Legg Mason, Inc. (NYSE: LM) Real Estate Investors, Inc. filed a formal application with the town of Belleair for the redevelopment of the historic Belleview Biltmore Hotel site.
It is the largest wood-frame building in Florida.
The Belleview Hotel, as it was initially known, was constructed by Henry B. Plant as a resort destination to boost tourist travel on his railroad line serving the west coast of Florida, which he had acquired in 1893 as part of his expanding Plant System network of railroads. The Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, which eventually absorbed the Plant System lines, continued to operate the Pinellas Special train from New York City to a siding on the hotel's property in the 1920s.World Renowned Michael J. Miller and Francis J. Kinnard were the architects. The Biltmore currently is four and a half stories, frame, three principal sections, each 400 feet long, broad verandas built on enchanting landscape.
In 1920 the hotel was purchased from the Plant Investment Company by John McEntee Bowman. John McEntee Bowman, was president of the Bowman-Biltmore Hotels Corp, international sportsman and owner of the Biltmore chain of hotels. Hence the beginning of the new name Belleview Biltmore Hotel. So for 85 years, the name Biltmore is associated with the Belleview. The name Biltmore is tied in with so many other Biltmore hotels around the country also. Bowman developed several Biltmore Hotels through the country during this time period, all bearing the Biltmore name which was said to be drawn from the Vanderbilt family estate of the same name in North Carolina
In 1985 , a $10 million renovation of the resort took place in the guest rooms and in the construction of a luxurious spa.
A Japanese company, Mido Development, purchased the hotel in 1991 and made many repairs and additions, including a new spa area and entrance, later selling the property to hotelier Salim Jetha in 1997. The Hotel again went through major renovations, but was sold to Urdang and Associates and Belleview Biltmore Resort, Ltd. before finally being sold to Legg Mason who proclamied their intentions early on were to preserve this national treasure, which has enriched the lives of guests since 1897. It is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, and is famous for its Victorian charm and southern hospitality.
Many famous dignitaries have been guests at this hotel including the President George Bush, President Jimmy Carter, President Gerald Ford, the former King of England, (the Duke of Windsor) the Vanderbilts, the Pew family of Sun Oil, the Studebakers, the DuPonts, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford and Lady Margaret Thatcher, baseball legends Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, and entertainers Tony Bennett, Bob Dylan and Carol Channing.
The Mobile Travel Guide gives the Biltmore a four star rating and the World Tennis Magazine gives the resort a five star rating for tennis resorts.
The Biltmore is one of the few hotels to have a waltz composed in its name, "The Belleview Waltz."
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The Belleview Biltmore Golf Club offers a beautiful 18 hole course designed by world famous Scottish-born architect, Donald Ross in 1925.
![[Image]](http://www.tbnweekly.com/content_images/122607_bee-01.jpg) |
| Rendering courtesy of lmrei |
| An architect’s rendering depicts the planned look of the redeveloped Belleview Biltmore Resort. |
“We look forward to working with the town of Belleair and the local residents to restore a truly magnificent historic treasure,” said Richard J. Heisenbottle, FAIA, the project architect.
The following proposed improvements to the Belleview Biltmore Hotel site are included in the plans submitted to Belleair:
• A new landscaped grand entrance to the main hotel
• A fully restored 256 room main hotel structure with five ballrooms, meeting rooms, restaurants and retail shops
• A new, but architecturally consistent, 174-room annex hotel adjacent to the main hotel structure
• Three restored Victorian cottages
• A new 1-story spa facility with underground parking
• Elegantly landscaped grounds and the elimination of surface parking through the construction of underground parking garages
• Removal of the existing pagoda structure at the current front entrance to the main hotel(shown in the first photo)
• A refurbished clubhouse and improved landscaping and parking at the Pelican Golf Club.
The project will be LEED certified. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, provides a suite of standards for environmentally sustainable construction. Since its inception in 1998, LEED has grown to encompass over 14,000 projects in 50 US States and 30 countries covering 1.062 billion square feet (99 km²) of development area.
To read more about WHO Legg Mason and the Belleview Biltmore:
http://www.belleviewbiltmore.com/
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