The land was accessible only by a frail, wooden toll bridge owned by Mr. McAdoo, who 'operated it on a whim'. Instead of relying on the bridge, Rowe uses small barges to transport building materials. Well-known architect from Indianapolis, Henry Dupont, accepts the commission and moves his firm down to St. Petersburg. Carlton Beard is hired as the head contractor, charged with taking Rowe's vision of a 'great hotel like Waikiki Beach's Royal Hawaiian' and turning it into a reality.
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Rowe chooses the name "Don Ce-Sar" for his hotel as a nod to the main character in the English opera Maritana, Don Caesar de Bazan.