Belle epoch: A new era begins for an iconic property

JMC Communities, a St. Petersburg-based developer, has lifted the veil on its highly anticipated, $13 million revival of the Belleview Biltmore Hotel, now known as the Belleview Inn, in Belleair.

Built by Henry Plant, the property’s roots extend back to 1897, and its heyday saw legends such as Babe Ruth, Henry Ford, Thomas Edison and even Bob Dylan come for a stay. But as decades passed, the hotel — the first to be built on Florida’s west coast — fell on hard times and was eventually shuttered in 2009.