Developers plan a 4-story hotel with rooftop pool on Bradenton Beach, Anna Maria Island
A 103-room, four-story hotel with a rooftop swimming pool could be coming to Bradenton Beach.
Shawn Kaleta, a rental property heavyweight on Anna Maria Island, and Jacob Spooner, a Bradenton Beach businessman and city commissioner, submitted the proposal in December.
The hotel would be on the southeast corner of the roundabout at Gulf Drive South and Bridge Street, across the street from Island Time Bar and Grill and the BridgeWalk hotel.
The 206,987-square-foot hotel would have parking for 126 vehicles, including four golf carts.
While Anna Maria Island has many rental properties, hotels are a relative rarity there.
One of the most recent to open was Waterline Marina Resort & Beach Club, 5325 Marina Drive, Holmes Beach, in 2017. It was developed on former restaurant property with 37 suites, a restaurant and marina.
The Bridge Street hotel proposal cobbles together multiple properties totaling 1.37 acres at 219 Gulf Drive South, 101, 105 and 117 Bridge Street and 106, 108, 110 and 112 Third Street S.
Joe’s Eats and Sweets previously occupied a now vacant property at 219 Gulf Drive S. The property at 101 Bridge Street is a vacant house; 105 Bridge Street is a motel; and 117 Bridge Street is the Bridge Street Bazaar building.
The property at 106 Third St. S. is a duplex, while 108 Third Street is the parking lot behind Bridge Street Bazaar, 110 Third Street is a retail shop and 112 Third Street is zoned for commercial-related amenities, according to the Manatee County Property Appraiser’s website.
The application to build the hotel is still early in the process and would have to pass muster before the Bradenton Beach City Commission.
Mayor John Chappie declined comment Tuesday due to his role in future quasi-judicial proceedings regarding approvals for the hotel project.
Because of his status as a city commissioner and his interest in the project, Spooner would not be able to cast a vote on the hotel proposal.
Although Kaleta is closely identified with development on Anna Maria Island, he has shown interest in downtown Bradenton as well.
In September, the Bradenton Herald reported that Kaleta was among those offering to buy Bradenton City Hall.
Kaleta offered to pay $1 million more than what any other bidder would spend for the property at 101 Old Main Street.
Kaleta said that his company, 941 Prime Development, would build a 1 million-square-foot mixed-use development with office space, a hotel, condos, a grocery and restaurants.
Bradenton officials have not committed to selling city hall property to anyone but have expressed interest in building a new city hall along 14th Street West to assist in the revitalization of that area.
