November 10, 1998
Vinoy Proceeds with Conference Center Plans
After a delay of about one year due to an ownership change, the Renaissance Vinoy Resort is moving ahead with its plans for a new conference center.
The center, to be named the "Palm Court Ballroom," will be built off 7th Avenue NE, and will include a 12,000 square foot conference room, plus some 5,000 square feet of "pre-function" working space and a large commercial kitchen.
St. Petersburg voters in March, 1997, by an overwhelming majority approved the use of the land for a permanent conference center to replace the "temporary" tent that has been in use for several years.
Voter approval was needed because the land had been designated for recreational use only.
According to John D. Williams, the new general manager of the Vinoy, construction should begin before this coming Christmas and be finished in early December, 1999.
Mr. Williams and Douglas Kulig, president of OBM Miami Inc., the architect for the project, explained their plans to the NSNA Board of Directors in November.
The project was originally scheduled for completion for this Christmas season. However, before construction began the hotel was sold and the new owners had to be convinced that the project was a good idea.
The resort is now owned by CTF Development of Hong Kong. The Mariott Hotel chain owns 20 percent of the resort and is the manager.
During the construction period, the tent will be moved to the Beach Drive side of the property, where a croquet court is now located.
The Vinoy requires some temporary zoning variances to place the tent on that site. The NSNA Board of Directors voted unanimously to support the plan.
Mr. Williams said that when construction of the conference center is complete, the tent will be removed and the croquet court will be converted to a formal garden. The croquet court has not gotten sufficient use, he said.
A parking garage with room for 86 cars will be included in the project. The entrance will be off 7th Avenue NE, but will be largely shielded from view by landscaping. Some tennis courts will be lost during construction, but will be rebuilt atop the garage.
Mr. Williams said the total cost of the project will be about $9.5 million.
The new conference center will be able to seat about 900 people for dinner, he said, allowing the Vinoy to book larger conventions than it can now.