125 years ago, Henry Plant built the Belleview Biltmore Hotel in Belleair, FL, located just south of Clearwater on the state’s west coast. Chances are, Mr. Plant would never believe that someday someone would pick up and move his magnificent 5-story hotel, but that is precisely what happened. Working with engineers from Pennoni Associates Inc., the structural engineer of record (SEOR), Wolfe House & Building Movers rotated the original section of the old hotel 50 degrees. Then, they moved it about 350 feet as part of a significant redevelopment project. According to Wolfe, the structure weighed 1,750 tons, making it one of the heaviest framed buildings ever moved. The old hotel was then renovated into the Belleview Inn and is now the center point of a $125 million development that consists of four 8-story condominium buildings and 2-story carriage homes developed by JMC Communities of St. Petersburg, FL.

A Challenging Wind and Flood Design

Opal Sands Resort is a new 17-story plus, 380,000-square-foot premier hotel located directly on the Gulf of Mexico in Clearwater Beach, Florida. The recipient of the 2016 ENR Southeast Regional Best Project Award, the Opal Sands Resort was born from the vision of the owner/developer, Ocean Properties, LTD (OPL). The owner desired a new flagship hotel to add to their portfolio of international resort hotels. …