Rejected at Bal Harbour

[mileageman]

Rejected at Bal Harbour

Related Group of Florida President Jorge Perez and his designers will have to go back to the drawing board since the Bal Harbour Architectural Review Board on June 1 rejected his plans to convert the Sheraton Bal Harbour Beach Resort into a St. Regis condo-hotel chain.

“There [were] over 100 residents [at the meeting]. The place was overflowing and there wasn’t enough room for everybody,” Brian Mulheren, a Bal Harbour resident, told Murmurs. “The board and the residents all objected to the project, saying the design didn’t fit in with Bal Harbour – they look like ugly office buildings.”

According to Mulheren, Perez was intent on demolishing the Sheraton structure in May 2006 to develop his project on the site.

“The Bellini at 10225 Collins Ave. is the only building that blocks the sun on the ocean,” said Mulheren. “They can’t allow this to happen again.” He added that the Sheraton’s convention space was well used by area residents for wedding receptions, bar mitzvahs, galas and dinners. The proposed Related development would have a 250-room hotel with no convention space.

http://www.miamisunpost.com/murmur.htm

[Dale]

Ugly office buildings ? Right, and Bal Harbour currently resembles the Champs Elysees.

[archifreese]

wow this is a whole other level of provinciality. i mean preventing buildings from casting shadows on the ocean as a priority? i guess those fish just love 2 tan! :jk:

and the Sheraton project already looks like a crappy office tower, anything other than that building is a good thing.

no offense but this is why i hate bal harbour, most of the gables and grove, and im losing my love for my sobe neighborhood 2; people are too retentive of things that aren't really that valuable or significant, ive said it before but a lot of people in miami are clinging to things/values that are merely fabrications of their ideal new urbanist suburban fantasy laden with lush mediterranean history.

I mean its a crappy sheraton at a prominent bend in Collins, go big go bold and try establishing a new identity, sometimes its more fun than clinging to the old one, look at downtown/edgewater/brickell they are looking forward not back! sorry for the rant ... :cheers:

[MAH45462]

This project should never have even gotten past the early approval stages. Destroying one of Miami's largest hotels for a small boutique hotel and more condos is not nessecary. The Sheraton is no beauty, but it is one of the most important hotels in Miami.

[archifreese]

The Sheraton is no beauty, but it is one of the most important hotels in Miami.

Really? isnt this the second sheraton (brickell is the other) that is planning on closing/leaving this year? I don't think of the Sheraton Bal Harbour when I think of 'important'/prominent hotels in Miami - but maybe thats just me...

[logybogy]

You should.

Whenever there is a super bowl or major college bowl game, the sheraton bal harbour was almost always used as one of the hotels for the team and media.

Also, presidents and presidential candidates have routinely stayed in this hotel in the past when they were campaigning in Florida or visiting Miami.

[Roark]

sorry for the rant ... :cheers:
Rant on bruddah...I hear you.

[Roark]

You should. Whenever there is a super bowl or major college bowl game, the sheraton bal harbour was almost always used as one of the hotels for the team and media.
Also, presidents and presidential candidates have routinely stayed in this hotel in the past when they were campaigning in Florida or visiting Miami.
Well Mr. logy...there is one interesting bit of history that I'd like to lay on you Cliff Clavin style (hatter, there used to be a tv show called "Cheers" and one of the characters was a US Postman that used to throw out random trivial facts that got to the point of annoying).

True, Presidents and Presidential Canidates have rountinely stayed at the Sheraton Bal Harbour, and most recently, a US Senator from New York. You may also be interested to know that the Sheraton Bal Harbour is one of the only hotels whose workers are unionized in all of Miami-Dade County.
You may also note, that those Presidents, Presidential Candidates, and the Senator from New York were and are all Democrats.

Just throwing that out a few facts...correlation probably does not equal causation, do you think?

And as much as I loved Morris Lapidus' conversation when he was alive, and admire his work and spirit today, that hotel has nothing on the Eden Rock, Fountainbleau, or any of a miriad of hotels in Miami...the SBH doesn't make the top ten.

[mileageman]

Posted on Sun, Aug. 28, 2005

BAL HARBOUR

Developers book workshops on the St. Regis condo-hotel

Residents of Bal Harbour have been invited to a workshop where plans for the St. Regis condo-hotel, to be located where the Sheraton now stands, will be presented.

BY AMANDA HOFFMANN

ahoffmann@herald.com

Developers who met local opposition for a proposed condo-hotel to be located where the Sheraton Bal Harbour now stands will host workshops for Bal Harbour residents this week to discuss their plans.

Bal Harbour residents have been invited to attend any of three workshops to be held 10:30 a.m., 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Sheraton Bal Harbour, 9701 Collins Ave.

Starwood Real Estate Group and the Related Group of Florida are hosting the workshops to present and explain revisions to the proposed St. Regis project.

Starwood Hotels and Resorts, which owns the Sheraton, announced plans in March to tear down the nearly five-decade-old building to develop the property with the Related Group.

The initial design for a 350-unit high-rise condo and a 250-room condo-hotel on the 8.8-acre site met with criticism from the village's Architectural Review Board and prompted some residents to form a coalition to oppose the plans, which they said was too large.

In July, the Bal Harbour Village Council agreed to bar the village's Architectural Review Board from considering any plans for the Sheraton until at least September, in order to give residents time to review and discuss the plans.

The revised project now proposes 302 condominium units and 282 hotel rooms.

Dina Cellini, vice president of the Bal Harbour Citizens Coalition, said the group is still evaluating the plans.

''We are going to sit down with the experts we have hired,'' Cellin said, ``We are keeping an open mind.

``But I can tell you, to me it looks very large.''

Bal Harbour residents can attend the workshop and see renderings of the proposed project at 10:30 a.m. and 2 and 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Sheraton Bal Harbour.

The 6:30 presentation will be followed by a cocktail reception with Jorge Perez, chairman and CEO of The Related Group of Florida; Ted Darnall, president of Starwood Real Estate Group; and James Sabatier, senior vice president of Starwood Corporate Investments and Development.

Bal Harbour residents should receive an invitation by mail.

RSVPs to 305-534-0008 are required by Monday.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/states/florida/counties/miami-dade/cities_neighborhoods/beaches/12481289.htm

[rider_of_rohan]

[QUOTE=Roark]Well Mr. logy...there is one interesting bit of history that I'd like to lay on you Cliff Clavin style (hatter, there used to be a tv show called "Cheers" and one of the characters was a US Postman that used to throw out random trivial facts that got to the point of annoying).

Roark that was nothing like Cliff. For one you actually knew what you were talking about, and you also didnt drone on endlessly.
BTW I actually like the hotel and the union is a good thing for people in the hotel business, more power to them.

[mileageman]

Related Group Presents Plans for 300-Foot Tower in Bal Harbour

By Omar Sommereyns
Staff Writer


Related Group of Florida President Jorge Perez was relishing the positive response to the new design of his proposed St. Regis Resort & Residences, following a detailed presentation at the Sheraton Bal Harbour Beach Resort, 9701 Collins Ave., last Wednesday evening.

As cocktails and elegant amuse-bouches were being offered to skeptical residents and locals, Perez was overheard telling George Giebel, vice president and managing director of the condominium division at Related, “We have a lot of people that want to help us, so make sure you get their names so we can bring them to the city meeting.”

Perez is intent on demolishing the 50-year-old Sheraton in 2006 to replace it with a triad of almost 300-foot-high structures – a new luxury hotel resort and condominium targeted to the “affluent consumer with discriminating taste” (according to an info sheet provided by Related).

On June 1, the project hit a snag when the Bal Harbour Architectural Review Board rejected the original design and residents were up in arms about the proposed Sheraton demolition.

“There [were] over 100 residents [at the meeting]. The place was overflowing and there wasn’t enough room for everybody,” Brian Mulheren, a Bal Harbour resident, told the SunPost back in June. “The board and the residents all objected to the project, saying the design didn’t fit in with Bal Harbour – they look like ugly office buildings.”

Critics also worried the new complex, like the Bellini at 10225 Collins Ave., might block the sun on the ocean. Other residents were concerned the project would not have a multipurpose convention space. (Many use the space at the Sheraton for various events, including wedding receptions, bar mitzvahs, galas and dinners.)

At the August 31 meeting, however, attendees – while inspecting informative banners with titles such as “Legendary Living” and “Distinguished Service” – seemed pleased with the new design.

“I think it’s great,” said Bal Harbour resident Maria Umana, between bites of tenderized lamb. “All our properties will increase in value and the quality of the building design will contribute to the high-class nature of the neighborhood.”

The St. Regis project is a joint effort between Related and Sheraton’s current owners, Starwood Hotels Worldwide. Sieger Suarez Architectural Partnership drafted the new design. According to a comparative analysis provided by Related, the St. Regis complex would have a much smaller footprint than the present Sheraton (57,380 square feet as opposed to the current 154,361, or a 60 percent decrease) and more room for open spaces. Tax revenue would increase from $1.8 million to $3.5 million (about a 90 percent increase) and the street setback would be pushed to about 100-235 feet compared to the present 35-100 feet, according to Related.

“The original design was done before Related got involved,” Giebel said after the presentation. “We then came in and the comments were, ‘This is not Florida; these look like office buildings; they belong in Chicago or New York…The feedback was very negative. So Starwood agreed to redesign the project. We hired a local architectural firm that knows the South Florida style. Now there are many more balconies and it’s got a much more airy feel.”

In the new Sieger Suarez design, one central structure extends perpendicularly to the ocean, while two others stand parallel to the water. The overall complex will include several pools, public gardens, elaborate landscaping, sculptures and fountains, a spa, and a world-class restaurant.

The Related document also claims the number of hotel rooms of the new tower will decrease by 60 percent: The current Sheraton has 659, while the St. Regis will have 302 condos and 282 hotel units. As such, representatives of Related promise a 30 percent decrease in daily traffic volume.

Also, Related wants to develop the property with oceanfront zoning, instead of as a “Planned Development” (PD), which would include certain guarantees, such as beach enhancements on the strip adjacent to the property.

Still, meeting space in the St. Regis will drop by 80 percent.

Another major complaint from neighboring residents was a bothersome noise emitted by the Sheraton’s central AC system. “People at the Balmoral [9801 Collins Ave.] couldn’t open their windows without hearing that AC system,” Umana said. But Charles Sieger, the architect from Sieger Suarez, assured residents no such noise will be heard from the St. Regis. When residents mentioned their worries about other noise issues and outdoor entertainment, he added, “The profile [of St. Regis visitors] is generally not the rowdy type, but more the corporate exec type.”

As for the buildings casting shadows on the beach, Sieger confirmed his firm had conducted shadow studies, but admitted, “Like any large building, it’s going to throw a shadow – and sometimes a shadow is good, especially when it’s 90 degrees out.”

Sieger also tried to appease the audience by stressing that traffic flow will diminish, quipping, “I think a person that can afford a 400,000-square-foot unit here isn’t going to work every morning.”

After the meeting, developer Jorge Perez was all smiles while greeting locals. Before heading out he told the SunPost, “I thought the feedback was very positive. We pushed the buildings back and the overall design looks much more tropical.”

As stated in the St. Regis document, the projected groundbreaking and opening dates are June 2006 and January 2009, respectively. Meantime, the new design will need to be approved by the Bal Harbour Architectural Review Board in October.

http://www.miamisunpost.com/thirdstoryfrontpage.htm

[mileageman]

Posted on Sun, Nov. 13, 2005

BAL HARBOUR
Board denies developers' high-rise plan
A key Bal Harbour board has once again denied plans for the St. Regis condo/hotel planned for the site currently occupied by the Sheraton Bal Harbour.
BY AMANDA HOFFMANN
herald Writer

Developers who want to build a condominium at the site of the Sheraton Bal Harbour experienced another setback last week, and a citizen's group opposed to the project has started circulating a petition that would enact tougher restrictions on height and density variances.

At Wednesday's meeting of the village's Architectural Review Board, members declined to issue a Preliminary Certificate of Appropriateness for the proposed St. Regis Condominium/Hotel project on the Sheraton Bal Harbour site at 9701 Collins Ave.

Instead, the Board granted a continuance so the developers would have time to address issues including setback, height and clarification of the proposed parking scheme relative to unit count, hotel use and tandem parking, along with other concerns outlined in village Building Official Daniel B. Nieda's 10-page report on the project.

Revised plans presented by the Related Group of Florida to residents in September called for 297-foot towers set in a T-shape. Those plans differed from an original U-shaped design, which would have blocked ocean views from neighboring condominiums the Bal Moral and Majestic. The original plans were previously denied by the Architectural Review Board.

The developers must now go back to the drawing board and present revised plans at the next Architectural Review Board meeting, scheduled for Dec. 7 in Village Hall Council Chambers.

Meanwhile, the Bal Harbour Citizen's Coalition has begun a petition to amend the village charter to bar developers of properties within Bal Harbour Village from exceeding the maximum allowable floor areas, densities, or building heights set out in the Bal Harbour Comprehensive Plan or Municipal Code, ''whichever provisions are most restrictive.'' Variances could only be allowed if the majority of voters approved.

Dina Cellini of the Bal Harbour Citizens Coalition, which opposes the St. Regis project, said the petition is a way for the residents to monitor growth in the community.

Cellini said her biggest concern with the current St. Regis proposal is the street setback in one section is 25 feet, which she feels is not far enough for a building nearly 300 feet in height.

''The minimums are not acceptable,'' Cellini said, ``We would like to see a greater setback and the height come down a little bit.''

The coalition's concerns about the project are, in part, mirrored by Nieda, the village building official, who in a report dated Oct. 18, wrote: ''The project as proposed requires numerous revisions that are too extensive to allow the issuance of a Preliminary Certificate of Appropriateness at this time.'' Nieda's recommendation to grant a continuance was accepted by the Board.

Specifically Nieda's report recommended, ``the architect needs to reduce proposed building heights -- and should consider alternating the proposed building heights, as this is useful in mitigating the large building volumes generated by three 24, 26 and 27 story towers.''

''The coalition isn't anti-progress or change,'' Cellini said, ``We just don't approve of how the project is currently proposed.''

[dave8721]

Related was able to get the towers through this time. Three towers, 322 feet tall.

http://www.miamisunpost.com/forthstoryfrontpage.htm

Bal Harbour Board OK’s
Plans for Three High-Rises
Architectural Review Board Approves Plans for Three 322-Foot Towers

Resident Brian Mulheren said the town planner counted the Bal Harbour Beach Club as public parkland in his calculations.

By Tiffany Rainey

In Wednesday’s meeting of the Bal Harbour Architectural Review Board, members once again found themselves before a host of familiar faces and concerns in their efforts to draft a set of comments for village building officials that will allow developers to move forward with plans to replace the 50-year-old Sheraton with three new 322-foot towers.

Plans for the condo/hotel complex, consisting of 511 units, 1,024 parking spaces and extensive landscaping, have finally passed the board and will be presented before the Bal Harbour Village Council on December 20 for final zoning approval.

Despite concessions made on the part of Related Group and St. Regis/Starwood, including shrinking the number of units and increasing setbacks, many of the issues presented were the same as those raised when the plan was announced last spring.

Residents, many of whom have been attending meetings and workshops for months, again showed their numbers by filling the small council room, addressing their concerns to board members and distributing flyers outside of Village Hall.

“We carefully thought about everything commented on by the board and the public [in past meetings] and did the best we can,” said Charles Sieger of Sieger Suarez Architectural Partnership, the project’s architects. “[Our alterations] cleaned up everything in general.”

Among recurrent concerns were the loss of public park land, the absence of a wind study to determine the safety of the complex and surrounding buildings, destruction to adjacent condo buildings with the Sheraton’s demolition and overall objections to the towering height of the three buildings comprising the complex.

By law, Bal Harbour is required to have recreational land in proportion to the number of its residents. The increase in population the condo portion of the project creates would result in an additional 1.4 acres of land needed to comply, according to village officials. One Bal Harbour, a similar complex by WCI Communities already underway, satisfied this requirement by paying an additional fee.

“I couldn’t see the benefit of adding [more] land,” said Village Planner Mike Miller. “My recommendation is that the village consider taking some money in lieu of the land to address the supposed deficit.”

Some residents, including those representing the Bal Harbour Citizens Coalition, do not agree.

“Some people feel there may not be enough money to make up for that,” said resident Dina Cellini. “And I’m one of them. We said that when One Bal Harbour was being developed it would set a negative precedent. It has.”

Resident Brian Mulheren said the town planner counted the Bal Harbour Beach Club as public parkland in his calculations. “It’s a place that is not even open to me and I’m a resident,” he said.

The next issue, a wind study, which would examine the towers’ inclination to cause a funnel effect in high winds such as those experienced during Hurricane Wilma, has not yet been addressed by village officials because it falls under a different planning process, according to Building Official Dan Nieda. This issue, he said, will be addressed when dealing with building codes, not the current topic of zoning.

Possible damage to the Majestic and Balmoral condo buildings, located just north and south of the Sheraton, during the old hotel’s demolition was the subject of flyers sponsored by CleanCondos.org. The single-page leaflets called for a hold on action until safety was guaranteed and mentioned previous problems Related Group caused during construction of the Murano in Miami Beach and Ocean Three in Sunny Isles.

When addressed during the board meeting, Nieda assured residents that efforts were being made to prohibit any destruction to units in the adjacent buildings.

“We still have ongoing discussions with residents north and south [of the development],” said Nieda, “We’re still drafting agreements with the condo associations.”

As for the height of the proposed towers, developers have drawn up three alternate designs for the towers in hopes that residents will accept a growing skyline if it is at least nice to look at.

“Instead of something funky dancing on the roof,” said Sieger, “we want to hold this [complex] to the understated plane that exists thanks to [the board and residents].”

Proposals include variations in the configuration of glass, beams and the center slab. Each option was displayed in scale model to the board. The final choice will fall to further negotiation between the partners and village officials.

Though many residents left the meeting disgruntled, some were just happy to be moving forward. One resident pointed out at the meeting that if it wasn’t St. Regis and Related redeveloping the Sheraton, another company would, and that project might not include a hotel that would generate $1.7 million in tax revenue.

Another resident praised Related Group for its flexibility in working with the public through workshops and for its responsiveness to issues raised previously.

“Related Group,” said resident Ree Kelly, “should be awarded medals for sitting through this nonsense of the residents of Bal Harbour and making efforts to comply.”

[MIAballinboi]

finally good news, we finally win one