ST. PETERSBURG —
Downtown’s popular stretch of real estate along Beach Drive may have no vacancies left by the time renovations are complete this spring on a historic boutique hotel.
Getting into one of the hottest locations in a growing downtown was one reason Chuck and KathyPrather believe they got a good deal buying the old Grayl’s Hotel for about $1.8 million in 2011.
Crews have gutted the interior of the three-story building at 340 Beach Drive N.E., built in 1922, leaving only the original walls and its historic Spanish-style façade intact. The renamed Birchwood Inn will have two more stories with a ballroom, rooftop lounge, locally sourced restaurant and 18 guest rooms.