Treasure Island's Thunderbird resort to be rebuilt after hurricane damage
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The Thunderbird Beach Resort in Treasure Island. Photo: Courtesy of Kristen Hare
One of Tampa Bay's landmark beach hotels will be demolished and redeveloped because of what the owners said was "catastrophic damage" caused by last year's back-to-back hurricanes.
Why it matters: The Thunderbird Beach Resort and its iconic vintage sign have welcomed travelers to Treasure Island since the 1950s.
State of play: Initial plans filed with the city and the Southwest Florida Water Management District indicate the owners plan to build a four-story U-shaped building with 106 hotel rooms anchored by a courtyard with a pool, St. Pete Rising reported.
- That's the same number of rooms the resort had pre-hurricanes.
- None will be on the ground level. Instead, that floor will be home to a 126-space parking lot and a lobby with offices.
- The resort will hang onto its 310-foot beachfront, per St. Pete Rising.
What they're saying: More than 80% of the resort sustained damage from the storms, owners Avi and Gilad Ovaknin announced Thursday on Facebook.
- "After extensive evaluations and much deliberation, we were left with no choice but to move forward with a full redevelopment of the hotel," they wrote.
- "Like many of you, we are heartbroken by the loss. But we are also incredibly optimistic and energized by what's to come.
The good news: The rebuilt resort will keep the name and neon sign that has made the hotel such a storied location, the owners said.
Fun fact: The resort almost wasn't called the Thunderbird, according to "Hotels, Motels and Inns of Florida" by Kristen Hare.
- Around when construction began in 1957, the owners of a Miami Beach motel of the same name sued builders Thomas and Hazel King.
- A judge sided with the Kings, and Treasure Island's version of the Thunderbird was born.