April 12–ST. LUCIE COUNTY — A Las Vegas billionaire’s plan to build a 400-bed condo-hotel at the site of the old Radisson Hotel on North Hutchinson Island is moving forward.
At 6 p.m. Thursday, the St. Lucie County Planning and Zoning Commission will have a workshop to discuss creating a zoning category for the proposed condo-hotel at State Road A1A and Shorewinds Drive.
Phil Ruffin, the owner of Treasure Island Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, wants to build a 400-bed condo-hotel with a spa, two restaurants, conference and meeting space for groups of up to 750 people and a venue to hold weddings with up to 300 people.
County Planning and Development staff recommends creating a resort zoning district to allow the project to be built.
“A resort zoning district would provide a framework for tourist resort uses in the county while ensuring citizens and developers of the general outcome of development upon rezoning,” according to a memo from county planning staff.
County officials have said a new zoning district is needed because the county’s current land-use development code doesn’t have a zoning category to allow hotels to sell rooms. Also, the property would need to be rezoned from its current zoning designation of residential to something that would allow the project to go forward.
“The new ordinance will be designed to create a zoning category that recognizes the unique development characteristics of a large resort project, financed in part by offering some of the resort units for sale to individuals, who would then have the right to use their unit for a specified period of time each year,” according to a memo from county planning staff.
While the proposed hotel will be the first project to use the new zoning district, any future developments in the county also would be allowed to use the category.
In December, Ruffin spent $6 million for the 11.78-acre property at 2600 N. State Road A1A, where Singer Island developer George Heaton had wanted to build a condo-hotel. However, Heaton’s plans fell through and he is no longer involved with the project.
Ruffin is retaining the size and condo-hotel model of Heaton’s plan.
IF YOU GO
What: St. Lucie County Planning and Zoning Commission workshop on creating a new zoning district for a proposed 400-bed condo-hotel on North Hutchinson Island.
When: 6 p.m. Thursday
Where: Third floor commission chamber of the County Administration building, 2300 Virginia Ave., Fort Pierce
