10-04-2025
Treasure Island's Thunderbird resort to be rebuilt after hurricane damage
One of Tampa Bay's landmark beach hotels will be demolished and redeveloped because of what the owners said was "catastrophic damage" caused by last year's back-to-back hurricanes.
Why it matters: The Thunderbird Beach Resort and its iconic vintage sign have welcomed travelers to Treasure Island since the 1950s.
State of play: Initial plans filed with the city and the Southwest Florida Water Management District indicate the owners plan to build a four-story U-shaped building with 106 hotel rooms anchored by a courtyard with a pool, St. Pete Rising reported.
That's the same number of rooms the resort had pre-hurricanes.
None will be on the ground level. Instead, that floor will be home to a 126-space parking lot and a lobby with offices.
The resort will hang onto its 310-foot beachfront, per St. Pete Rising.
What they're saying: More than 80% of the resort sustained damage from the storms, owners Avi and Gilad Ovaknin announced Thursday on Facebook.
"After extensive evaluations and much deliberation, we were left with no choice but to move forward with a full redevelopment of the hotel," they wrote.
"Like many of you, we are heartbroken by the loss. But we are also incredibly optimistic and energized by what's to come.
The good news: The rebuilt resort will keep the name and neon sign that has made the hotel such a storied location, the owners said.
Fun fact: The resort almost wasn't called the Thunderbird, according to "Hotels, Motels and Inns of Florida" by Kristen Hare.
