay, the condo component of the hotel, will offer 44 units on the top seven floors as well as 132 private condominiums in an adjacent 19-story tower. Units will have floor plans averaging 2,800 square feet.

Residents will have access to all the services and amenities offered by the hotel, including concierge service, room service, catering, housekeeping and valet parking. They will also have their own private pool, social room, theater, game room and business center.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company LLC in Chevy Chase, Md., operates 68 hotels in the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa and has more than 30 projects are under development around the globe.

Sounds more like an advertisement to investors and contractors. :)

Yeah, nothing new.

Lets say if you own a property(condo) roughly 50 yards away from the newly planned Ritz-Carlton, what would that mean for the property value when its complete?

the condo's value would go up a bit as everything else around the Ritz does, but not a whole lot. Afterall, it's not like there is public access. And if you're in the Rit'z shadow much of the day or within earshot of its noise, your value may instead go down.

the condo's value would go up a bit as everything else around the Ritz does, but not a whole lot. Afterall, it's not like there is public access. And if you're in the Rit'z shadow much of the day or within earshot of its noise, your value may instead go down.

Actually, anyone, even non-guests, are usually welcome to come by to have tea, or dine in the restaurants....well, anyone that wants to pay. I would say property values should be helped, unless you house backs up to their dumpster....

Steve

Good deal, I was hoping you wouldnt have to be a guest just to stop by across from the future site, so theres no worries about overshadowing or dumpsters. One of the bartenders at crabby bills over there mentioned the demolishion will most likely start in february or march. This might have been mention already, but I thought both towers will be around 19 storeys, or am I wrong?

Actually, anyone, even non-guests, are usually welcome to come by to have tea, or dine in the restaurants....well, anyone that wants to pay. I would say property values should be helped, unless you house backs up to their dumpster....

Steve
Yeah, but those aren't really the things that add value to the Ritz residences. My ultimate point there is really that the difference is between having a nice hotel, or a nicer hotel in a much bigger building next door... I don't see a big difference.

Drove by the old Crawdaddy's, and it is demolished, as there is a trailer at the Ritz site.. They have the best view in the Bay area.. What a location for them..

Ritz-Carlton gets a third developer partner.

The development group for the Ritz-Carlton Tampa Bay is now working with Hersha Development Corp.

Hersha Development, based in Philadelphia, is a subsidiary of Hersha Group. It joins Orion Communities Inc. and R.L. Pearson & Associates as a full joint venture partner.

When completed in 2011, the Ritz-Carlton will have 269 hotel rooms and 44 residences in the hotel and 132 residences in an adjacent tower. Among the amenities are a 15,000-square-foot spa and wellness center, movement studio, boutique shops, retail space and various dining options.

It will also have 30,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 12,000-square-foot ballroom.

A sales office in the Rocky Point area will open early this year.

http://tampabay.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2008/01/14/daily36.html?surround=lfn

Courtney Campbell Soon May Be Puttin' On The Ritz
Skip directly to the full story.
By ELLEN GEDALIUS The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 26, 2007


Plans call for two 220-foot towers on the Courtney Campbell at Rocky Point Drive. One tower will have 274 hotel rooms and 48 residential units.

The second tower will have 136 condo units.

Looks like each tower lost a floor or two. Or, the unit mix was changed...

Regardless, the proposed towers are still tall enough to be the new tallest in Westshore.

Tampa may get Ritz glitz by 2011
A ritzy risk is how some observers see plans for a luxurious Ritz-Carlton hotel and condos near the Tampa airport.
By Steve Huettel
Published February 10, 2008

http://www.sptimes.com/2008/02/08/images/ritz1.jpg
An artist's rendering of the planned Ritz-Carlton project in Tampa.

About the Ritz: What the new hotel and ajoining condo tower would offer:

-Hotel rooms: 269
-Average daily rate: low $300s
-Condo units: 176
-Average condo price: $2.2-million ($784 per square foot)
-Hotel amenities: Spa and wellness center; private club lounge; beach club; marina.
-Project cost: $425-million.

Nowhere near home was special enough for the beachfront wedding of Scott Farrell and bride Sam Nagle.

He wrote off the Don CeSar Beach Resort, the pricey Pink Palace in St. Pete Beach. "The beach is so crowded," said Farrell, a Tampa lawyer. "You don't want some kid whizzing a Nerf Ball by your head."

So, on a warm May day in 2005 the couple arrived at the Ritz-Carlton Members Beach Club near Sarasota, checked their shoes with an attendant and tied the knot before 150 guests with the Gulf of Mexico as a backdrop. The tab for the wedding, reception and three bands - around $50,000 - "was well worth it," Farrell said.

Tampa Bay residents looking for a true luxury hotel must drive at least to Orlando or Sarasota. But the white-glove treatment could come to Tampa by 2011. A group including Clearwater developer Sandip Patel plans to build a 269-room Ritz-Carlton Hotel just west of Tampa International Airport, introducing the pampering service and eye-popping bills synonymous with the top-shelf brand. The $425-million project has 176 condos with an average price of $2.2-million, among the most expensive new units sold in the Tampa Bay area.

Ritz-Carlton executives had passed up other proposals, skeptical the market was ready for daily room rates north of $300. But they insist a Ritz-Carlton on Rocky Point, with sweeping views of Tampa Bay and a central location to the region, is a sure winner.

"This is a trifecta - a home run location, a home run design, a home run amount of space," says Ed Staros, managing director of two Ritz-Carlton resorts in Naples, who scouted the site as part of an evaluation team.

Hotel and real estate veterans are holding their bets.

Financing for the project, to be owned by Patel's partnership and managed by Ritz-Carlton, hinges on advance sales of half of the condos. That's a dicey proposition in a market unlikely to recover by the end of the year, if then. Developers of the upscale Grand Bohemian Hotel & Residences, which has yet to break ground in St. Petersburg, went from planning 82 condos above the hotel to 22 when so few buyers stepped up.

Rocky Point also poses problems, says Lou Plasencia, a hotel broker in Tampa. Boulders cover the waterfront of the Radisson Bay Harbor Hotel, which Patel's group will demolish to make room for the 19-story hotel and condo towers.

Guests won't have a wide, natural beach or private golf course, standard fare at all but one of the brand's other Florida locations. "Why go to a Ritz-Carlton in Tampa that's not on the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic when you can go to South Beach or Naples?"Plasencia asks.

Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio put a luxury hotel for the city on her to-do list, lobbying lodging executives and discussing locations. Landing a Ritz-Carlton gives communities a shot of civic pride.

It also helps attract high-profile events. Republican Party officials counted the lack of a "five-star hotel" as a strike against Tampa's bid for the national convention this year, says Mark Huey, Iorio's economic development administrator. "We're cautiously optimistic Sandip and his team can make this happen," he said.

Sandip Patel is a former general counsel at Tampa's Wellcare Health Plans but is not related to Wellcare founder and area philanthropist Kiran Patel.

The hotel will feature resort-style amenities: a large spa and wellness center, signature fine-dining restaurant and marina. But Ritz-Carlton classifies it a "city hotel" targeting business travelers and corporate meetings.

"It will lend itself to a lot of business Tampa hasn't seen before," says Richard Pearson, a partner from South Florida whose experience includes projects at Indian casino resorts.

Staros urged the developers not to skimp on the event space. Their plans call for 30,000 square feet that will include a corporate board room, various-sized meeting rooms and a ballroom that can seat 800 for dinner.

The location is a huge plus, says Staros - close to the airport, West Shore businesses and high-income zip codes in Pinellas and Hillsborough. He expects the convention and meeting crowd will start arriving Sunday night and fill the hotel through Thursday afternoon. Then, the hotel will shift gears for weekend weddings, anniversary parties and charitable events.

"In all of Tampa, all of St. Petersburg, all of Clearwater, there's a tremendous amount of wealth," Staros says. "This will be the country club, the social center of these communities."

Ezzat Coutry, a senior vice president for Ritz-Carlton, scouted downtown Tampa three years ago and wasn't convinced a hotel there could fetch enough high-end visitors.

Hotels like the Renaissance at International Plaza and Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay near the airport average nearly $200 a day. Ritz-Carltons typically get a $100 premium over such upper-upscale competitors, said Coutry, who oversees new projects in the Southeast and the Caribbean.

The brand's 66 hotels had an average daily rate of $328 for the first eight months of 2007, reported parent Marriott International. Plasencia, the hotel broker, doubts that enough visitors will pay that much or that the condos will move anytime soon. "I'm surprised Ritz pushed a project this early," he said.

Priced at $2-million to $3-million - or $784 per square foot - the condos will be among the Tampa Bay area's priciest. Only the Sandpearl Resort on Clearwater Beach sold new units in that price range, said Marvin Rose of the Rose Residential Report, a real estate market tracking service.

"Typically, condos with the Ritz name increase the value 25 to 50 percent in pricing," said Pearson, the partner from Fort Lauderdale. "In this case, it will be a touch over a 30 percent premium."

Steve Huettel can be reached at huettel@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3384.

[Last modified February 8, 2008, 12:47:34]

http://www.sptimes.com/2008/02/10/Business/Tampa_may_get_Ritz_gl.shtml

Interesting, anybody know anything about the sales center opening? or anything about the condo sales yet?

Thats a beautiful building. Thank God Ritz has sense to not built an ugly ass glass building.

One thing I do like about the Ritz is the apparent detail in architecture of their buildings. It makes what will be a building that will stick out on Rocky Point style-wise compared to other glass buildings, look acceptable and nice. :yes:

It's a shame that the development of the hotel will hinge on condo sales. I really doubt we will see this project built anytime soon

^Agree with both preceeding posts.


The one thing about Ritz Carlton type places is that they're not really in the same market as the vast majority of other condos in the area. Many buyers in this project probably won't even be American... I'm not sure it's relevant to other places on the market like Towers at Channelside, Element or the general real estate wasteland out in the burbs.

^Agree with both preceeding posts.


The one thing about Ritz Carlton type places is that they're not really in the same market as the vast majority of other condos in the area. Many buyers in this project probably won't even be American... I'm not sure it's relevant to other places on the market like Towers at Channelside, Element or the general real estate wasteland out in the burbs.

I agree also, i remember reading the same thing in some article about Ritz Carltons residences. They are somewhat in a market of their own. Hopefully construction does start soon, that Radisson is a dump thats barely 25% occupied most of the time.

Also the Westin is starting on the 9th floor already, I will try to take some pics and post them.

High end residences are not in a slump like the rest of the market. Multi million dollar homes/condos do not take hits like the sub $1m market. People that can afford homes in that price range are not in the same league as most of us....and a property with a name like this will be even better off than others might be that are trying to command similar prices. Trump is about the only other name that can command prices like this in a new development for a condo....but it looks like our Trump is not going to get built, so that leaves the Ritz for Tampa. The Ritz has the advantage of being a hotel development as well so it can get financing easier than a large condo that is primarily residences like the TTT was.

Steve

Steve

The hotel is now listed on the Ritz website, but the name...Tampa Bay, that is the name of a region best for sports teams. Most would agree we already have a "Tampa Bay" Ritz in Downtown Sarasota. Why not call this Tampa Rocky Point or something if you plan on establishing the location behind the brand long term. I am sure we will have more than one within the next decade.

http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Locations/Default.htm

"Tampa Bay" Ritz Page (http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/Tampa/Information/Default.htm)

btw, I thought that this project basically had only a handful of condo units in the first tower, which contains the hotel. I'm pretty sure that they only need to sell like 20-25 units to start, not a hundred and something units.

^Yeah the building with the hotel has just 44 condos on the top floors. I'm hoping/thinking they'll just have to sell some of those first to start tower 1.

Maybe that's a reason why the new rendering only has 1 of the towers in it. They're concentrating on it first. :dunno:

I cannot tell you how mad it makes me when people refer to Tampa as Tampa Bay. Sure when we are talking about the region that is fine, but Tampa Bay is a body of water, or the areas that loosely surround it, it is NOT the name of a city. If I had to give in though I would be that 75-85% of people in the US would not know that we are Tampa and not Tampa Bay.....:moods: I am sure it does not bother others that much....but I am a fifth generation Tampanian, NOT a Tampa Baynian.:rant:

Steve

I understand that geographical misconception between Tampa, Tampa Bay, and St Pete that much of the country has primarily due to the names of our sports teams, but isn't this hotel going to be right on the body of water specifically known as Tampa Bay?

Ritz Carlton does have other US properties named accordingly to adjacent bodies of water (laguna, lake, bay, etc.), so maybe that's why they chose Tampa Bay.

Ritz Carlton does have other US properties named accordingly to adjacent bodies of water (laguna, lake, bay, etc.), so maybe that's why they chose Tampa Bay.

Very good point, I had not thought of it that way...:)

Steve

Surely the project's people understand the controversy involved with naming anything 'Tampa Bay'... Especially how such a name is generally considered to indicate a singular entity for the whole region... Like, if this is the only Ritz that will ever be built in the region, then it would make sense. If another Ritz is ever built though, then the name of this one will be lame to locals.

If another Ritz is ever built though, then the name of this one will be lame to locals.

It already is to some of us.:hammer:

Why does the current render only show 1 tower? It seems to be wider than the two towers in the orignal render. Not sure if that plot of land would be wide enought to fit two towers that wide. I also counted 16 floors from the current render.

As I drove across the Courtney Campbell last weekend I noticed the building under construction in Rocky Point and it is up to about 12-15 stories. Is that the Ritz Carlton?

No, that's the Westin (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=486177).

has anyone taken pictures of the hotel lately

i was think'n the same thing.

ill be out that way next week, hopefully i remember to bring my camera

Hotel expert says Ritz-Carlton won't be built
By Times Staff Writer
Posted: Jul 22, 2008 07:55 PM

Tampa hotel guru Lou Plasencia gave hotel operators at a forecasting conference Tuesday his prognostications for Hillsborough projects on the drawing board. Thumbs-down for the Ritz-Carlton at Rocky Point (too reliant on condo sales) and the eSuites near International Plaza (too tough to launch a startup brand). Thumbs-up for a new full-service hotel at the University of South Florida (strong medical training business) and an expansion of the Embassy Suites Downtown/Convention Center (designed for 140 to 200 more rooms). His overall view: A lot of new hotel supply will appear in Hillsborough in 18 months and in two years for Pinellas.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/tourism/article734070.ece

Luxury Ritz-Carlton Tampa Bay deal falls apart
By Steve Huettel, Times Staff Writer
Posted: Sep 22, 2008 05:35 PM

Plans for the Tampa Bay area's first top-tier branded hotel are off.

Clearwater developer Sandip Patel and partners failed to raise enough money for the $425-million project that was to include a 269-room Ritz-Carlton and 176 condos on the site of Tampa's Bay Harbor Radisson Hotel, just off the Courtney Campbell Parkway.

The hotel's owners terminated the land sale. Capital Realty Investors will renovate the aging Radisson and affiliate with a new hotel brand, said president Ben Wacksman, a partner in the company with Lazy Daze RV Center founder Don Wallace.

The project stalled when two overseas investors withdrew because of deteriorating financial markets over the last year, Patel said.

"The current financial headwinds made some of the equity financing impossible at this time,'' he wrote in an e-mail to the Times. "Had we been in the market about 18 months (earlier), it is likely we would be under construction.''

There's no shortage of high-end hotels in the area. Clearwater Beach has the Sandpearl Resort. St. Pete Beach boasts the Don CeSar Beach Resort. Fancy Renaissance properties sit on both sides of Tampa Bay: the Vinoy in St. Petersburg and the International Plaza Hotel in Tampa.

But none carry the white-glove Ritz cachet.

"When you talk about Ritz-Carlton, it's on a list with St. Regis and Four Seasons,'' says Steve Hayes, executive vice president of Tampa Bay & Co., Hillsborough County's tourism marketing agency. "Obviously, we don't have a property like that.''

Besides stoking civic pride, luxury brands bring business. Republican Party officials counted the lack of a "five-star hotel'' as a strike against Tampa's bid for their national convention this year, said Mark Huey, economic development administrator for Mayor Pam Iorio.

Steve Huettel can be reached at huettel@sptimes.com or (813) 226-3384.

[Last modified: Sep 22, 2008 05:35 PM]

http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/tourism/article822941.ece

^^ I believe the writing was already on the wall. :ohno:

There is no financing available anywhere. The entire market has locked up. They are talking about needing a 720 score to get a car loan now.

I can attest to that, I went shopping for a new Lexus IS this past weekend and the lending reqs are getting tough, both at my credit union (Suncoast Schools FCU) and Lexus's in-house financing.

lol... You should see my ordeal trying to get a mortgage... And my house is paid off!

So glad I got my mortgage through a few months ago, it was getting bad then but its abysmal now.

I see....this project went down the drain too huh?

At least I don't have to worry about any drama like TTT. Sheesh. :ohno:

I see....this project went down the drain too huh?

At least I don't have to worry about any drama like TTT. Sheesh. :ohno:

Actually there is alot of drama but its just internal. Sandip is in so much financial turmoil its not even funny. These guys play it off good but they are hurting. I believe he is also partners with the fuel group principals, JS Walwani who's probably in the most trouble of all. They bought the westshore hotel for over 17 Million!!! ... Thats an enormous price for that parcel. Although I think thye have a nice brands with the buddah lounge and green iguana, the hotel compent is performing way under par. They will be lucky if they can get it off thier books for even 10 million...

to be continued....