A new look, years in the making, will be coming to Madeira Beach.
Big plans call for a new high-rise, condo, hotel and retail property called the Beachmaker.
It's what's being referred to as Phase 4 of the Madeira Beach Town Center Project and is the vision of local developer, real estate broker and resident, Jeff Beggins.
"You have four million tourists a year, and there's no real luxury accommodations, and for about a 30-minute ride in any direction, there's really no competition. So we went to the Marriott Autograph Collection, and we're building one of the most beautiful resorts that have hit this whole Florida coastline in a long time. And then you look at Madeira Beach, and it's an interesting town, because you have about 4,000 residents. Blend that with 4 million tourists, so you have a really interesting anomaly. But somehow, this community really blends. It's why I live here, raise my kids here, and work here, so I really love it," he said.
The Beachmaker will be part of the Marriott Autograph Collection, the first corporate hotel on the island.
"To me, a resort is where you come and you don't really leave. We've got a couple pools—two pools—six different restaurants. There's wedding venues, all kinds of things. It's a destination experience. You just come right here, connected to the beach across the street. So it's got that all-encompassing resort feel that we don't have really anywhere. St. Pete has a couple, Clearwater Beach has a couple, the Vinoy Downtown St Pete has something. But in the middle, we have that void that we're filling with the Beachmaker," he explains.
The resort will feature 161 hotel rooms, along with approximately 10 condos, offering luxury accommodations.
"It's an interesting time. So now you're seeing a town in transition right as everything progresses, no matter what, but it's making that transition from the beach town to more of a resorty beach town, and with that comes a little bit more luxury, a little bit more better shops and bars and restaurants and feels and opportunities and experiences for the different visitors. So we're just seeing that evolution, " said Beggins.
Beggins said permits have been filed, and they're working with the city. They hope to break ground sometime this year, and it will be complete in 2026.
