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Reprinted from Watermark,
January 6-19, 2000
Parliament Progress
Orlando is abuzz over changes
to the city's most high-profile gay property - and they've just begun.
By Ken Kundis
ORLANDO -
After a series of false starts and failed promises over the past five years, it
seems that the promised refurb of the storied Parliament House is moving forward
at lightening pace.
According to Donald Granatstein,
who heads up Parliament Partners, the organization that has purchased the
25-year-old gay resort, the speed of the improvements has surprised even him.
"We put a deadline of
December 31 on the changes to the exterior, the courtyard and the entertainment
complex, but even I didn’t think we would make that deadline. Much to my
astonishment, we have, and everything looks beautiful. It doesn’t look like
the same place," Granatstein said. "People have been coming from all
over and just can’t believe it. They have been very thankful for the changes
we’ve made here. It’s been gratifying."
Granatstein credits his wife,
Susan Unger, for the efficient and marked changes. "Susan does everything.
She’s the decorator, manager, and contractor. She’s done an amazing
job," he said.
The most noteworthy visible
difference is the glass brick wall that sits at the front of the new courtyard,
where pool and room side parking used to be.
The result behind the wall is a
lush, tropical courtyard with a new state-of-the-art stage, lights and sound
system. Changes to the lakeside area have also been completed with a new beach
area, lounge chairs, gazebo and swing.
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| An
artist's rendering of The Gardens - a planned timeshare resort next
to the Parliament House |
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The remodeling was finished just
in time to host Blow Out ‘99, the PH’s New Year’s Eve mega-fete. Rumors
circulated for weeks that the fabulous Miss P would make her New Year’s
entrance by helicopter, and she didn’t disappoint. Wearing a sequined green
pants suit — "very Peter Pan" — P was lowered from the helicopter
over Rock Lake, then "flew" to the Parliament House courtyard where
she was lowered to the ground as an estimated crowd of 1200 cheered.
"It was the most exciting
thing I’ve ever done
in my life," she told Watermark. "Everyone said
that you couldn’t even see my makeup for the huge smile on my face. It was
actually terror, and then glee."
The helicopter whipped up a heavy
wind over the newly relandscaped Parliament House, sending dirt and mulch flying
everywhere, and creating a huge New Year’s hair disaster. But when the dust
cleared, P had changed into a stunning yellow gown and was serenading the
adoring throng with "If You Believe"
from The Wiz.
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| Miss P
(back center) and the colorful cast of entertainers at the
Parliament House |
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P said the entire spectacle
occurred without a hitch, and right on time. "We practiced five or six
times at the Sanford Airport. I had it cold."
Saturday night recording artist
Kim English, who sings the dance anthem "Unspeakable Joy", performed
for large crowds in the new Le Club.
All of this activity has pushed
renovation of the sleeping rooms back until early 2000. According to Granatstein,
the reason is a common one when remodeling an old property.
"We would tear down walls
and find that the plumbing and wiring were substandard, so that is why it is
taking longer. But when they are finished the rooms will be beautiful," he
said.
Parliament Partners plans on
modernizing the rooms, with card key entry, tiled floors and in-room safes.
Despite this, the room rates will increase only marginally, from $52 to $59 per
night.
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| Workers
hurry to finish landscaping prior to the Parliament House's
"Blow Out '99" New Year's Eve bash |
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Granatstein also points to
non-physical changes at the PH that have improved the atmosphere.
When interviewed by Watermark several months ago,
Granatstein said that
alfresco cruising— known locally as "Balcony Bingo"— would no
longer be allowed in the hallways of the motor lodge.
Security was stationed
strategically throughout the complex, and those on the balconies were required
to have a room key or to be accompanied by a paying guest.
However, recent reports have
indicated that the balcony cruising that has so identified the PH for the last
decade persists. Granatstein said that it was never the intention of the
Parliament Partners to "cramp peoples’ style."
"The cruising is part of the
scene, and we wouldn’t want to eliminate that. We simply wanted to get the
hustlers out of the property, and we’ve successfully done that. Once we saw
that those people weren’t coming any more, we relaxed the guards and the
balcony cruising. There is a long list of people who are permanently banned from
the premises. We don’t like that, but it was necessary in this case,"
Granatstein said. The result has been a less dangerous atmosphere.
"We haven’t had a single
criminal incident there since we started our renovations. And it is my belief
that people will see our beautiful courtyard and pool area and lakeside area and
come down off the balconies and talk to one another, instead of just looking at
one another," Granatstein said.
Also moving along more quickly
than expected are the plans to convert the Carolina Moon trailer park into a
timeshare community, called The Gardens. Granatstein reports that more than 50
percent of the trailers have been bought out, which is ahead of schedule.
Because of zoning limitations by the city, a retail strip planned for the area
now occupied by the Carolina Moon Motel is now being grouped together with the
development of the Gardens.
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| Parliament
Partners' Don Granatstein: "Eventually, I believe that it will
all be one glorious resort." |
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"We hope to break ground on
The Gardens in June, but certainly by October," Granatstein
said. October is the date given to all residents of the trailer park as the date
by which they must be out. While many have been receptive to selling their
trailers (Parliament Partners owns the land itself), others have been
predictably resistant.
"Naturally, not everyone is
embracing the concept, but we have been working with them and offering them
between $500 and $3000 per structure, which we feel is very fair. I believe that
we will come to an agreement with everyone," he said.
It has been quite a bit more
difficult to come to an agreement with the owners of the land and building which
hold the Full Moon Saloon. Helen Bean, who owns the land and structure, is
asking far above market value for the land, according to Granatstein.
"I do think that eventually
it will happen," Granatstein said. "I’m a natural optimist. But it
will take some time. Eventually, I believe that it will all be one glorious
resort and a real service to the (Orlando gay) community. That is our
vision," he said.
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