ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. — After rounds of delays, the St. Pete Beach City Commission may reach a final decision on the Sirata Beach Resort’s proposed redevelopment project.

A special meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Wednesday at the commission’s chambers on Corey Avenue. Residents are invited to speak during the public comment portion of the meeting.

The hotel’s management company, Columbia Sussex, first filed formal plans to expand its 13-acre beachfront property last summer.

The proposal outlines plans to add a 10-story J.W. Marriott hotel on the north side of the property and an eight-story Hampton Inn on the south end.

Plans also include redeveloping the existing Sirata Hotel, demolishing one of the existing six-story buildings, renovating the pool and adding a rooftop bar and restaurant.

When public hearings, presentations from the applicant and workshops first began, the St. Pete City Commission was made up of four different commissioners than the ones that hold the seats as of early 2024.

Commissioners in each of the city’s four districts decided to step down after the new financial disclosure requirements kicked in late last year. Four new city commissioners were appointed to fill those spots until the next city election. The city’s mayor, Adrian Petrila, was the only commission member to keep his seat.

The change in city leadership caused a series of delays in regards to voting on the Sirata proposal.

The advocacy group “Protect St. Pete Beach” sued the city over the new commission appointments, stating that the commissioners shouldn’t get to decide key issues, given that they were not elected.

Mark Grill vacated the District 2 seat in December and says during his time as a commissioner, he heard from residents who had strong feelings about the proposal.

“I received a lot of feedback about this of varying levels,” Grill said. “From some saying ‘no development at all’ to some saying ‘I love the project’ and then almost everything in between.”

A December 2023 meeting ran well into the night with hours of public comment. Commissioners decided to continue the meeting to a future date, but then the change in leadership took place. Grill says for many residents, it’s been a nerving topic because of the varying opinions on what the future of St. Pete Beach should look like.

“How big is big enough? How much tourism can the state support and what should our towns look like?” Grill asked. “There’s a few other commercial properties that are looking to redevelop and I’m sure that they’re watching this.”

Over the last few months, residents have shared concerns about the strain on the town’s resources and adding more traffic to the already congested Gulf Boulevard.

Richard Livingston has lived in St. Pete Beach for the last 20 years and believes a decision as important as this should be left up to the voters.

“I don’t have any concerns of them not trying to do the right thing,” he said. “But you’re also dealing with a very complex issue and if is as important as it seems to be, then shouldn’t residents have the chance to vote on it in a referendum?”

While scheduled, there’s no guarantee the St. Pete City Commission will vote on the Sirata Beach Resort’s proposal on Wednesday night.