SRIA OKs Palace hotel concept
BY LISA NEWELL Gulf Breeze News lisa@gulfbreezenews.com

The concept for the new hotel on the site of the former Palace Retail Shop.

At the April board meeting, members of the Santa Rosa Island Authority gave the go ahead to A&CH Properties for a 20-story hotel with restaurant and retail space and two stories of parking on the site of the former Palace retail shop.

"It fits all the criteria that we spend eight months doing," said John Peacock of the plan. "I couldn't endorse staff's recommendation (to approve the plan) any more."

Each hotel room will have 612-640 square feet.

"This is a true hotel room," Matt Mooneyham, SRIA staffer, told the board.

Currently, the project doesn't have a hotel chain flag associated with it.

In other business, board members discussed the best avenue for solving the tax burden being placed on commercial leases. Dr. Campanella, SRIA chairman, offered to meet with the chairman of the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners to determine the best way to solve the problem.

"We cannot let them continue to hang. We need to force this issue soon," Peacock said.

Vernon Prather, SRIA member lays the problem at Escambia County Property Appraiser Chris Jones' feet.

"The county commissioners haven't taken ownership. They didn't create it, another constitutional officer did," Prather said.

Additionally, the board discussed issuing a nationwide request for proposals for developing the land where the Santa Rosa Island Authority office sits, on the condition the proposal includes a parking garage and new accommodations for the SRIA. Dave Hemphill showed a proposal that included a hotel on the site.