10 Longboat Key projects to watch in 2024
While Longboat Key had its fair share of achievements in 2023, it’s time to look ahead.
Last year, the Town Commission, staff and residents started the momentum on several projects that are heading toward notable progress in 2024.
There were also some notable issues, such as St. Regis Longboat Key parking, undergrounding project delays and Hurricane Idalia, which flooded areas of the island.
Be sure to stay up to date with the Longboat Observer as these stories progress over the next year:
6. St. Regis Longboat Key
Don’t worry, there won’t be a parking garage on site when the St. Regis Longboat Key opens in summer 2024.
The parking saga concluded over the summer, after plans for a parking garage were met with community and commission opposition.
Finally, the commission and developer Unicorp National Developments, Inc. struck a deal in October that expands surface parking. This includes expanding a 33-space lot to a 93-space lot, and adding 12 more spaces to the entrance driveway.
These changes also produce a loss of 3,202 square feet of impervious surface.
The 62 mechanical lift spaces that were previously proposed were also removed.
All in all, the new plans have a net gain of one parking space from the original 2021 plans.
At the end of last year, Unicorp President Chuck Whittall announced he had chosen a general manager for the St. Regis Longboat Key: Winfred Van Workum.
Van Workum has his fair share of experience with high-end resorts, previously serving as the general manager for the St. Regis Bal Harbour, the St. Regis Washington, D.C., and the Ritz-Carlton New York.
In October, Van Workum was already thinking about staffing strategies and how to market the St. Regis Longboat Key to be on track for a Forbes Five-Star Rating.
“We’re really positioning the hotel as a destination where I think we’re really going to market this to some of the top travel agents in the world,” Van Workum said.
Some of the most interesting features Van Workum talked about in a profile with The Observer were a saltwater lagoon with tropical fish and stingrays, and two resident Galapagos tortoises.
The food and beverage options will appeal to both guests and Longboat Key residents. An upscale restaurant featuring steaks and seafood, as well as a more “approachable” Italian restaurant are planned.
A second-floor bar will be perfectly positioned to watch sunsets, and a tiki bar by the beach will pay homage to The Colony’s Monkey Room Bar.
According to previous updates from Unicorp, the St. Regis Longboat Key is scheduled to wrap up construction this spring, with a grand opening expected in the summer.