What Changes Are in Store for the Fenway Hotel?

The Fenway Hotel has been used for a variety of purposes throughout its nearly 90-year history, including for the first radio broadcast in Pinellas County and as the U.S. headquarters for Schiller International University.

The 1925 building has been vacant since 2006, when Schiller moved its American campus to Largo, and the future of the picturesque property on Edgewater Drive has been in limbo ever since.

St. Petersburg developer and attorney George Rahdert bought the property in 2006, which fueled speculation that the building could either be razed to build a housing development or be restored and used as a lodging centerpiece for the downtown district.

Reports in the St. Petersburg Times and elsewhere last year circulated that the bank was going to foreclose on the property due to failure to repay loans.

Today there is no firm plan for the future of the Fenway, according to one city official. 

"Nothing is solid and ready to go forward right now," said Bob Ironsmith, Dunedin's director of economic development. "George kept the property in good condition ... but it needs a lot of work inside and out."

Ironsmith is adamant that the city would love to see the Fenway restored to its past glory, but he knows that it will take a big commitment, and a lot of help for anyone willing to tackle such a project.

"It is a historic property, and the city would love to see it restored and used as a hotel that could serve the downtown area," Ironsmith said. "But it's tough to get financing in this economy.

"Is it a challenge? Yes. But we're optimistic for the future of the Fenway."

Attempts to contact George Rahdert for this article were unsuccessful.