TAMPA | Floridan Palace Hotel | 20 stories | 213 hotel rooms | Restoration | Completed

[John F]

Was looking for this article because I wanted to ask if anyone has been over by the Floridan hotel and can they tell if there is visible work going on around the building?

At night I have looked at the OXblue cam for Skypoint and seen what looked like lights on in the building -- it ws just glare from the street however, or at least that is what I figured it to be.

[HardRocker]

Does anyone have any pictures?

[smiley]

There is work going on, but mostly inside

[FloridaFuture]

I was in downtown yesterday and there were people on site and work being done. I can't wait for them to change out the old crappy, broken windows. They look very bad and contribute to the abandoned look of that part of downtown.

[John F]

Originally Posted by smiley

There is work going on, but mostly inside

I figured Smiley -- thus why I thought there was a light on inside the building - crews working. But most of what has been going on is internal demolition and reconstruction, right?

It would be nice to get pictures (as one of the above posters said) though there isn't much to see.

[dmpeek77]

thats a great building I can wait for it to be finished!

[smiley]

Also if you go by, notice the exposed stone on the ground floor - that was all covered up before. They were working on it months ago. Usually you can see more action on the back side

[smiley]

New Beds May Draw Business To Tampa
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By TED JACKOVICS The Tampa Tribune

Published: Nov 14, 2006

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TAMPA - The Embassy Suites Tampa-Downtown, the 360-room hotel expected to help the city attract more convention business, may open as soon as Thursday if it can pass muster with the franchising company, according to a hotel representative. For now, it's accepting reservations beginning Dec. 1.

An uncovered walkway connects the 20-story Embassy Suites with the convention center, providing a second hotel near the city's sports arena and convention center.

"The opening of the Embassy Suites is great news for downtown along with the other hotel developments," said Paul Ayres, director of marketing and business development for the Tampa Downtown Partnership.

Changes at other downtown hotels also are a boost. Ayres said recent rebranding includes the Radisson changing to the Sheraton Tampa Riverwalk Hotel and the Wyndham renamed to the Westin Tampa Harbour Island.

The Sheraton and Westin hotels and the Hyatt Regency Tampa all have renovations under way or planned, Ayres said.

"These product lines, along with the Tampa Marriott Waterside hotel, make Tampa more competitive for business at the Tampa Convention Center," he said.

The northern part of downtown also will get a boost in late 2007 or early 2008 with the reopening of the historic Floridan Hotel, which has been closed since 1987, Ayres said.

In addition, the Ashley Plaza Hotel near the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center will join the Howard Johnson brand, while the Economy Inn on West Kennedy Boulevard was renamed the University Inn earlier this year.

"All of this provides visitors various levels of hotel service from simple to the high-end," Ayres said.

Reporter Ted Jackovics can be reached at (813)259-7817 and tjackovics @tampatrib.com
http://www.tbo.com/news/money/MGBCPRRPHUE.html

[smiley]

IF you go by you can see where they replaced windows near the bottom - I also noticed last week that at suset you can see through some floors so I think the gutting is well under way

Interesting article on the Floridan and the adjacent Post Office -
http://tampabay.bizjournals.com/tamp...ml?jst=b_ln_hl

Floridan owner buys post office to deliver more space
Tampa Bay Business Journal - 2:06 PM EST Wednesdayby Carl Cronan


The owner of the historic Floridan Hotel has purchased adjacent property in downtown Tampa to expand facilities for a grand re-opening planned late next year.

Antonios Markopoulos paid $2 million for the post office building next to the hotel in the 900 block of North Florida Avenue, plus three-quarters of a neighboring block, and plans to turn the 20,000-square-foot structure into convention and meeting space, his attorney M. Lisa Shasteen confirmed Wednesday. The U.S. Postal Service's lease will expire in July 2007, she said.


The acquisition allows Markopoulos, a former Clearwater Beach developer, to plan for future construction and parking for the Floridan, Shasteen said. Restoration of the 240-foot-tall hotel is on track to be completed by next fall, she said.

"We're hoping for a New Year's Eve party," said Shasteen, whose Shasteen-Sizemore Co. has assisted Markopoulos with acquisitions and development. She added that she expects the Floridan's reopening to be a "hot ticket" for Tampa residents.

Built in 1926, the Floridan is the city's oldest remaining skyscraper and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The City of Tampa designated it as a local landmark in 1996.

Markopoulos' company, Antonakos Floridan LLC, bought the hotel for $6 million in April 2005 after a number of other developers tried and failed to restore it over the past several years. Capital LLC, the hotel's prior owners, had purchased the hotel in 1997 with plans to renovate the historic hotel. But the events on Sept. 11, 2001 put the renovation on hold, prompting a sale to Makropoulos.

[FloridaFuture]

Hmm the article says its 240 feet tall, I thought it barely reached 200. Maybe its just me but I really don't see the use for a small convention center in that part of town. Maybe it could be a good spot for an office building, or park.

[Jasonhouse]

^Agree about the convention center thing... However, I suspect that such space would be attractive to attorneys and such to some degree, what witht eh courthouses being so close. Plus, if the hotel wanted to do receptions and stuff, they probably needed more space.

[smiley]

receptions, conferences, and land banking - that is cheap for an area that will probably boom within the next 5-10 years

[tampamobster21]

I think that they should do something that would be more asthetically pleasing to the building that it is neighboring (The Floridan).

[John F]

You don't need a large scall "Convention center" but an accompanying meeting hall, banquette space, restaurant or ballroom would certainly work.

And whatever the new structure houses, it must (MUST!( compliment the hotel asthetically.

I'm certainly happy that ambitious condo project with the nuevo design is gone from the property now.

[FloridaFuture]

Originally Posted by smiley

receptions, conferences, and land banking - that is cheap for an area that will probably boom within the next 5-10 years

Especially with Central Park coming just to the north within that time span, there will be more use for that land because it will be more prime. I can't see it staying a "small convention center" for too long.

[zerobullchip]

Really all I want right now are some renderings

[John F]

Waaaaaaaaaaaaay too early for that IMHO.

BTW -- Jason? Can you change the thread title? Just correcting the spelling of the FLORIDAN Hotel?

[LuvHighrisers]

Does anyone know which "nuevo design" condo project was shelved because of this purchase?

[TPAMAN]

It was the project proposed by Arbel Management out of So Florida. You could still see the proposed design which was out of scope with relation to the the hotel. It would be nice if they built somewhere else in the general area but not next door to the hotel. There website www.Arbel1.com
Who knows, they had never actually built a highrise...

[Quegiebo]

Apparantly, Arbel Management sold the property to Antonios Markopoulos for $2 million. Not enough interest in their project?!?! Who knows...

I'm still in shock that the city council actually approved the project that Arbel offered up considering its proximity to the Floridan and how out of place it appeared in that specific location.