MARCH 2001: City Council approves 250-room resort along S Gulfview Boulevard. The project, led by local attorney Bill Kimpton, is supposed to be a Marriott and rise by fall 2003.
APRIL 2001: Beach hotelier Tony Markopoulos, who has his own Clearwater Beach resort plans, sues to stop Kimpton's project from moving forward.
JUNE 2001: City adopts Beach by Design, a sweeping redevelopment guide that among other things, earmarks 600 bonus hotel rooms to encourage future resort growth. It allocates its first rooms to Kimpton's proposed Marriott.
OCTOBER 2001: City Council rejects Markopoulos' 465-room resort proposal for Clearwater Beach, saying the plan was flawed.
DECEMBER 2001: Lawsuits are settled, but Kimpton says the economic downturn will delay the project.
AUGUST 2002: City allows Kimpton to build a 155-space parking lot on the resort site until financing can come through.
DECECMBER 2002: One property owner refuses to abide by a contract to sell land to Kimpton. Kimpton sues.
JUNE 2003: Markopoulos unveils retooled resort proposal. The new plan is leaner and addresses some concerns of city planners.
APRIL 2004: St. Petersburg developer Mike Cheezem announces his plan to replace the landmark Clearwater Beach Hotel with a $140-million luxury resort.
JUNE 2004: Kimpton wins lawsuit, clearing way for resort development. Parking lot plans are scrubbed.
AUGUST 2004: Kimpton agrees to sell to Tampa developer Brian Taub, who now says Hyatt will manage the resort. Markopoulos wins site plan approval for his project from the Community Development Board, despite recommendation from city planners that the project is too big.
SEPTEMBER 2004: Markopoulos sells to Tampa philanthropist Kiran C. Patel for $40-million, one of the largest real estate transactions in Pinellas County history. Patel says he will attract a well-known chain, but otherwise likes Markopoulos' plan. Cheezem submits plans to the city for his project.
OCTOBER 2004: City Council agrees to amend Beach by Design to include Cheezem's project, now called the Sandpearl Resort on Clearwater Beach.
