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Reg Clearwater

Plans to change Schiller rejected

n Dunedin leaders voteagainst letting a developer proceed with changing the historic structure into a hotel and resort.

By By ASHLEE CLARK
Published June 17, 2006

Times Staff Writer

DUNEDIN - For now, college classrooms won't become hotel suites at a historic site on Edgewater Drive.

After about three hours of discussion, the City Commission unanimously decided Thursday night not to enter into negotiations with a developer who wants to refashion the Schiller International University campus into a 250-unit condo-hotel.

Several issues - including the project's land use designation, the number of proposed rooms and neighborhood opposition - should be addressed before commissioners said they could approve further development discussions.

George Rahdert, the developer and an attorney in St. Petersburg, said Friday he will consider whether it makes business sense to create a smaller hotel before he decides whether to make another proposal.

"If it isn't economically feasible, then I'll have to look into other alternatives," said Rahdert, who represents the St. Petersburg Times on First Amendment issues.

Tearing down the building would not be an option, he said.

Acting City Manager Maureen Freaney said the city staff recommended against proceeding with the negotiations for a development agreement.

"We really feel that there is no way to preserve the sanctity'' of the building with the additions that Rahdert wants to make, she said.

Rahdert's plans for the property have included restoring the original building and adding two buildings in the front and a third in the back.

The upscale condo-hotel would also have a restored pier, spa, pool, theater, small restaurant and a two-story parking garage, said R. Nathan Hightower, Rahdert's attorney.

Rahdert bought the 6.4 acres of land for $8-million.

The building was originally a hotel called Fenway on the Bay in the 1920s. It was later turned into a college campus.

Rahdert said at the meeting that his project, which would include restoring the "biggest, finest, most significant historical structure" in Dunedin, would be good for the community. Rahdert has also started the process of getting the property placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Commissioner Julie Ward Bujalski asked Rahdert how flexible he was in making the project part of the community.

"Yes, I'm flexible, but it still has to make economic sense," he responded.

Ed Armstrong, an attorney representing a neighborhood group opposing the redevelopment, said a decision to begin development negotiations was implicitly giving permission to change the land use designation for the area from residential to commercial.

"The ramifications are very significant with this decision," he said.

The zoning and land use designation is residential in the area. The Schiller campus has a special use exemption.

Rahdert could apply to rezone the property, but he and the city have been discussing entering into a development agreement as a way to address a range of issues and give the city more control over certain aspects of the project, Mayor Bob Hackworth said.

Rahdert said a development agreement defines specific details of the project so the city can lock in its expectations.

Supporters of the project, who included the board of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce, said preserving and redeveloping the original hotel will spark tourism in Dunedin and reel in more money for the city.

Residents who oppose the project said the hotel doesn't belong in a residential area and will create traffic problems. Some of those residents held signs reading "No 250-Room Commercial Hotel & Parking Garage on Edgewater Drive."

Commissioner Julie Scales made the motion not to proceed with negotiations on a development agreement.

"I have difficulty in saying, 'Oh, we can make this work out,' " Scales said.

Commissioner Deborah Kynes said there needed to be negotiation regarding the intensity and density of the project.

"We do have significant room for a scaling down," Hightower responded.

Would it be feasible to reduce the project to 100 rooms? asked Hackworth.

No, Hightower said.

Hackworth said he didn't want to proceed with negotiations that may not be resolved because of reservations about some of the plans.

"I think you have the ability to come back with a completely different proposal," he told Rahdert.

Ashlee Clark can be reached at 445-4158 or aclark@sptimes.com.

[Last modified June 17, 2006, 02:50:00]