BELLEVIEW BILTMORE RESORT - CURRENT STATUS
The Belleview Biltmore stands empty
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The Belleview Biltmore Resort has been closed exactly one year now (as of June 1st), and the renovation has yet to begin. Richard Heisenbottle, architect of record for the Belleview Biltmore renovation, admits the project is far behind schedule. Despite the delay, he and Martin Smith, spokesperson for the owners, Latitude Management Real Estate Investors (LMREI), are adamant that everyone involved is committed to renovating the Resort as planned.
Because the delays in the renovation schedule were due to unresolved litigation and a downturn in the economy, Commissioners for the Town of Belleair recently granted one year building permit extensions, including previously approved building code variances, for both the Belleview Biltmore Hotel and Belleview Biltmore Golf Club.
Mr. Smith also attended the April meeting of the Planning and Zoning (P&Z) Board and informed Board members that LMREI lost most of its financial backers when the economy tanked while the owners were still battling two law suits related to the renovation plans. With those legal issues now behind them, LMREI has to secure new investors in a much more difficult financial climate.
Mr. Smith told the P&Z Board, “It’s like starting from square one.” The entire project must be re-bid in a climate that is quite different that it was a few years ago. Although some construction costs have actually gone down, the re-bidding process itself is costly and time consuming.
Still, Mr. Smith said serious potential investors are being given extensive tours of the property and LMREI is optimistic that it will be able to get the project back on course. He assured Board members the owners have no intention of letting the property deteriorate while waiting for the renovation to get underway, which is why full-time maintenance engineers and security personnel are on site to protect the structure.
There are 6-7 layers of roofing
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When members of the P&Z Board questioned whether the roof leaks have been stopped, Mr. Smith said, “The roof leaks in all the same places it has been leaking for years.” He said that every time they fixed a leak; a new leak developed five feet away. And because construction codes require the roof to be completely removed and replaced with roofing that meets today’s hurricane resistant standards, it is pointless to spend a lot of money continuing to try to fix the existing leaks. Maintenance engineers know where the leaks are and have developed ways to capture the rainwater and channel it back outside until the roof can be replaced.
The P&Z Board requested that Fred Howes, Building and Zoning Official for the Town of Belleair, begin making regular inspections of the property to make sure the owners truly do have the leaks under control and the structure isn’t suffering too much damage from the roof leaks.
Mr. Hawes told the P&Z Board that he agreed with the owner’s contention that the roof leaks can’t be fixed at this juncture. He said that each time the roof was re-surfaced over the last several decades, roofers simply roofed over the previous layers. Normally, all old roofing materials are removed before new roofing materials are laid down. Mr. Howes said the fact that standard procedures were not followed is actually proving to be helpful in protecting the Resort because most of the roof is currently covered with 6-7 layers of roofing materials.
Openings must be boarded up
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Mr. Hawes will also inspect the various structures on the property, to make sure all windows remain closed and any broken glass or other types of openings are covered over with plywood. This should help keep wild animals from wreaking havoc inside the buildings while they stand empty.
I wonder if they’ll have to nail the mysterious window on the 5th floor of the hotel closed? After all, many people report the window has been opening and closing itself on a regular basis for decades! 
FRENCH LICK HOPES
French Lick/West Baden Resort
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No, this newsletter hasn’t become a risqué publication. I just recently attended a writer’s workshop at the French Lick/West Baden (FL/WB) Resort in Indiana. I was unfamiliar with the location, so was thrilled to discover its similarities to the Belleview Biltmore Resort; especially since the FL/WB Resort is thriving, post an extensive renovation. Although there are, of course, many differences between the historic buildings, the comparisons between these two properties are striking.
The French Lick Hotel section of the FL/WB Resort was totally rebuilt in 1901, following a devastating fire. Like the Belleview Biltmore, which was built in 1897, the new hotel was built to entertain the wealthy and was only open for a portion of the calendar year. Where the Belleview Biltmore was open January-May, the FL/WB was open May-October. The Belleview Biltmore drew patrons with the lure of warm winter weather, exotic plants and wildlife and water activities, while the FL/WB drew guests to the rejuvenating waters of its sulfur spring, which was believed to cure all sorts of ailments and promote good health.
Like the Belleview Biltmore, the hotel suffered during WWII and was commandeered by the military. The Belleview Biltmore accommodated troops of the Army Air Corps, while the FL/WB was used as a hospital.
Photos of hotel-pre-renovation
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As did the Belleview Biltmore, the FL/WB fell into disrepair over the years. The FL/WB was temporarily used as a rectory for Jesuit priests and then as a university, but it was too large to serve successfully in either of these capacities for too long. The FL/WB was closed and thoughts were given to tearing all the buildings on the property down. Like the Belleview Biltmore, the town rallied around its historic property to prevent such short-sighted destruction.
By the time the FL/WB was purchased in 1999, few possessed the vision to see that the resort still had a long and splendid life ahead. Fortunately, fate combined those with vision with those who could provide funding (Bloomington’s Cook Group and Lauth Property Group created a joint venture, Blue Sky, who invested nearly $400 Million in the preservation and restoration of the property.) These investors successfully restored the FL/WB Resort to its current, magnificent stature, sure to be enjoyed for generations to come.
Lobby w/gold leaf & frescos
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The owners of the FL/WB Resort now turn a handsome profit and the surrounding town benefits from tax revenue, jobs, and the pride that their crown jewel provides an awe-inspiring peek into the past for all to enjoy. After visiting the French Lick/West Baden Resort, even my often skeptical husband was impressed with the potential for the Belleview Biltmore. After all, if people flock to French Lick, Indiana for conferences and vacations, won’t they also flock to bask in the regal ambiance of a fully-renovated Belleview Biltmore Resort?
THE HEART OF PINE IS THE BONES OF THE BELLEVIEW BILTMORE
Heart Tree symbolizes Heart of Pine Building
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Bones are known to become brittle with age, but not so when the bones were constructed of Heart of Pine, as was the case when the Belleview Biltmore Resort was built.
When Long Leaf and Loblolly Pine trees mature (40-500 years of age) the inner core of such trees is often referred to as the “Heart of Pine” or “Heart Pine”. Heart of Pine is extremely dense, which makes it insect and rot resistant, and it wears like iron. Additionally, these trees grow straight and tall, which makes them ideal for cutting into the long boards, necessary for building. Over time, Heart of Pine boards petrify, making them almost impervious to weathering elements.
This is why those who understand the construction of the Belleview Biltmore Resort aren’t overly concerned about her standing unoccupied for a time. When the renovation begins, the external outer shell (aluminum siding) will be removed, exposing the beautiful Heart of Pine walls. There is little doubt they will still be in good shape. In fact, it’s likely that contractors involved in the renovation will have use tools meant to work with concrete or steel.
Nowadays, it is difficult to find true Heart of Pine because trees are harvested before they fully mature. Therefore, any Heart of Pine boards removed from the structure during the renovation will probably be restored, refinished and used elsewhere in the hotel.
SPRING IS FOR THE BIRDS; ESPECIALLY IN A BIRD SANCTUARY
L: Monk Parakeets and spotted Starlings R: Great Egret
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One of my favorite aspects of Belleair is one that is often overlooked by residents and visitors. Over a century ago, the Town of Belleair was declared a Bird Sanctuary. Here, birding habitats are protected and even though the long-standing ordinance is often disregarded, outdoor cats are still required by law, to wear bells affixed to their collars.
The Town boasts an enviable variety of birds throughout the year. For instance, as I write this, I’m looking out the window into my backyard, where several bird feeders are hung. Ringed Turtle Doves, Blue Jays, spotted Starlings, Red-Winged Black Birds, Grackles, Cowbirds, Tufted Titmice, Cardinals, Mourning Doves, Ravens and a Red-Bellied Woodpecker are flying in and out of my line of sight. A Great Egret is resting on the birdbath and a Snowy Egret is hunting for lizards and bugs in one of my flowerbeds. A cowbird, unconvinced the window is only a reflection and not a competing male, has been tapping his beak against the glass to demonstrate his masculinity most of the morning. Earlier, a small flock of Black-Hooded Parakeets visited and I know Monk Parakeets and Pileated Woodpeckers are likely to show up at any moment.
L to R: Indigo Bunting Monk Parakeets & Rosetta Spoonbill
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Sometimes our yard is the scene of the more vicious side of birding, as Red-Shouldered Hawks hunt for Rock Doves (pigeons); a victory for the hawk filling my heart with a mixture of awe and sadness. Other times, it is a place for unusual bird sightings, like wild Budgerigar Parakeets, an Osprey, Pheasant, Indigo Bunting and most recently, a Red-Breasted Grosbeak.
If I were to walk down to the lake (retention pond), outfall and Intracoastal Waterway behind the Belleview Biltmore, I know I would be treated to the sight of Laughing Gulls, Rosetta Spoonbills, diving Cormorants, Great and Little Blue Herons, Wood Storks, Snipes, Ibis and Brown Pelicans, just to name a few.
We reside in birding paradise and I can hardly wait for the Belleview Biltmore to reopen, so we can once again share our treasures with the rest of the world.
L to R: Ibis at the Belleview Biltmore, Rose Breasted Grosbeak, Black Hood & Monk Parakeets, Blue Jay, Red Breasted Woodpeckers, & a Rosetta Spoonbill
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BELLEVIEW BILTMORE HAS NEW GUESTS
How appropriate that an osprey decided to build a nest on the Belleview Biltmore property this year. The huge nest is located just inside the entryway, high atop a dead pine tree!
New Osprey Nest at Biltmore
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For those not familiar with the sea hawk, an average osprey has a wing span of six feet and fishes for a living. Since their entire diet consists of fish, the coastal brackish water and the Intracoastal Waterway provide an ideal habitat. Ospreys begin mating when they are 5-7 years old and mate for life, spending 5 months together each year to raise their young. They usually lay 2-4 eggs, which take about 5 weeks to hatch. Newly hatched chicks weigh only 2 ounces, but they grow into fledglings within 8-10 weeks. Fledglings are as large as their parents, but all of their feathers are fringed with white.
As long as the nesting site remains viable, a mating pair of Ospreys will usually rebuild their nest at the same location year after year. The typical lifespan of an Osprey is 25-30 years, but often when they stop using their nest, another pair of Ospreys will ‘move in and renovate’, sometimes using a nest for as many as 70 years in a row. Hopefully the owners of the Belleview Biltmore will leave the dead tree in place or build a new nesting platform, so spring visitors to the Resort will be able to share in the magical site of nesting Ospreys for decades to come.
L: First flights; Fledgling in forground w/Adult; R: Fledgling peeks over side of nest
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THE SEABIRD SANCTUARY PREPARES FOR OIL-SOAKED BIRDS
In line with the anonymous quote, “Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst”, the Seabird Sanctuary is preparing to treat water birds that come into contact with the BP Oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. I’m an optimist by nature and am hoping experts will be able to cap off and contain the huge oil spill before it reaches our beautiful coastline, but as each day passes, the likelihood that we will escape completely unaffected grows less likely.
Birds are negatively affected by oil spills in several ways. Not only is their habitat destroyed and food source poisoned, but when feathers are caked with oil, birds become too heavy to fly. And when they try to preen themselves, they ingest oil, often poisoning them.
The Seabird Sanctuary can use your help. They are looking for volunteers and, if you live locally, they are collecting sheets, kennels, terry towels, paper towels, bottled water, Dawn dish washing detergent, rubber gloves, Pepto Bismol and gasoline gift cards. Please drop off your items and/or send a cash donation to: 18328 Gulf Blvd., Indian Shores, 33785 http://www.seabirdsanctuary.com
SAFETY HARBOR LIBRARY EVENT
"Where Do You Live, Exactly?"
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If you live or are visiting my area, please try to attend the Author Open House event at Safety Harbor Library on Saturday, June 5th, from 11:30 am to 4:30 pm (101 2nd St.; Safety Harbor, FL.) Over thirty local authors (including me), representing several genres will be on hand to discuss their books and will have supplies on hand for sale. I will have copies of my children’s book, “Where Do You Live, Exactly?” on hand and will also discuss the status of my paranormal romance novels. I am scheduled to give a 20 minute presentation on both subjects in the Storytime Room at 1:00. The library is not prepared to handle cash, so if you think you might like to buy books at the event, please plan to bring cash/checks.
If you aren’t able to attend, but are still interested in purchasing a copy of “Where Do You Live, Exactly?” (A fun, fill-in-the-blank personalized and educational activity book for kids ages 4-9 yrs.), it is available at www.Amazon.com. Unfortunately, my book is 8.25” x 10.5”; which is larger than the maximum accepted by bookstores (shelf height issue.) But if you don’t like ordering from Amazon, your local bookstore should be happy to order you a copy or two… or three!
PEARLS; SPIRITS OF THE BELLEVIEW BILTMORE
Working Cover Mock-up for "Pearls"
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Exciting news, here. I am finally finishing the re-write of my manuscript, “Pearls”, so will be submitting to a literary agent this month for representation. I also met a small-press publisher at “Turquoise Morning Press” who has asked to read the manuscript, so if things don’t pan out with the agent, I will probably take that route to publishing. Stay tuned for updates!
