Renovations to the hotel, 309 10th St. W., are expected to be completed by the end of November in time for the second annual Bradenton Blues Festival. When it opens, about 50,000 guests are expected to stay at the hotel annually, offering a $2.5 million economic impact to Bradenton. The hotel now has an official name, too: Hampton Inn and Suites Bradenton Downtown Historic District.
A Syracuse, N.Y.-based company, Widewaters Group, is in the midst of transforming the aging building into an elegant hotel. Folks are clamoring to have their event booked at the hotel and have contacted Widewaters Hotel Management Co., for possible dates before a sales manager was even in place, said Brian Long, director of development for plastic card.
"Some people have contacted the hotel management company and started a dialogue about events they wanted to book there," Long said, adding that spring training dates were of interest for at least one group. "Sometime in the summer we will have a sales manager on staff and that person will be working on events and group bookings."
Widewaters received more than $1 million in incentives and $1.5 million in tax rebates from the city for the renovation of the historic hotel, and broke ground in January. Construction is at the halfway point, revealing a new look for the building as workers turn their attention to interior improvements for the next several months.
"We've seen the emphasis the city and county placed on the renovation of downtown," Long said. "One of the main reasons we're involved in this is we believe they had a vision to be successful in that and we wanted to be a part of it."
Widewaters is in the midst of getting the building on the National Register of Historic Places and is adhering to strict National Parks Service standards for the $15 million rehabilitation. That's why folks are seeing white with turquoise tiles on the building instead of the pink, which wasn't original but came in the last 40 years. Inside, the hotel's lobby, ballroom and exterior walls will be returned to their 1920s charm as well.
"A lot of the legwork started three years ago when we first got into the project," Long said. "We had an historic architect that researched the hotel and researched a lot of pictures for the interior and exterior," Long said.
Working with both the State Historic Preservation Office and the Parks Service, Widewaters received certification that the property was historic, are working within guidelines for what needs to remain and what needs to be restored, and when finished, the entities will verify that Widewaters implemented the plan in order to receive certification, Long said.
"One of the most unique amenities is that the entire first floor is being restored to its historic time period -- the lobby and the vaulted great room in the rear of the building," he said. "That is something people have expressed interest in for banquets and wedding receptions."
The area is short on hotel rooms, and this will add to the inventory for the already-busy season of events planned, including rowing events along the Riverwalk. The hotel will offer people a place to stay after a day seeing spring training at McKechnie Field, or a play in the Manatee Performing Arts Center or shopping in the Village of the Arts.
Having another downtown hotel in place with amenities nearby has led to talks with major developers from Chicago, new York and Miami about other downtown projects and restaurants, said David Gustafson, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority.
ATF Special Agent Franceska Perot said CSB was not mentioned in Thursday’s briefing “because we were listing law enforcement agencies.” The ATF spokeswoman added: “The beginning portion of this investigation is strictly to rule out law enforcement issues. So it has to be conducted like a criminal scene.”
The ATF and State Fire Marshal’s Office didn’t provide any further details on what leads they may still be pursuing. Nor did they rule out the possibility that former West paramedic Bryce Reed, charged this month on suspicion of possessing pipe bomb-making materials, was involved in the explosion.
Because the criminal investigation took priority, entry to the blast site was tightly controlled. CSB investigators were not allowed in during the final week of the investigation. “It’s been a little tricky to exercise” right of access to the plant property, CSB managing director Daniel Horowitz acknowledged. “We’ve had only limited and intermittent access since the accident.”
CSB investigators have spent their time interviewing West Fertilizer Co. employees, first responders and customers of the plant. They’ve also been inspecting damage to surrounding neighborhoods — the explosion launched debris as far as 2.5 miles — and testing chemical samples. Officials anticipate several more weeks of field work, followed by months of more analyses and public hearings.
A 2011 initiative by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration excluded plants that distributed or sold ammonium nitrate from a list of targeted inspections. OSHA, which last inspected West Fertilizer in 1985, focused instead on manufacturers.
And none of the Texas agencies that had a role in regulating plants like West Fertilizer required liability insurance to cover damage caused by a fire or explosion. Yet other types of businesses — like children’s bounce-house operators and exterminators — are required by state law to carry some form of coverage.
The explosion in West caused an estimated $100 million in damage, but the plant carried only a $1 million liability insurance policy. Several lawsuits against the company have already been filed.
In a statement released after Thursday’s press conference, the CSB said it would examine “the effectiveness of regulatory coverage” by OSHA, the EPA and the state of Texas. The agency said it would study land use planning and zoning practices for “high-hazard facilities” that allowed vulnerable population centers like schools and residential areas near such plants. It would also review the emergency response to the fire, as well as preparedness planning in West, compared to good practices elsewhere.
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