Blockade Under New Ownership

As a kid, Keith Beatty used to hear stories about the blockade runner resort from his father. "My dad used to travel down here on business a lot. And he'd come home, in the early and mid sixties, and tell me about staying at the Blockade Runner," says Beatty, who is now co-owner of the Blockade Runner. And now, along with Intracoastal Realty Founder Jim Wallace, Beatty will help convert the rooms of the Blockade Runner into condominiums. "We're going to redo all the rooms with new furniture, all the hallways, completely redo the fitness center, redo the lobby and entrance way coming in. We feel like that will bring the hotel to a new level," says Beatty. The idea of turning hotel rooms into condos is not new. But it's becoming more and more popular. It allows people to buy beach-front property without having to fork over big bucks. "It gives a way for people, who maybe can't afford to buy a million-dollar ocean-front place, to have a place at the beach that they can come to and use, and at the same time, if they choose to, put it on a rental program," says Beatty. At the same time, temporary vacationers will still be able to rent rooms at the hotel. The new owners are currently marketing the rooms. But have not yet set prices. The first phase of construction begins within the next few months, and is expected to last until April 2008.