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MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS MAKE NEWS IN THE ST. PETERSBURG/CLEARWATER AREA
(June 1999) Several major developments are generating attention for the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area. Here is a brief roundup.
For visitor inquiries, call toll-free 1-877-FL-BEACH (352-3224).
- Lodgings Introduce Inclusive Packages: Thirteen of the area’s Superior Small Lodgings are now offering commissionable “Eats & Treats” inclusive packages. The packages include several meals at area restaurants, activities including the area’s world-famous museums and excursions into the Gulf of Mexico. Visitors choose from 21 participating restaurants and 12 activities to put together their own package for four- or six-night stays. 727-360-5591.
- Museum Features Kennedy Collection: The Tampa Bay area was John F. Kennedy’s last stop before his fateful visit to Dallas in 1963. Now the Florida International Museum in St. Petersburg will be the last stop for the world’s largest private collection of the late President’s personal items. Among the collection’s 50,000 items are Kennedy’s rocking chair, bearing the imprint of his back brace; the flags that flew on Kennedy’s car in the Dallas motorcade; and the red, white and blue White House hotline telephone. Also included are letters written by Kennedy and a threatening telegram from Soviet President Nikita Khrushchev. The exhibit opens in November. 727-822-3693.
- Dali Displays New Collections: The Salvador Dali Museum presents Between the Skin and the Distance June 5 – Sept. 19, showcasing four young artists from Dali’s homeland of Spain. Their works range from drawings of organic decay made directly on the museum walls to horizontal black and white photographs of natural landscapes that emphasize spatial distance. 727-823-3767
- CVB Develops Green Map: The St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention & Visitors Bureau is creating an area Green Map -- a comprehensive inventory of eco-tourism activities and environmental resources. The Green Map Web site will feature nature-based information for more than 120 sites in the area, interactive maps and links to other resources. Users will be able to have each page instantly translated into four languages. The site will be part of the Green Map System, a globally connected framework of sites. It debuts this fall at st-pete-clwtr-greenmap.com.
- Best Beaches: The St. Petersburg/Clearwater area leads the nation in great beaches with Caladesi Island State Park ranked #6 and Fort De Soto Park #7 in the best beach category, and Clearwater Beach named the #1 city beach in the Gulf Region. No other destination can offer three top public beaches. The results are from the 1999 beach survey by Dr. Stephen Leatherman of Florida International University who surveys 650 U.S. beaches. Guided nature tours are now offered at Caladesi and Honeymoon Island (727-441-2599).
The area is also in the midst of a $22 million beach renourishment to add tons of powder-white sand to area beaches from a local shipping channel.
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Clearwater Marine Aquarium Offers 3 New Adventures:
- Sea Life Safari Cruises put guests “in-touch” with sea life. Guests touch sea creatures, visit bird sanctuaries and look for shells on a barrier island. The two-hour cruises are guided by a marine biologist and include an “up-close” look or touch of sea horses, crabs and sea urchins. 727-462-2628
- Kayak Adventuresfeature three-hour kayak trips with a marine biologist through Clearwater Harbor and St. Joseph’s Sound. The trip goes through bay islands, bird rookeries and boiling springs with the opportunity to see dolphins, Great Blue Herons and more. 727-441-1970
- Marine Life Adventures are one- or four-day trips where visitors team with marine biologists to study endangered animal and plant species, and even join in the rescue and rehabilitation of marine animals. Designed for all members of the family, excursions range from snorkeling to beach combing. (727)441-1790, ext. 31
- Weedon Island Preserve Reopens: Weedon Island, a 1,500-acre nature preserve near St. Petersburg, recently reopened after a $3.2 million renovation. The preserve features a 45-foot observation tower, a 4-mile canoe trail, a 9-mile hiking trail and other nature experiences. It will be home to a Native American Cultural Center set to open in 2000. Working with the Smithsonian Institution and the Museum of the American Indian (Washington, DC), Pinellas County will build a multi-million dollar center focusing on the Native American communities who inhabited this site from 10,000 BC to 1200 AD.727-579-8360
- Brooker Creek Preserve Offers Nature Hikes: Brooker Creek Preserve, an 8,000-acre site near Tarpon Springs, now offers free 3-mile, guided nature hikes on Saturdays. The Preserve is becoming one of Florida’s leading natural attractions. Included in the $40 million project are a series of nature trails and boardwalks enabling visitors to enjoy the wildlife, and native and migratory birds while protecting the fragile ecosystem. Also included will be a $6 million environmental education center to be completed by October 2002. 727-943-4000
- Dunedin Opens Children’s Arts Museum: The Dunedin Fine Arts Center recently opened a multi-million dollar Children’s Arts Museum. The 10,000 sq. ft. facility allows children to try their hand at cartoon-making, acting and stop-motion animation. The museum also presents interactive exhibits helping children, along with adults, to be creative and understand the arts. 727-738-1892
- Area Hosts Birding Festival: The Florida Birding Festival Sept. 30 - Oct. 3 is the most popular urban bird watching festival in the nation. It features half- or full-day field trips, speeches from bird watching experts, seminars ranging from beginning bird watching to wildlife-friendly landscaping and an all-new Nature Expo. Popular species spotted include the Reddish Egret, the rarest heron in North America, and the Florida Scrub-Jay, the only bird species unique to Florida. 727-464-7200
- Devil Rays Offer Stadium Tours: The Tampa Bay Devil Rays have kicked off their second season in the Major Leagues by offering tours of their newly redesigned stadium, Tropicana Field. The tour includes a look at Tropicana Field’s unique features including: the Batter’s Eye Restaurant, Cuesta?Ray Cigar Bar, interactive kids area, clubhouse (one of the largest and best-equipped in baseball), owner’s suite, dugouts and field (with a chance to run the bases and get a “feel” for artificial turf). Tours are offered Monday-Friday on non-game days. The $200 million facility in St. Petersburg is the only ballpark with artificial turf and dirt basepaths, and the only domed stadium in Florida. 727-825-3250.
- Area Museum Highlights: The Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg spotlights modern and contemporary art with Alexander Archipenko's Les Formes Vivantes (living forms) through Aug. 22. The exhibit features 10 large-scale lithographs made at the end of the artist’s life exploring the diverse sculptural problems that Archipenko dealt with throughout his career. Great Explorations Hands On Museum has moved to the Pier in St. Petersburg featuring interactive exhibits for children. The museum recently added a Music, Music, Music exhibit featuring a laser harp and electromagnetic Music Machine. The St. Petersburg Museum of History shows off its underwear in a new exhibition featuring items from the permanent collection June - August. St. Petersburg Underneath examines the changing shape of undergarments from the 1880s to the 1920s. The Florida Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg features And I Still See Their Faces, a tapestry of some 7,000 photographs that piece together the lives of Polish Jews. The exhibit runs through Aug. 15.
- Museum of Art To Open; Botanical Gardens On The Way: The Gulf Coast Museum of Art opens this September in Largo. It will contain permanent and traveling collections as well as studios enabling visitors to work with artists in various media. A second phase doubling the size of the 22,000 sq. ft. facility will open in spring 2000 along with the opening of the Florida Botanical Gardens. The total 150-acre project called Pinewood Cultural Park will combine a cultural, historic and botanical experience at a single destination. The 18 distinct gardens will be Florida’s largest and will include a botanical learning center. The Museum and Gardens will be adjacent to Heritage Village, the area’s doorway to the past with 22 historic structures. All attractions will be free.727-582-2100
- Recreational Trail To Open: The “Old” Gandy Bridge spanning Tampa Bay north of St. Petersburg is undergoing a $7 million transformation into a recreational park called the Friendship TrailBridge. Debuting Dec. 11, the 13,770.5-foot (2.6-mile) trail will be the longest over-the-water recreation trail in the United States. The Friendship Trail will be an operational trail for all types of non-motorized activities including biking, walking, running, roller-blading and fishing. 813-289-4400
- BayWalk Complex To Open: Adding momentum to a revitalization of downtown St. Petersburg, the city has unveiled a $40-million project to build an entertainment complex called “BayWalk.” The complex will be surrounded by dozens of retail shops. A 150,000 sq. ft. open-air, Mediterranean Revival themed plaza in downtown St. Petersburg, BayWalk will be anchored by a 4,200-seat, 20-screen Muvico Theater complex featuring stadium seating in all theaters. Opening in fall 2000, BayWalk will feature Gap, Gap Kids, Brainfood, Johnny Rockets and other retail outlets. 727-384-6000.
ACCOMMODATION NEWS
The St. Petersburg/Clearwater area offers more than 30,000 rooms priced to fit any budget, and new Marriott Extended Stays, Candlewoods and Fairfields are on the way.
- The Best Western Sirata Beach Resort and Quality Inn Beachfront Resort have merged into one resort called the Sirata Beach Resort & Conference Center. The new property will include a new eight-story tower with 80 additional one-bedroom suites, a 10,000 sq. ft. conference center. Construction should be completed this summer. 727-367-2771
- The Westin Innisbrook Resort is getting $50 million in capital improvements over the next five years. A central village with guest registration, a lobby bar, new restaurant, specialty shops, a grocery/deli and golf shop are scheduled to open in 2000 along with a new health club and spa. 727-942-5221
- The Adam’s Mark Clearwater Beach Resort is preparing for a major renovation of all guest rooms to commence this fall. The multi-million dollar project will revitalize all 207 guest rooms and lobby. The project will be completed in Feb. 2000, meeting facilities and restaurants will remain open.
727-443-5714
- The Renaissance Vinoy Resort is adding an 11,340 sq. ft. Palm Court ballroom, expanding its health club and retail space and adding two scenic rooftop tennis courts. The ballroom can be divided into eight separate meeting rooms, features 5,000 sq. ft. of pre-function space and 22-foot ceilings. It is scheduled to open in January during the resort’s 75th anniversary year.
727-894-1000
- The TradeWinds Resort opens an 8,000 sq. ft. Island Atrium this summer. This slice of paradise under glass provides meeting attendees with a climate controlled pre-convene area featuring majestic 23-foot palm trees and a ceiling that soars to 31 feet at its peak. 727-562-1221
- The Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort launched a new children’s program called Fun Factory. Staff trained in the arts of “funology” and edu-tainment delight children ages 3-11 from the moment they arrive with Fun Factory check-in, Fun Packs and flexible Fun Factory itineraries. The property also is in the midst of a $5 million renovation. 727-461-3222
- The Safety Harbor Resort & Spa announced a $4 million renovation to maximize use of its famous mineral springs with new spa facilities. Native American Indians inhabiting the area thousands of years ago believed the springs had healing qualities, a legend that persists today. 727-726-1161
- The Belleview Biltmore Resort & Spa undertook a $5 million renewal and expansion last year to reinstate many original design elements. The resort reopened the Carriage Porch, a restored entrance from the days of horse and buggy. The Biltmore also recently opened an amphitheater with multi-level seating for 76. 727-442-6171
- The Hampton Inn Clearwater Central opened in 1998 with 158 rooms, a business center and 3,000 square feet of meeting space. 727-577-9200
- The 99-room Four Points Sheraton opened last year overlooking Lake Tarpon in the historic Tarpon Springs area. Features range from a putting green to marina service. Meeting rooms include the 800-sq. ft. Picasso Room, the 675-sq. ft. Dali as well as a board room and conference area. 727-942-0358
- The Sheraton Sand Key recently completed remodeling all 24,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and added Janus Electronic Information and Events signage in addition to completion of its $7.5 million, two-year re-investment program.
727-595-1611
- The 288-room Ramada Inn Gulfview Clearwater Beach recently completed a $6 million renovation. 727-447-6461
- The Sea Wake Resort expanded Lenora’s Restaurant adding canopy-covered outdoor seating overlooking Clearwater Pass. 727-442-6123
TRANSPORTATION NEWS
- The St. Petersburg/Clearwater International Airport is undergoing a $6.7 million expansion that will triple the size of its baggage claim to more than 25,000 feet. The airport, which serves more than one million passengers per year with commercial airline service to the United States and international destinations, plans for the expansion to be completed in 2000. 727-531-1451
- Tampa International Airport, voted the #1 airport by U.S. travelers in an independent study, recently broke ground for an International Plaza Shopping Center adjacent to the airport which will include a Lord & Taylor, Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus. 813-870-8700
- Southwest Airlines began daily nonstop service between Kansas City and Tampa on June 6 and is planning to increase its St. Louis – Tampa service from one to two daily flights. 214-792-4847.
- Delta Express recently added two new round-trip flights from Tampa to Newark, New Jersey. 800-325-5205
- MetroJet, US Airways’ new low-fare carrier, is adding two flights between Tampa and Raleigh-Durham starting August 6. 336-661-0061
- Eastwind Airlines recently began offering service to the St. Petersburg/Clearwater International Airport from Orlando, Philadelphia and Trenton, N.J. 1-888-327-8946.
- United Airlines recently added two daily nonstop flights from Tampa to Washington Dulles. United’s afternoon flight has been rescheduled for more convenient connection with flights to Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt, Milan, Munich and Paris. 800-241-6522
- America West Airline will begin daily nonstop service between Tampa and Phoenix on Aug. 1. The flights will feature a 150-seat Airbus A320 aircraft.
800-235-9292.
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