Sirata Beach Resort plans massive expansion with two new hotels on St. Pete Beach

After the city approves the conditional use, which effectively grants the developer the entitlements for the expansion, each new building will need to be permitted separately.

“We are not asking for any waivers or variances in the land development code,” said Yung. “Everything being proposed is allowed as of right.”

The project could be an uphill battle, however, as St. Pete Beach’s newly elected mayor, Adrian Petrila, has expressed opposition to further hotel development and expansion projects.

“My No. 1 priority is to curb overdevelopment with the cooperation of the commission,” Petrila said in an interview with Tampa Bay Newspapers.

However, at a City Commission meeting on March 30th, many commissioners did not share the same sentiment and disagreed with a potential moratorium on new hotel construction.

“I’m cautious about a moratorium, because there are all kinds of legal implications and property rights implications,” said Commissioner Friszolowski during the meeting.

The Sirata is not the only St. Pete Beach resort looking to expand. Tradewinds Island Resorts, located just north of the Sirata at 5500 Gulf Boulevard, announced an ambitious expansion project last year, which would bring an additional 650 hotel rooms, 33,000 square feet of conference space, 18,000 square feet of retail, and more.