MADEIRA BEACH â In a close 3-to-2 vote, the city commission approved Planned Development (PD) zoning for the expansion of the beachfront Schooner Hotel on Gulf Boulevard at 146th Avenue. The vote, on first reading, took place after a two-hour hearing in which city staff, the property developer and owners, and interested citizens spoke at the April 14 commission meeting.
The new hotel, which replaces an aging hotel at the site, had first been proposed as a Planned Development in early 2019. At that time, it was touted by the architect John Bodziak as âa standout, landmark hotel along the lines of the Vinoy and Don Cesar.â The plan was for a five-story, 40-unit hotel with beachfront restaurant/bar, and a two-story building across the street with 16 hotel suites and retail space. A footbridge over Gulf Boulevard would connect the two properties.