Ft. Lauderdale Development News [Archive]

smiley

January 30th, 2004, 06:07 PM

Stiles plans 14-story office building near Las Olas Riverfront

By Karen-Janine Cohen
Business Writer
Posted January 30 2004

Email story
Print story

Downtown Fort Lauderdale will likely be getting more office space to go with its expanded residential offerings. Stiles Corp. said Thursday it plans to build 200 Brickell, a 14-story mixed-use development, along Brickell Avenue and close to the Las Olas Riverfront development.

Stiles said the 136,637 square-foot complex will have "Old Chicago," style brick architecture with six levels of office space, along with ground-level retail shops and six levels of parking.

Those who want space in the building will have the option to either lease or buy it, according to Nancy Brusher, Stiles spokeswoman who said that low interest rates have convinced many firms to purchase rather than rent space.

"I think it is becoming a viable concept," she said. The company does not yet have a firm estimate on the project's cost, she said.

Under the plan, the building at 218 Brickell will be torn down to make way for the new development. Construction is scheduled to begin this summer pending city approval and should be completed by the summer of 2005. The building has been in the planning stages for about nine months, Brusher said.

Stiles is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale and says it has developed more than 25 million square feet of office, retail, industrial space, and multi-family towers in the Southeastern United States. Those include many projects in Fort Lauderdale.

The project indicates the area's positive economic prospects, said Chris Wren, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority, a non-governmental group appointed by the city commission, supported by commercial taxes and charged with helping to direct downtown development.

"I think it's good for the city," he said. "It's going to help revitalize the shops and retail in that section of downtown by Las Olas Riverfront."

That Stiles is pursing the development illustrates that there is a demand for more office space, he said, adding that the project could also help the Las Olas Riverfront complex.

It's the second recent announcement of more downtown development. Last week, city commissioners cleared the way for local developer Michael Swerdlow to seek to replace movie theaters at Las Olas Riverfront with a high-rise of luxury condos.

The condominium at Riverfront complex would spell the end for Sunrise Cinema theaters -- leaving downtown without one. That part of Riverfront, in the complex's northwest corner, is structurally separate and would be demolished and replaced with the condominium, according to preliminary plans filed with the city.

Staff Writer Brittany Wallman contributed to this report. Karen-Janine Cohen can be reached at kjcohen@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4668.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/local/sfl-zstiles30jan30,0,126723.story?coll=sfla-business-headlines

jrw21

January 30th, 2004, 06:31 PM

That's great news. Two more new towers. And it looks like the location of Swerdlow's condo proposal would kind of help fill in the gap in that area of the skyline. That and also if the planned Jackson Tower Riverwalk (in Lakelander's rendering) gets built it would definitely fill in the area between the Autonation Bldg. and the rest of the skyline.

Jasonhouse

January 30th, 2004, 08:33 PM

I don't understand why they are replacing the movie theaters with a condo tower? Like WTF? I've been to that theater a couple times, and it was decent. I don't see what's so bad that it has to be replaced.

One would think that the developer would rebuild it, with the theater below, and the condos above. I guess that parking for both would be too much of an issue, so the theater must go! :?

SkyDiveJunkee

February 29th, 2004, 06:08 AM

anyone with new updates or pics?

SkyDiveJunkee

March 5th, 2004, 08:58 PM

This is La Rive, its not downtown, but close. On the Intercoastal somewhere. Ready for occupancy in June 2004. Its already 100% leased. Looks awesome.
http://www.andyweiser.com/newcon/la_rive.jpg

I gotta get down there one of these days.

ScraperDude

March 17th, 2004, 06:06 PM

Well I have been a member of this site for sometime now.
I've enjoyed tons of threads. I currently live in Ft. Lauderdale and I plan to get off my ass and hit the street and get some updated pics of some of the towers U/C as well as recently finished.
I work downtown as well so I have a chance to see some of these getting built daily.

New Jack City

April 3rd, 2004, 07:05 PM

Miami Herald

Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Developer Keeps Faith in Downtown Condominium Tower

Thu, Apr. 01, 2004

By Patrick Danner, The Miami Herald Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Apr. 1 - Back when downtown Fort Lauderdale's only major riverfront abode was the Broward County Jail, developer Philip Long envisioned building a 45-story condo tower along the New River.

Twelve years later, Long continues to chase his dream of erecting Las Olas Tower. In the meantime, one residential project has been built and five are under construction along the river.

Las Olas Tower has gotten considerably shorter with time, in an effort to win city approval. It was scaled back to 32 stories, then chopped to 23 stories, before being trimmed to its current 20 stories. That's more than half the size of what will be downtown's tallest building, the 42-story Las Olas Riverhouse, a condo project now under construction.

Whether the latest version of Las Olas Tower appeases the city has yet to be determined, but it clearly doesn't satisfy the land owner that agreed to sell Long's Las Olas Tower Co. the nearly one-acre site in 1992.

The Las Olas Riverside Hotel Co. in February terminated Las Olas Tower Co.'s right to purchase the property next to the landmark hotel. Riverside Chairman James Ulmer objected to the project's reduced height and the increased width in a February letter terminating the agreement. The purchase price on the land was set at nearly $8.3 million.

Las Olas Tower Co. responded last week by suing Riverside in Broward Circuit Court, alleging breach of contract. "We have an enforceable purchase agreement," Long said. Ulmer declined to comment.

The dispute is just the latest cloud over the one-time skyscraper project. On March 12, Aventura developer Turnberry Associates sued to recover a $200,000 deposit it paid Las Olas Tower Co. for the rights to buy the land. That deal collapsed in September.

Long remains steadfast that the project eventually will see the light of day. He said he has teamed up with another developer he declined to name.

"Am I going to build it? You bet I am," he said.

The litigation with Riverside has put a halt to court-ordered mediation with the city over the height of Las Olas Tower, however.

The mediation stems from a 1995 lawsuit that Las Olas Tower filed after the city denied the original 45-story project because of its height.

"Until they get the litigation over with, we're not going to go forward in the mediation," said Fort Lauderdale City Attorney Harry Stewart.

Nevertheless, Long said there is a "framework for a settlement" with the city that allows for a 20-story project.

"No one is happy with the compromise," Long conceded. "We'd like more stories. They'd like less."

Las Olas Tower Co. is one of three development companies that have been mired in legal disputes with the city over projects proposed in the downtown area south of Broward Boulevard. The others are South Riverwalk Investments and Coolidge-South Markets Equities, which is affiliated with Miami's The Related Group of Florida.

The disputes led the city to place a freeze on all of the 763 residential units that were allocated to the area south of Broward Boulevard when the cap on the number of units permitted to be built in downtown was increased by almost 3,000 in November. The city wants to ensure the units are available in the event it loses any of the disputes, Stewart said.

The city has set aside 90 units for Las Olas Tower, 398 units for South Riverwalk and 312 units for Coolidge.

South Riverwalk sued the city in 2002 alleging that its project on the south side of the New River along Andrews Avenue was put on the "back burner" during the approval process, principal Greg Jackson said. The city eventually ran out of units to award, preventing South Riverwalk from proceeding. The case is now before the Fourth District Court of Appeal, but Jackson said it is moving toward a resolution. He has proposed building two 32-story buildings with condos and shops.

Coolidge and the city are headed to trial in August. Coolidge sought to build a 38-story project on the site of the old Hyde Park Market at 500 E. Las Olas Blvd. The city, though, tried to condemn the property to create a park.

The condemnation proceedings were thrown out by a Broward Circuit judge two years ago.

Coolidge, though, sued for damages related to delays caused by the condemnation. Coolidge still wants to build the project, said Toby Brigham, the developer's Miami lawyer.

GRID

April 4th, 2004, 03:16 AM

I love this thread as I love the emerging F. L. skyline. When I drive by it down here, I always am staring at it off I-95. I have to be so careful not to get into a wreck. Those Las Olas are getting near to being done. They are so big and blue!

SkyDiveJunkee

April 4th, 2004, 04:50 AM

I feel the same way..I think the Riverhouse is the absolutely best tower constructed in Florida recently (residential). It looks fantastic and it brings Ft. Lauderdale to whole new levels. I wish we had someone in FL to get us more updates.

miamivanja

April 9th, 2004, 05:21 PM

This was published in April 9th edition of BROWARD HERALD. It talks about Broward population, but the best thing is that it has a photo of soon to be completed Las Olas River House.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/8390127.htm

MIAballinboi

April 9th, 2004, 05:34 PM

http://www.miami.com/images/miami/miamiherald/8394/70462600994.jpg

Style™

April 13th, 2004, 03:25 AM

http://www.ddaftlaud.com/home_page/dda_header_title_new.gif

Las Olas Grand
A 38 story, 208 unit, condominium complex from Sea Ranch Properties, located between SE 1st and 2nd Avenues on the north side of Riverwalk with retail on the ground floor. Now under construction.

http://www.ddaftlaud.com/images/New%20DDA%20Images/grand_rendering2.jpg

Las Olas Riverhouse
Under construction by New York developers Richard Zipes and William Friedman - a 280 unit, condominium project along the New River, next to the DDA Plaza with the tallest tower rising to 42 stories in the air.
http://www.ddaftlaud.com/images/New%20DDA%20Images/riverhouse_rendering2.jpg

Symphony House
The Abdo Companies plan a 2.7 acre, 369 unit, luxury rental complex at the southwestern terminus at Riverwalk; 500 West Las Olas.
http://www.ddaftlaud.com/images/New%20DDA%20Images/symphony_east2.jpg

Summit Las Olas
Located just south of Broward Financial Center and one block north of Las Olas Boulevard, this project will contain 420 units of one, two and three-bedroom apartments. Now under construction.
http://www.ddaftlaud.com/LASOLAS1.jpg

Waverly
Now under construction by Zom Development, this 304 unit, 14-story, apartment complex is located on the north-east corner of Federal Highway and Broward Boulevard.
http://www.ddaftlaud.com/WAVERLY.jpg

WaterGarden
From Minto development, one, two and three bedroom luxury apartments. This project rises 31 stories and lies on the New River just steps from Las Olas Boulevard. Now under construction.
http://www.ddaftlaud.com/photogallery/photo16201/NEWRIV~1.JPG

Avenue Lofts
This project by Rio Nuevo Development, featuring 100 live/work lofts and 14,000sf of retail space is currently under development. Located on Andrews Avenue, north of Broward Blvd.
http://www.ddaftlaud.com/avenue%20lofts.gif

Village East
In the final planning stages by New Phase Realty. The project will include apartments and first floor retail.
http://www.ddaftlaud.com/courtyard%20view.jpg

Style™

April 13th, 2004, 03:31 AM

http://www.ddaftlaud.com/images/new_top/top_images/dda_header_9_01n.jpg

300 Las Olas Place
http://www.ddaftlaud.com/gallery/images/42.jpg

Republic Tower
http://www.ddaftlaud.com/gallery/images/40.jpg

Las Olas Centre II
http://www.ddaftlaud.com/gallery/images/44.jpg

Corporate Center
http://www.ddaftlaud.com/gallery/images/50.jpg

First Fort Lauderdale Place
http://www.ddaftlaud.com/gallery/images/52.jpg

Justice Building
http://www.ddaftlaud.com/gallery/images/55.JPG

450 East Las Olas Building
http://www.ddaftlaud.com/gallery/images/56.jpg

One Financial Plaza
http://www.ddaftlaud.com/gallery/images/63.jpg

Sun Trust Centre
http://www.ddaftlaud.com/gallery/images/71.jpg

Tower 101
http://www.ddaftlaud.com/gallery/images/74.jpg

Las Olas City Center
http://www.ddaftlaud.com/CityCentre2.jpg

(left to right) Broward Financial Center, One Financial Plaza, 300 Las Olas Place
http://www.ddaftlaud.com/One%20Financial%20Plaza.JPG

Style™

April 13th, 2004, 03:36 AM

http://www.ddaftlaud.com/images/new_top/top_images/dda_header_9_01n.jpg

New River Center
http://www.ddaftlaud.com/New%20River%20Center%20Sunset%20Photo.jpg

Wachovia Center
http://www.ddaftlaud.com/Wachovia_Building%20Photo.jpg

South Trust Tower
http://www.ddaftlaud.com/gallery/images/70.jpg

Broward Financial Center
http://www.ddaftlaud.com/gallery/images/47.jpg

Equitable Bank Building
http://www.ddaftlaud.com/gallery/images/51.JPG

Union Planters/ Broward County School Board
http://www.ddaftlaud.com/UP_Bank.jpg

Plaza at Las Olas
http://www.ddaftlaud.com/plaza_LO.jpg

ANC Plaza
http://www.ddaftlaud.com/gallery/images/68.jpg

Advocate Building
http://www.ddaftlaud.com/gallery/images/46.JPG

Colonial Bank Building
http://www.ddaftlaud.com/gallery/images/48.jpg

FAU Tower
http://www.ddaftlaud.com/FAUtwr.jpg

Litigation Building
http://www.ddaftlaud.com/gallery/images/60.JPG

One River Plaza
http://www.ddaftlaud.com/gallery/images/67.jpg

Trial Lawyers Building
http://www.ddaftlaud.com/gallery/images/75.JPG

Gluehuffer136

April 14th, 2004, 03:45 AM

Hey guys, hows it going, I live in Davie... like 15 min away from Downtown Ftl (when 595 isnt jammed). Its so great to finally see this skyline come into its own. One thing to note, that really isnt talked about when the forum talks about "the return to city living" is the availability of basic services such as grocery stores. At this point I believe that downtown Fort Lauderdale is in a better position than Miami becuase of the recent construction of major chain supermarkets (Pulbix, Winn Dixie)in the immediate downtown core. I remeber a project in the Brickell district that has a large Publix as a feature, but I forget the name. This was one thing that I immediately saw when I was living in Portland Oregon for a year. The neighborhood that I lived in downtown had 2 supermarkets in a 5~10 min WALKING radius.

Dale

April 14th, 2004, 05:13 AM

Style -

Very nice job, although I prefer larger pics. :laugh:

Unbelievable the reclad they did on BofA. You'd never know the building's 35 years old.

Style™

April 14th, 2004, 05:02 PM

Well, I tried. I was about to resize them and upload them smaller to my webspace. But, as you can see, I chose not to. :D

Style™

April 14th, 2004, 06:41 PM

Magnificent Ocean and Intracoastal views
State-of-the-art security systems
Private elevators
Business services
Valet parking
Spectacular fountains
Dramatic two-story grand lobby
Concierge
50' heated pool and spa
Promenade pool deck
Ocean view Health and Fitness Club includes: Cardiovascular exercise stations
His-and-her locker rooms with steam and sauna
Professional aerobics Center
Entertainment Room
Secured garage parking
Safety sprinkler systems
Lush tropical landscaping

Residence Features
Dramatic double-door entry with private foyer
Floor to ceiling sliding glass doors
Energy saving solar tinted windows and doors
Spacious oversized terraces
Mediterranean-style railings
Laundry room with full-size washer and dryer
Marble floors in baths
Powder rooms with pedestal sinks as shown
Full width vanity mirrors
Individual quick-recovery water heater
In-home air-conditioned storage
Pre-wired for cable television
Fiber-optic telephone service
Resident security system directly wired to the main security station
Sprinkler system

:eek:

http://www.condocompany.com/Condos/Jackson-Tower/images/Jackson-Tower.jpg

The info in this post and others after it was obtained from:
http://www.condocompany.com/images/logonew.gif

Style™

April 14th, 2004, 06:42 PM

4240 Galt Ocean Dr
Fort Lauderdale, FL
33308

The majestic L'AMBIANCE BEACH is a 25-story tower located on the golden shores of Fort Lauderdale. It is one of the area's most exciting new residential lifestyle resorts developed on prime Fort Lauderdale oceanfront real estate. L'AMBIANCE BEACH features luxurious single-family residences with private, glass railing terraces from which one can enjoy exciting panoramic views, the balmy ocean breeze and the energy of a secluded, yet vibrant tropical atmosphere.

The spectacular, luxury condominiums rage in size between 1,836 - 2,823 square feet and are entered through stately double-doors, creating a grand entrance into the creatively designed interior of each L'AMBIANCE BEACH residence. Tinted, sliding glass doors incorporate the stunning views into the luxurious living area, which featured accentuated nine-foot ceiling heights.

Amenities:

Living is made easy at L'AMBIANCE BEACH. A wide range of amenities and leisure activities for all interests is part of every day life at the exclusive L'AMBIANCE BEACH.

Accessed from the lobby, residents enter into a state-of-the-art Health & Fitness Center featuring:
- a sports lounge with large-screen TV and billiard table
- a fully-appointed game room
- a business center
- a spacious party room with wet bar and catering kitchen.
- A temperature controlled wine room

The beautifully landscaped outside pool area is an oasis of tropical foliage and flowers, with palm-encircled patios, a sparkling swimming pool, and a Jacuzzi.

Further features which make life at L'AMBIANCE BEACH special are:

- Oceanfront location
- 24-Hour attended security desk
- Secure private parking
- Gracious vaulted ceiling lobby
- Private or semi-private high speed elevators
- 9' ceiling height
- Floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding glass doors
- Expansive glass rail terrace
- Imported marble in bathrooms
- European-style cabinetry, custom designed -for L'Ambiance Beach
- Granite kitchen countertops
- KitchenAid appliances
- pre-wiring for cable TV, telephone, fax and computer.

http://www.condocompany.com/Condos/Lambiance-Beach/images/Lambiance-Beach.jpg

Style™

April 14th, 2004, 06:43 PM

405 North New River Drive
Fort Lauderdale, FL
33301

http://www.condocompany.com/Condos/Las-Olas-Grand/images/Las-Olas-Grand.jpg

Style™

April 14th, 2004, 06:44 PM

LAS OLAS RIVER HOUSE is a 3 acre development which offers sophisticated city living only minutes away from the sound and feel of the Atlantic ocean. Situated in the heart of Fort Lauderdale the stunning 42-story glass structure is redefining Fort Lauderdale's skyline. Located on the New River in the center of downtown, right by the exciting Las Olas Boulevard, residents are in walking distance of some of the city's best restaurants, bars and shops, while enjoying the proximity of Fort Lauderdale's fine beaches and Riverwalks.

The LAS OLAS RIVER HOUSE offers a wide range of apartments types. There are 8 typical floors plans with condominiums ranging between 1,183 and 4,173 square feet, as well as Tower Suites and Penthouses of up to 10,000 square feet. Because of the unique "Y" shape of the building each apartment offers spectacular views.

Adjacent to the original RIVER HOUSE complex yet another 25-story residential tower offers high quality urban living in downtown Fort Lauderdale. The tower at 100 EAST LAS OLAS has 44 apartments each featuring 1.633 square feet of living space completely furnished and ready to move in.

In addition, LAS OLAS RIVER TOWER plans to include over 45,000 square feet of exclusive retail shops and restaurants, as well as a 10,000 square feet, full service Day spa, all conveniently to all residents.

LAS OLAS RIVER TOWER's most recent celebrity tenant includes football legend Dan Marino and his wife.

The glass façade of LAS OLAS RIVER HOUSE is designed by the architecture firm of Sieger Suarez with original interiors by the renowned firm of Interiors by Steven G. No expense has been spared to create breathtaking public spaces such as the waterfalls surrounding the 2-story entrance hall.

All kitchens include top brands such as Snaidero, KitchenAid, Miele and Franke, The baths feature imported Italian stone flooring, a freestanding whirlpool tub and a Rainforest showerhead encased by a seamless glass shower.

http://www.condocompany.com/Condos/Las-Olas-River-House/images/Las-Olas-River-House.jpg

Style™

April 14th, 2004, 06:45 PM

2845 NE 9th Street
Fort Lauderdale, FL
33304

LE CLUB CONDOS is a newly developed luxury condominium situated directly on the Intracoastal in beautiful Fort Lauderdale. The spacious condominiums have multiple balconies offering stunning 180-degree panoramic views of both the canals of the Intracoastal waterways of Fort Lauderdale, as well as the majestic Atlantic Ocean. This new 66-unit condominium represents true luxury living with all the amenities and design comfort to make life as simple as possible.

The LE CLUB CONDOS features roomy, cleverly designed 2-3 bedroom residences ranging from 2,140 - 2,630 square feet in size. All condos have 9 ft ceilings and floor-to-ceiling tinted glass windows, which are hurricane certified. Surrounding LE CLUB CONDOS is a beautifully landscaped, private on-site marina with scenic walkways and dockage for up to 150 feet yachts.
Le Club International Amenities:

The generously designed LE CLUB CONDO apartments are accessed by private owner-operated elevators and detailed double entry doors, which lead into a foyer area. All apartments have a multi-zoned, individually controlled air conditioning system, spacious laundry rooms with full-sized washer and dryer and oversized walk-in closets. The contemporary European kitchen designs feature Italian cherry wood cabinetry, granite countertops with full backsplash and stainless steel KitchenAid premium "Architect Series" appliances. The His & Her master bathroom suites include bidet, Jacuzzi whirlpool tub and large, frameless tempered glass shower enclosures.

- Two covered deeded parking spaces with each apartment in enclosed garage
- Gated entry
- Lushly landscaped entry leading to majestic covered rotunda entrance
- Grand Entrance Lobby with exotic marble flooring and cascading waterwall
- 24-hour staffed security
- Plush party room overlooking famous Intracoastal Waterway and Le Club Marina, "The Blue Room" is available for residents' parties and meetings and features a full catering kitchen and bar
- Expansive wrap-around tropical waterfront pool deck with three separate Sun Plazas featuring an oversized pool, elevated whirlpool spa, gazebo and a trellised, seating area
- State-of-the-art exercise room with men's and women's facilities
- The Le Club Waterwalk for leisurely strolls along the Intracoastal and Seabreeze Canal
Fully-appointed private poolside cabanas
Private marina
- Spacious individual storage areas

http://www.condocompany.com/Condos/Le-Club/images/Le-Club.jpg

From the:
http://www.condocompany.com/images/logonew.gif

Style™

April 14th, 2004, 06:46 PM

320 NE 2nd Street
Fort Lauderdale, FL
33306

Personal Space
Yes, you can still have your own outside-the-mainstream style and still enjoy some luxuries. After all you're complex. All lofts include:

- Airy 10'8" ceilings in Classic Lofts and 20' with dual level living space in Penthouse Lofts.
- Oversized Windows
- Exposed mechanical duct work
- Stained concrete floors in living and bedrooms
- Ceramic tile floors in bath
- Prewiring for telecommunications
- European-styled cabinetry in kitchen and baths
- Individual washer/dryer connections provided for installation
- Seperate shower and oversized tubs in main baths
Loft Living

When artists started turning abandoned indistrial buildings in New York, Paris and Berlin into living and work spaces, the lofts represented new thinking.

They said "no" to bland, remote suburbs. They tore up the idea of a present floor plan. And they embraced the freedom of lots of space.

NOLA Lofts do the same thing. We give you what the suburbs can't: open space, high celings and large windows with tons of natural light. Plus the pop of real city living. Sizzle instead of strip malls. Character instead of cars. Work, Shop, Play - whatever - all in the same neighborhood.

So now, instead of choosing somebody else's "lifestyle," you can make up your own.

http://www.condocompany.com/Condos/Nola-Lofts/images/Nola-Lofts.jpg

Style™

April 14th, 2004, 06:49 PM

2100 North Ocean Blvd
Fort Lauderdale, FL
33305

Floors:
Units:
Year Built: 2003

http://www.condocompany.com/Condos/The-Palms/images/The-Palms.jpg

Style™

April 14th, 2004, 06:51 PM

3100 & 3200 N Ocean Blvd
Fort Lauderdale, FL
33308

Floors: 27
Units:
Year Built: 1998

One of the most premier luxury condominiums directly on the Atlantic Ocean in Fort Lauderdale is L'Hermitage, just south of Galt Ocean Mile. This oceanfront condo community features two stunning 27-story towers situated on 650 feet of pristine sandy beach. Residents enjoy extraordinary views of the ocean, Intracoastal waterway and all the glowing sights of the Fort Lauderdale skyline.

L'Hermitage is located at 3100 and 3200 N. Ocean Boulevard intersecting Oakland Park Boulevard in Broward County. The luxury high-rise condo is close to an exciting array of superior shopping and dining adventures in Fort Lauderdale, a city famous for its coastline. Visitors and residents can relax at beachfront cafes and stroll along the famous promenade. Beach lovers can participate in a wide range of sporting activities from boating, wind surfing, jet skiing and volleyball to snorkeling, scuba diving, deep-sea fishing and rollerblading.

Once known as a mecca for college students during spring break, Fort Lauderdale has been transformed from tourist attraction to a year round, world class family resort destination. Over the last 15 years, $47 million in capital improvement funds have been spent to redesign coastal roadways, expand sidewalks and other pedestrian infrastructure, and for construction of a beach wavewall - a flowing, swirling beach wall that extends two miles at the central portion of Fort Lauderdale Beach.

The Fort Lauderdale Beach redevelopment project spurred the construction of oceanfront high-rise luxury condos such as L'Hermitage. The residences boast nine-foot ceilings, tinted sliding glass doors, oversized terraces, some which wraparound, premium kitchens and appliances, separate laundry rooms, marble baths, and spacious closets. The resort-style setting complements your luxury condo. Spend days at the tropical pool area, where residents take pleasure in two pools, spas, toddler pool, café, barbecue area, high-tech gym and tennis. There is a private beach pavilion with deeded beach access. Take an easy walk to convenient shops, restaurants, and community happenings.

Pet lovers will be elated to know that "man's best friend" is welcome at the L'Hermitage. Amid the luxurious surroundings, there is a beautifully landscaped dog run right on the grounds where cherished "Fido" can also have a good time.

A variety of layouts are available at L'Hermitage ranging from two bedroom units starting at 1,900 square feet to four bedrooms of 5,800 square feet. Prices start in the high $700,000s.

http://www.condocompany.com/Condos/LHermitage/images/building.jpg

Style™

April 14th, 2004, 06:52 PM

1600 South Ocean Blvd
Fort Lauderdale, FL
33062

The AQUAZUL Residences blend contemporary urban luxury with the serene beauty of tropical living. Designed by the prestigious architectural firm of Revuelta Vega Leon, the stylish 23-story, contemporary AQUAZUL condo glass tower is situated directly on the beach in Lauderdale-by-the Sea North of Fort Lauderdale. A total of 80 spacious residences all offer spectacular floor to ceiling windows which open to sunrise and sunset terraces, displaying stunning views of the ocean as well as the bay.

The intimate layout was designed to accommodate only 4 residences per floor ranging in size from 2,600 - 5,400 square feet. The AQUAZUL sets a new standard in luxury living by including distinctive features such as private elevator entries, stately master suites, marble-appointed his and hers master baths, and gourmet kitchens with granite countertops, fine name appliances and European imported kitchens cabinets.

The AQUAZUL features an advanced wiring system, which will allow residences to enjoy the benefits of emerging communications, entertainment and security technologies within their own homes

Amenities:

AQUAZUL Condos will feature an array of amenities to enhance it's residents' quality of life:
- full-time concierge services
- 24-hour manned lobby security
- valet parking
- an oceanfront swimming pool and spa within a tropically landscaped setting
- convenient, private poolside cabanas
- a lighted tennis court
- state-of-the-art fitness center
- clubroom with multimedia capabilities
- game/billiards room.

Location:

AQUAZUL Residences was constructed on a prime piece of real estate with the ocean to the East and the Intracoastal to the West. Located by the seaside village of Lauderdale- by-the-Sea, only a short distance from Fort Lauderdale, residents enjoy the best of both worlds: tranquil ocean-side living, as well as the excitement of city dining and shopping. When flying in, residents can choose between Fort Lauderdale or Boca Raton airport.

Prices range from the mid-$800,000 to over $2,000,000. For more detailed information on pricing and availability, please call THE CONDO COMPANY at (305) 864-6262 or 1-888-condo-21.

http://www.condocompany.com/Condos/Aquazul/images/building.jpg

renner01

June 25th, 2004, 08:54 PM

LAS OLAS RIVERHOUSE II is no longer going to be built or on indefinite hold. According to sales office ,confirmed by suffolk the General contractor owner still might do something but not the planned second phase.. too bad

http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=179325

CercadoCallao

July 19th, 2004, 07:40 AM

WOW! Those are really nice pictures. The buildings all look so modern and it's amazing at how much those condos are....but then again the view is fantastic. Let's hope Ft. Lauderdale keeps growing but it doesn't turn out to look like some parts of Miami.

streetscapeer

July 19th, 2004, 11:03 PM

Does anyone have more pics of FTL? ...we really need more!!

streetscapeer

July 26th, 2004, 07:53 PM

Going North

http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v255/kleclerc/IMG_0697.jpg

http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v255/kleclerc/IMG_0698.jpg

http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v255/kleclerc/IMG_0699.jpg

http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v255/kleclerc/IMG_0700.jpg

http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v255/kleclerc/IMG_0701.jpg

http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v255/kleclerc/IMG_0706.jpg

http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v255/kleclerc/IMG_0707.jpg

http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v255/kleclerc/IMG_0703.jpg

This is the northern part of downtown

http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v255/kleclerc/IMG_0708.jpg

I think Ft Lauderdale is a great example of a downtown done right

http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v255/kleclerc/IMG_0710.jpg

and they've just started.....

Agent Orange

July 27th, 2004, 01:23 AM

Hey, I didn't know Ft. Lauderdale had a tunnel. Does it go underwater or under something else? And downtown looks great also. :)

Dale

July 27th, 2004, 01:43 AM

Hey, I didn't know Ft. Lauderdale had a tunnel. Does it go underwater or under something else? And downtown looks great also. :)

Yes, goes under the New River, which flows through downtown.

Agent Orange

July 27th, 2004, 02:26 AM

Yes, goes under the New River, which flows through downtown.

Cool, I bet it's the only underwater tunnel in the state.

ChuckScraperMiami#1

November 5th, 2004, 04:27 AM

ANYONE, PLease put this Thread in a STICKY, its the Best Ft.Lauderdale Thread with the Best PICS, Thank You.

renner01

November 17th, 2004, 12:34 PM

Fort Lauderdale to allow tallest condo tower on Hyde Park site

By Brittany Wallman
Staff Writer
Posted November 17 2004

FORT LAUDERDALE -- In a suspenseful meeting on the night before a scheduled court date, the city Tuesday gave up its bitter fight for a park next to the historic Stranahan House, agreeing instead to allow a 42-story tower to rise on the coveted land.

Rather than hearing passionate pleas today in court about the historically storied property at 500 E. Las Olas Blvd., Broward Circuit Court Judge Robert Lance Andrews will be asked to approve the final settlement between the city of Fort Lauderdale and the land's developer and owner, The Related Group and Coolidge-South Markets Equities.

advertisement

advertisement

The surprise last-minute settlement puts to rest a four-year city journey to buy the land for the public.

On the riverfront property, where the defunct Hyde Park Market sits, the developer will build one of the tallest towers in Fort Lauderdale. Only one other tower, River House condo a few blocks to the west, is as tall, and none is taller.

The 1901 Stranahan House next door was a trading post and home to city pioneers Ivy and Frank Stranahan. Supporters of the museum argued Tuesday as they have for the past four years that it is the city's historical "tap root" and deserved a fitting surroundings - a grassy park, not a high-rise "monster."

But citing a potential financial nightmare for taxpayers, commissioners voted 3-2 to accept the developer's settlement offer, with Mayor Jim Naugle and Commissioner Christine Teel dissenting.

Commissioner Carlton Moore suggested the $8 million voters approved for the park in 2000 -- considered severely inadequate to obtain the land even four years ago -- should be used to move the Stranahan House farther west to sit among a cluster of historic homes down-river.

Commissioner Cindi Hutchinson, the swing vote Tuesday, promised the packed audience of park supporters that though they would leave dejected, they would have open, green space on the property, and input in the development approval of the tower.

Hutchinson, Vice Mayor Dean Trantalis and Moore said they couldn't wager the taxpayers' millions on the hope that someday they might prevail in court and be able to afford the property.

The city's condemnation effort fared poorly in court, and today's scheduled court date was the forum for the developer's countersuit for damages.

Commissioners said Tuesday they've been told the park could cost $18 million, $20 million, $22 million, or more. If the city were unsuccessful and instead owed damages to the developer, commissioners said the tab could run as high as $58 million.

Tuesday's settlement carried no financial cost.

"We promised the taxpayers we wouldn't spend any money we didn't have in our checkbook," said Hutchinson. "Make no mistake, I understand what the ramifications of my vote here tonight could be to my political office. … This is a very, very hard decision to make."

Teel and Naugle said they favored an earlier land swap offer, under which the condo tower would have been built at the beach instead.

Teel said she worried about the settlement terms, which require the city to issue permits for the building in six months or the developer can revert to an earlier site plan.

That tower, though shorter, spread across the width of the property, while the new design is re-oriented away from Las Olas and the historic home, and instead faces the side street, Southeast Fifth Avenue.

The new design also brings the brick-pavered Riverwalk to Las Olas Boulevard, a vision of community leaders for years. The tower would feature a restaurant on the New River, and a decrease in the number of residential units, from the earlier 312 to 280.

Don Hall, an attorney for the developer, said his client doesn't wish to build the earlier version.

"I am offended but not surprised by the suggestion that this is a ploy to develop the original plan," he said loudly, after being shouted at by a man in the audience. "It is not."

The crowd Tuesday night implored commissioners to go to court, talking about "legacy," "history," the "jewel" of the city and a "bullying" developer.

"It's been a long, hard struggle. We have worked together, we have shared together," said Barbara Keith, executive director at the House.

But Trantalis said the bond issue was a "hoax" because it wasn't enough money. And no one knows the ultimate price tag.

"The land is not Holy land, it's not an Indian burial ground. It's a lot. It's 1.4 acres," he said. " … The point is, at what cost?"

In the four years since the bond issue passed, the only winners on the city's side have been the lawyers, who billed some $550,000 or more, nearly half of which was paid by the Stranahan House.

Had the city bought the land just six years ago, it might have been had cheaply, in comparison: County property records show the owner paid just $2.5 million for it.

Brittany Wallman can be contacted at bwallman@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4541.
Email story
Print story
STORIES
Parking overstays in downtown Lauderdale will get Sunday-only warning
Nov 17, 2004

In other Fort Lauderdale Commission meeting action
Nov 17, 2004

Copyright © 2004, South Florida Su
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-csettle17nov17,0,7688765.story

MIAballinboi

November 17th, 2004, 10:25 PM

great news, yes 42 stories, most likely a new tallest

streetscapeer

November 17th, 2004, 10:27 PM

YESS!!...NIMBYs lose, WE win!!

Dale

November 17th, 2004, 10:45 PM

And the best part is this is a Jorge Perez project, meaning it's a done deal.

Jasonhouse

November 18th, 2004, 03:59 AM

I see that this FTL thread finally surfaced. I couldn't find it for the life of me...

So, stickied it is. :)

Jasonhouse

November 18th, 2004, 04:03 AM

I also had no idea that there was a tunnel in DT FTL, and I have been thre several times, and have made an effort to tour it extensively twice...wow!

renner01

November 18th, 2004, 12:39 PM

looks to be a done deal now but what are all these god damn tears for?

Judge OKs truce allowing condos at Hyde Park

By Brittany Wallman
Staff Writer
Posted November 18 2004

FORT LAUDERDALE · The truce between the city and the owner of the Hyde Park Market property was made final Wednesday, with the stroke of Broward Circuit Judge Robert Andrews' pen.

Blocks away, Stranahan House supporters said they might sue to overturn the settlement.

advertisement

advertisement

Wednesday's court event, originally scheduled for the airing of the developer's lawsuit against the city, lasted only a few moments and ended four years of fighting over the land next to the historic Stranahan House.

"Bobby, Toby, how you doing?'' the judge asked lawyers on both sides of the case Wednesday morning. "You've got something to bring before the court?''

Robert Schwartz, representing the city of Fort Lauderdale, and Toby Brigham, representing The Related Group and Coolidge-South Markets Equities, handed the judge the six-page document completing the deal city commissioners approved in a 3-2 vote Tuesday night.

Mayor Jim Naugle and Commissioner Christine Teel dissented.

The deal lets the developer build a 42-story tower oriented away from the historic house next door, with an open plaza for the public on Las Olas Boulevard. The city drops its condemnation effort, and the developer drops a countersuit for damages.

"OK,'' the judge said, signing the agreement. "Have a nice day.''

The deal was over. But could it really be complete, after years of passionate fighting over the land at 500 E. Las Olas Blvd.? It might not be.

At the Stranahan House just blocks away from the courthouse, on the other side of the New River, people were having a bad morning.

"A lot of tears,'' said Ellen Murton, assistant director of the Stranahan House.

Supporters of the 1901 former trading post said they were still reeling and could not rule out a legal challenge to the settlement.

"We're still in shock,'' said executive director Barbara Keith. "It was done so fast.''

Stephen Tilbrook, vice president of the Stranahan board, said the board is considering its options.

"We regret that the city rushed into making a decision with less than 24 hours notice, with no public input or consideration, and with virtually no details on a plan to build the tallest building in the city on the most sensitive historic site in the city,'' he wrote to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel in an e-mail.

"We believe that this process bypassed the legal requirements for development review, and we are currently considering our rights and options.''

The deal was revealed publicly on Monday and voted on the next evening, just before the trial was to begin. The developer has 45 days to submit a site plan.

The vote hinged on Commissioner Cindi Hutchinson. Wednesday, Hutchinson said she thinks she made the right decision.

She said she woke up Wednesday and took her usual three-mile walk, thinking about the vote.

"I said, `You know, Lord, if the first person I meet today can at least tell me I did the right thing ... not that I need the comfort level, but it would be a nice breath.' "

A red truck pulled up and a man jumped out, she said.

"He said, `I just wanted to stop and tell you, you did a good job last night. It wasn't an easy position the city was in,'" she recounted, "and he said, `I just wanted to shake your hand and say you did a good job.' I burst into tears, of course.''

Though voters approved an $8 million bond issue in 2000 to buy the land where the apartment tower was planned, the city never floated the bonds and won't do so now.

MIAballinboi

November 23rd, 2004, 04:05 AM

look what i found,

Americas Tower, fort lauderdale
check out
www.borgesarchitects.com and its one of the projects, seems pretty tall by the rendering

check it out :cheers:

smiley

November 23rd, 2004, 05:51 AM

Indeed, hard to tell exactly but looks like this concept is 50-60 stories

ChuckScraperMiami#1

November 29th, 2004, 02:25 AM

I also had no idea that there was a tunnel in DT FTL, and I have been thre several times, and have made an effort to tour it extensively twice...wow!
YES JASON :) , and Thanks for putting this Thread As A Sticky :) , Its Worth the Pics and Usage.
Yes :) , Downtown Ft. Lauderdale Has a 1/2 MILE Tunnel ON U.S. 1 ( S.Federal Highway ) SOUTH of Broward BLVD. It Goes UNDER the NEW RIVER and Under LAS OLAS BLVD. and Next to ALL the NEW Condo Towers Just Built in the Last 4 YEARS. ITS Really NICE :) and ALL YELLOW at Night. :cheers:

gabozova

November 30th, 2004, 09:11 AM

there is a really beautiful pic of las olas river house at sunset, but i have no clue how to post it. I will give you simple instructions on how to get it and hopefully someone will be able to post it. Go to website:
South Florida Home (http://www.southfloridahome.com/)

click on SEARCH CONDOMINIUMS on the left side of the screen

then under PLEASE SELECT click on Pre Construction

a building Nu River Landing will appear, click on it and get the pic titled
WEST VIEW.

I hope someone will be able to do this and post the photo. i think it shows river house in all its glory.

thanks

Sunstorm

November 30th, 2004, 09:30 PM

I was in FTL again this past wkend, and had and absolute blast. Went down on Friday and came back on Sunday evening (traffic was murder on the Turnpike, it took 3hrs to get from Pt St Lucie to Yeehaw Jct.). The downtown skyline is so pretty at night, all lit up. It is really beefing up into a major skyline. Hope it doesn't stop anytime soon. :cheers:

MIAballinboi

November 30th, 2004, 11:56 PM

welcome to the forum gabozova,
heres the pic

http://www.southfloridahome.com/bin/web/real_estate?

MIAballinboi

November 30th, 2004, 11:58 PM

well i guess it isnt showing, so right click the red box, go to properties and copy the link into a new window and youll see it

smiley

December 1st, 2004, 04:38 AM

http://www.southfloridahome.com/bin/web/real_estate?ZKEY=&acnt=AR40906&button=&action=IMAGE&dir=home_search/REAOAK1480784&listing_id=REAOAK1480784&pn=3&ts=1099669801&tm=20041130132508/3.jpg

UpTown

December 1st, 2004, 05:23 AM

I live in Fort Lauderdale, and yes it has grown ALOT in the past 10 years, especially in the past 5. It has really flourished into a nice city. I live by the Fort Laud Beach area and there are probably 3 new buildings within blocks and at least 6 going up. Most people that I've talked are really enjoying the bloom.

I'm starting a job next Sept in downtown FTL and really exited of joining the DT Scene.

I’m also planning on moving to The Waverly Bldg in about a year. It is a HUGE building

I’ll try to take some pictures and post them.

streetscapeer

December 3rd, 2004, 10:35 PM

please post 'em...pretty pleez!:):)

Aessotariq

December 6th, 2004, 02:26 AM

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/10335290.htm

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY

County-growth plan is tall order

Faced with a growing population and scarce land, Broward is looking to adjust its growth management strategies.

BY SAMUEL P. NITZE
snitze@herald.com

With state approval in hand, Broward County is preparing to overhaul its long-range growth-management plan, a lengthy process that could dramatically affect the rules that govern what gets built and where.

Proposed changes are outlined in a thick report shaped by two hard facts: The county's population is expected to swell by nearly 1 million people by 2030, and its stock of undeveloped land is expected to disappear by 2015.

County planners say smarter land-use policies will help make room for newcomers while guarding against clogged roads, condo-crammed beaches, crowded schools and impossibly high home prices.

For a start, planners say, new residential development must be driven to places that can accommodate more people: along public transportation routes, above commercial development, in place of failing strip malls and shopping centers. Conversely, they say, growth must be controlled in sensitive areas such as the beaches and older neighborhoods of single-family homes.

''That's the central theme of the whole thing,'' said Peter Ross, assistant director of the county's Office of Urban Planning and Redevelopment. ``This additional population is coming, and we have to plan for and manage it or it's going to cause a lot of problems.''

The first major changes to the county's key growth-management document -- its ''Comprehensive Plan'' -- are expected this month, when commissioners are scheduled to vote on new ''transit-oriented'' land-use categories designed to spur redevelopment along major routes, including U.S. 441.

The move would allow cities to create a dense mix of housing and businesses near bus and rail stops. That way, the thinking goes, residents could leave their cars behind and walk or ride to work, limiting congestion.

UPCOMING VOTE

Commissioners also expect to vote on a measure that would change the way traffic fees collected from developers are used, directing money to public transportation projects instead of new roads.

Additional changes will follow as commissioners and planners develop policies to match dozens of goals listed in the growth management report.

They include: promoting clever urban design, ensuring that school capacity is a key factor in development planning, setting rules for redevelopment of beach properties, encouraging water conservation, and providing incentives to increase construction of affordable housing.

The county also hopes to promote building and design standards aimed at creating neighborhoods with distinctive characteristics -- the ''sense of place'' that goes missing in so much modern development.

Last year, commissioners hired architect Anthony Abbate, a professor of architecture and urban design at Florida Atlantic University, to help craft a ''County-wide Community Design Guidebook'' that will serve as a reference for local governments looking to change their codes. The work is almost complete and Abbate is expected to make a presentation early next year.

SEVEN-YEAR PLANS

The state requires its cities and counties to review their comprehensive plans every seven years or so with an eye to making improvements. Broward has been working on its review for more than two years, airing ideas for change at public meetings and workshops.

Early drafts of the report ignited intense opposition from several Broward cities, where local leaders accused the county of mounting a power grab.

Broward is one of the few counties in the state that exercises broad development control over its cities, and local leaders argued that the county should loosen the reins a bit.

Caps on density, restrictions on land-use changes, and endless hearings and reviews only slowed progress and jeopardized important projects, they said.

''We understand our cities and know what they want and need,'' said Lauderdale Lakes Commissioner Hazelle Rogers, president of the Broward League of Cities. ``Who best to determine where we should have housing? Where we should have redevelopment?''

County leaders countered that oversight from a countywide perspective remains as important as ever with the place getting more crowded and infrastructure and resources more strained.

CAPITAL REJECTION

The fight reached Tallahassee earlier this year when the cities pushed unsuccessfully for legislation that would have given them the right to opt out of county land-use restrictions.

Since then, communication has improved and compromise is brewing, officials on both sides agree.

The county is moving to give city governments greater freedom to increase the number of homes allowed per acre in areas eyed for redevelopment, for example, and to speed up consideration of small-scale land-use amendments.

''We are beginning to dispel this myth that we are attempting to play Big Brother with the cities,'' said County Administrator Roger Desjarlais.

STICKING POINT

A county push for more control over beach development remains a sticking point, however.

The courts recently upheld a measure capping density on the beach at 25 units per acre and requiring county hearings and approval for exceptions, Ross said.

And county officials are considering a proposal to require an evaluation of a beach project's potential effect on traffic, school attendance, and water supply for any increase in density, even below the 25-unit cap, he said.

''The whole concept of a countywide land-use plan is that there are certain issues of regional importance,'' Ross said. ``Development on hurricane-prone barrier islands requires regional oversight.''

renner01

December 17th, 2004, 03:23 PM

Posted on Fri, Dec. 17, 2004

STRANAHAN HOUSE SAGA

Deal allowing high-rise near landmark challenged

Another chapter unfolds in the saga of a proposed development near Stranahan House. Preservationists sue Fort Lauderdale and a condo tower's developer.

BY NATALIE P. McNEAL

nmcneal@herald.com

Historic preservationists are suing Fort Lauderdale and a developer for accepting a last-minute settlement offer to build a high-rise near a pioneer home.

The petition, filed Thursday in Broward Circuit Court, alleges that Fort Lauderdale city commissioners ignored procedure and broke the law by approving a settlement plan for a 42-story condo off Las Olas Boulevard, near the site of the historic Stranahan House. The plaintiffs want the commission's decision reversed.

The filing alleges that the commission's November vote for the settlement denied ''citizens their right to due process.'' Basically, preservationists say that a new building was approved without going through a site plan approval process. ''The city caved without a good fight and without an opportunity for public input,'' said Stacey Hallberg, president of the board of Stranahan House.

Since 1999, when Coolidge-South Markets Equities and Jorge Perez's The Related Group first proposed a 38-story tower on their property, residents and preservationists objected, arguing that the building would eclipse the historic home and overshadow a key part of the city's past.

The city tried to force the developer to sell the property. In 2002, the developer filed a countersuit against the city, arguing that the city passed discriminatory zoning regulations and unlawfully sought to condemn the property to keep the project from moving forward. Right before heading to court, on Nov. 16, city commissioners voted 3-2 to approve a settlement to build the 42-story condo.

Commissioners in support of the settlement argued that a legal fight would be too costly for the city.

The Stranahan House was built a century ago by Frank and Ivy Stranahan, and served as one of the area's first trading posts. It's one of the city's oldest surviving structures.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/states/florida/counties/broward_county/10437504.htm

streetscapeer

December 17th, 2004, 07:05 PM

DAMNIT....F*CKIN NIMBYs...So Damn Annoying....hopefully this gets settled soon! SH*T!!

Dale

December 17th, 2004, 08:04 PM

Seems like FTL is the worst in this regard.

streetscapeer

December 20th, 2004, 05:15 AM

Susan Stabley

Tarragon South Development Corp. plans to transform the former BellSouth switching station in downtown Fort Lauderdale into residential lofts after winning a bidding war to buy the six-story building.

Tarragon closed on the $8 million property, at 115 N.E. Third Ave., on Tuesday.

While most lofts in South Florida are new projects, this one mirrors the industrial and warehouse conversions found up north.

The former switching station dates back to the 1930s. Work is expected to begin in April to convert it into The Exchange - 87 lofts and 10 bungalows with a pool and health center on the roof, Tarragon South VP Danny Bivins said. Units will range from the high $200,000s to $400,000.

Construction, led by general contractor Suffolk Construction, should take 10 months.

Bivins hopes to keep the building's terrazzo floors and the stonework along the rooftop, but the structure's pale pink exterior will be removed as part of $12 million to $15 million in renovations that will add windows and a colonnade.

Part of the building's appeal includes ceilings that rise 13 feet and higher.

The project - listed for $7.75 million - had been up for grabs since January 2003, according to Stiles Corp. broker Byron Calhoun.

Calhoun said he had shown the 118,860-square-foot property more than 75 times to local and out-of-state buyers. In the end, Tarragon was one of four suitors.

The Fort Lauderdale company is the local arm of New York-based Tarragon Corp.

(NASDAQ: TARR), whose projects include Las Olas River House in downtown Fort Lauderdale.

Financing has been secured from Bank of America for both the acquisition of the property and construction, Bivins said.

Bivins said he's in talks with the city to use a nearby parking garage. Tarragon also has other parcels nearby that could be turned into parking areas, he said.

The Exchange joins a small club of genuine loft conversions in South Florida.

J. Max Development started work this summer on 17 loft spaces in a three-story industrial building at 1560 Lenox Ave., in Miami Beach. Last year, Midgard Development Group announced plans to convert the former Miami National Bank at Biscayne Boulevard and 81st Street into 73 lofts. Lombardi Properties turned a 1926 fabric factory, at 120 N.W. 25th St. in Miami, into the Terminal Building Lofts in 1999.

"In New York and New Jersey, they are comfortable with the term," said Diane Leiberman, a broker with SBI Realty in South Beach. "A lot of people in Florida are not sure what lofts are."

Her husband, Alan, is converting the Montclair Hotel in Miami Beach into 41 lofts. The Chad Oppenheim-designed project is set for completion in March.

E-mail Miami-Dade real estate/international business writer Susan Stabley at sjstabley@bizjournals.com.

© 2004 American City Business Journals Inc.

renner01

December 21st, 2004, 04:05 PM

this is all i couild get off the headline of the http://www.dailybusinessreview.com/ since i dont have subscription
does anybody have any info on this project?

Condos

500 units sought for parcel next to U.S. courthouse in Fort Lauderdale

By: Terry Sheridan

Miami condominium developer Groupe Pacific plans to make its first foray into Fort Lauderdale with a 40-story tower on East Broward Boulevard.

MIAballinboi

December 21st, 2004, 05:02 PM

woooow, great news boy ftl is transforming!

streetscapeer

December 21st, 2004, 10:05 PM

great news renner...maybe some other (less expensive) source has the info!!

renner01

December 27th, 2004, 03:40 PM

Fort Lauderdale approves more housing projects north
of downtown

By Brittany Wallman
Staff Writer
Posted December 22 2004

Picking up the pace of development in the area north
of Broward Boulevard, developers are pushing three
more major residential plans on a receptive city
commission.

Commissioners approved one Tuesday night, a funky
mid-rise with an industrial flair on the cusp of
northwest Fort Lauderdale. Two other residential
projects planned in the urban core north of Broward
Boulevard are making their way toward approval.

Much of the downtown area north of Broward Boulevard
is officially considered "slum and blighted" and is
within the Community Redevelopment Agency boundary for
that reason. Developers have seized on the area and
its tiny old cottages in disrepair, and have bought
enough land to build or plan projects that will change
its skyline and flavor. They hope to turn the
neighborhood into a residential village feeding the
downtown business district.

Some projects are under construction or built. Many
more are in the planning stages. These are under, or
have passed, commission review:

411 Brickell: A smattering of industrial buildings and warehouses on the eastern fringe of northwest Fort Lauderdale, on Northwest First Avenue, will be demolished and replaced with a seven-story mid-rise with 36 residential units and some retail and office space. Commissioners approved developer Alan Hooper's project, which lies within the CRA, in a unanimous vote Tuesday night.

Strada 315: Just outside the CRA boundaries and north
of Broward Boulevard, Strada 315 LLC plans a 20-story
tower with 117 residential units and retail space on
Northeast Third Avenue. Commissioners said the
building meets the city's design guidelines, but they
tabled the project after Vice Mayor Dean Trantalis
said he didn't like the way the building looks. The
project will return for a vote Jan. 4.

"While I think the project as a whole is a very
important contribution to our downtown, I just feel it
needs refinement," Trantalis said.

300 Third: Across the street from Strada 315, this
residential project by Charlie Ladd's Las Olas
Properties Inc. was scheduled for public and staff
review at a Development Review Committee meeting
Tuesday. Ladd proposes 278 residential units plus
office and retail space.

Bronwyn Batiste: Farther north of downtown, John W.
McGinnis plans to build 35 residential units on
Northeast 14th Court. Commissioners tabled a vote
Tuesday night because of problems with maps supplied
for the requested plat approval.

Just two weeks ago, commissioners endorsed two other residential projects in the same area -- a 169-unit, mixed-use, mixed-income project for Andrews Avenue and Northeast Sixth Street, and a 72-unit complex called Xposed, on Northeast Fourth Avenue and Seventh Street.

Tuesday night, though, commissioners said they would
reconsider their approval for Xposed, in deference to Trantalis, who had complained he didn't like the design because it was too bland.

The city evaluates each project individually, without discussion of other projects planned or approved nearby. But the whole is expected to transform the area into an urban village.

The city's downtown master plan, a document outlining
the city's vision and driving principles for its
downtown, encourages the kind of dense, compact
residential building that is going on now.

Though more than a dozen residential mid- and
high-rises are under way downtown already, city
officials thirst for more population density there,
hoping it will transform Fort Lauderdale into a
full-blown urban area where people walk and use mass
transit.

Development has become a controversial issue in the
changing city, but the ideas driving city officials
are spelled out clearly in their relatively new
downtown master plan, which commissioners approved
unanimously. It reads:

"Principle 1: Capture a greater share of regional redevelopment."

"Principle 2: Increase residential uses downtown, with supporting amenities."

Brittany Wallman can be reached at
bwallman@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4541.

renner01

January 10th, 2005, 01:31 PM

FORT LAUDERDALE

CONDO FINANCED

Location: 505 North AIA at Riomar St.

Borrower: Costa Dorada Associates, of New York City, represented by Jose E. Cabanas and Jose Luis Zapata, executives.

Lender: Ohio Savings Bank and Hypo Real Estate Capital Corp.

Loan Amount: $95 million.

Construction financing has been finalized for a 24-story, 333-unit proposed high-rise condominium hotel located in the Birch Oceanfront subdivision. The project will offer unobstructed views of the Atlantic Ocean. The new loan is in addition to acquisition and land development loans obtained in April 2004 totaling $17 million. Total financing now comes to $112 million, or $336,336 per unit. Stiles Corp. has been awarded the construction contract.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/10593836.htm

ISG

January 15th, 2005, 04:15 AM

again. what's the deal. these stickies should be in the florida forum. no tthe miami sub forum.

renner01

January 15th, 2005, 12:52 PM

hey jasonhouse set it up like this so quit complaining.

MIAballinboi

January 21st, 2005, 04:28 AM

this is pretty nice, condo hotel,

galleryonefla.com

renner01

January 23rd, 2005, 01:00 PM

Las Olas Riverfront condos seek OK in Lauderdale

By Jean-Paul Renaud
Staff Writer
Posted January 23 2005

Fort Lauderdale · A controversial plan to build a double-tower condominium building in the Las Olas Riverfront complex will seek commission approval on Feb. 15, after a series of postponements from a developer eager to wash his hands of the property.

Lobbyists for the complex say one thing is certain: Michael Swerdlow, who owns the land the complex sits on, wants to sell.

advertisement

advertisement

"He's lost millions of dollars in this place," said Roger LeBlanc, executive vice president of Swerdlow Group. "He just wants to get out. That's it."

The deal to cash in on the residential boom in downtown Fort Lauderdale is the latest in the saga of the Las Olas Riverfront property at Andrews Avenue and Broward Boulevard.

Commissioners have raised concerns that Swerdlow wants to back out of an agreement that requires the complex to remain an entertainment district for two decades.

Swerdlow planned to sell the complex -- except for the area where the towers will be -- to developer Terry Stiles, but that deal fell through in November when Stiles did not renew the agreement, according to Robert Lochrie, a lobbyist for Swerdlow Group. But Stiles was brought back to the bargaining table, along with several other developers.

Swerdlow, who in 1997 partnered with colleagues to build the complex, wants to see the movie theater -- the only one downtown -- replaced with a 36-story and 25-story residential high-rise.

If built, the 253-unit condominium would become one of the tallest buildings downtown. Executives in his company think residential towers will jumpstart business in a complex cursed with low profits and empty storefronts.

"The residential will strengthen the retail to the point where they can fill up the empty spaces," said Roger LeBlanc, executive vice president of Swerdlow Group. There are 2,000 square feet of vacancies -- two retail spaces.

The development group's toughest opposition was from the Fort Lauderdale Historical Society, which manages neighboring century-old buildings. But the society retracted its concerns after the developer agreed to an undisclosed financial compensation.

At the Feb. 15 meeting, the residential towers will face scrutiny from commissioners who say the plan violates the Brickell Avenue Project Land Sale and Development Agreement, which was crafted in 1992 between the city and developers.

The city, in an effort to revitalize the area Riverfront now sits on, bought the land from the Broward County School Board, which wanted to demolish the buildings in the downtown historical district and build its headquarters there. The city then sold it to developers for $1.5 million in exchange for the Brickell Avenue agreement, which required the construction and operation of an area "conducive for retail, entertainment and restaurant activity."

Mayor Jim Naugle thinks that agreement forbids Swerdlow, who bought the land in 1996, from building a residential tower.

"The property has a 20-year obligation to operate as an entertainment complex," he said. "I would still insist on maintaining an entertainment district."

Lochrie argues a residential building is the only solution for the faltering complex.

"Clearly what we're proposing is different from what was originally contemplated," he said. "But it was tried for nine years. It has proven not to work."

In the last few years, downtown has experienced a real estate bonanza, with 1,650 new residential units expected to open soon, at a minimum cost of $200,000. Those units are expected to usher in about 3,000 more residents within a year, according to city planners. Some think that would be enough to revitalize Riverfront.

"Basically, the Las Olas Riverfront was built before its time," Vice Mayor Dean Trantalis said. "And now that its time has arrived they want to dismantle it. As far as I'm concerned, they're just looking to cut their losses and try to retrieve as much of a gain as they can. From our perspective, we're trying to maintain the downtown amenities that have been promised to those who will live downtown."

If city commissioners approve the construction of the Strand at Riverfront, the land where the movie theater sits would be sold to Deerfield Beach-based Boca Developers, according to LeBlanc. Swerdlow, who has partnered with the Deerfield Beach company in other projects, will end his involvement in the Riverfront complex, according to LeBlanc.

For years, LeBlanc has seen his tenants struggle to make their rent and the movie theater, intended to be the area's economic engine, become a liability.

"Friday and Saturday nights, you wish this place was twice as big," he said. "Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, you wish this place was half the size."

Jean-Paul Renaud can be reached at jprenaud@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4556.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-cp23strandjan23,0,3534710.story

MIAballinboi

January 23rd, 2005, 08:42 PM

wooow, fort lauderdale is just startings its boom with all these tall proposals for it

renner01

January 26th, 2005, 12:02 PM

Posted on Wed, Jan. 26, 2005

FORT LAUDERDALE

Builders creating `urban village'

Developers have discovered the north side of Fort Lauderdale's downtown in a big way: Nearly two dozen multifamily residential projects with a combined construction cost of $700 million are in the works.

BY PATRICK DANNER

pdanner@herald.com

Downtown Fort Lauderdale's north end may well be the next hot residential area.

A wave of residential construction planned for the next few years may transform the neighborhood into what the city has long envisioned: an ''urban village'' downtown where people live, work and relax. Single-family homes and low-rise commercial buildings now dominate the landscape, but the new plans could bring high-rise condos to the area.

The interest from developers in downtown Fort Lauderdale's northern confines follows a residential development boom south of Broward Boulevard in recent years. But that section of downtown may have lost some of its development appeal because the city has no more units to allocate to multifamily residential developers.

Nearly two dozen multifamily residential projects -- with almost 3,500 units and a total estimated cost of more than $700 million -- are either under construction or on the drawing board north of Broward Boulevard. The projects include condominiums, lofts and town houses with a smattering of shops and offices.

What's happening in the so-called Flagler Village area is emblematic of the redevelopment trend sweeping the eastern corridor from Miami to West Palm Beach, said Michael Cannon, real estate analyst with Integra Realty Resources in Miami.

''We no longer have the suburban farmland to develop for our single-family subdivisions,'' Cannon said. ``The marketplace is rediscovering the urban core.''

Developers have shown such a significant interest that the proposed multifamily units exceed the development cap the city has set for the area. City leaders are scheduled to meet next month with Broward planning officials about increasing the units that can be built downtown.

30-STORY PROJECTS

And for the first time, major high-rise residential developments are planned for the area. In the works are three projects rising at least 30 stories, rivaling some of the tallest office and residential towers in the city's central business district.

Despite the flood of projects, developers say they aren't at risk of outpacing demand. The influx of new residents will easily absorb the added units, they say.

''There was this pent-up demand that wasn't being served,'' said Peter Feldman of New Phase Realty, which is targeting an August groundbreaking for its $39 million, 218-unit condominium project on Northeast Fifth Avenue.

There's no guarantee that all the projects will be built, and a sudden rise in interest rates could dampen excitement.

But the completion of the initial phases of such projects as developer Alan Hooper's Avenue Lofts at 425 N. Andrews Ave. and Downtown Lofts' NoLA Lofts at 313 NE Second St. has sparked additional interest, said Chris Wren, executive director of Fort Lauderdale's Downtown Development Authority.

''Now that you can see some of the projects coming out of the ground, people can see what this vision of an urban village looks like,'' Wren said.

`SLOW PROCESS'

Feldman was one of the first land owners to recognize the potential of the area, commonly referred to as Flagler Village and bounded by Broward Boulevard, Federal Highway to the east, and the Florida East Coast Railway tracks to the west and north. He had hoped to start construction in 2001.

''All of this is a slow process,'' he said. ``Redevelopment isn't easy.''

Even though Feldman now faces a lot more competition, he isn't worried.

Other developers share his faith. Perhaps that's best illustrated by Aventura-based Groupe Pacific's acquisition in November of 1.25 acres on the west side of the U.S. courthouse on Broward Boulevard. It wants to erect a 481-unit condo tower in the range of 30 stories. Groupe Pacific paid $10.5 million for the land, about three times previous sales prices in recent years.

''It is really a prime piece of property,'' said Alan David, vice president of Groupe Pacific. ``It's right in the heart of the downtown area.''

The price paid by Groupe Pacific is comparable to land sales south of Broward Boulevard, particularly along the New River, where residential developers have flocked in recent years. Among the buildings: the 42-story, 287-unit Las Olas River House and Minto Communities' 315-unit WaterGarden condo project.

Developers sapped the supply of units earmarked for south of Broward Boulevard and are on track to do the same for the northern side.

In November 2003, the city increased the supply of residential units that could be built in downtown by 3,000 -- with 2,197 allocated for the area north of Broward Boulevard. But a chart compiled by the city shows that 14 projects either already approved or in the approval process would consume all of the 2,197 units -- and then some.

The city and the DDA are proceeding with a land-use amendment to allow for the construction of 13,000 more downtown units. The request will go before the county's Planning Council next month, Wren said.

Of the 23 multifamily projects tracked by The Herald, only one, Flagler Point at 600 N. Andrews Ave., intends to incorporate units that the city would deem ''affordable.'' However, the project's developer hasn't priced any of the 169 rental units yet.

Nearly all of the remaining projects have units with starting prices of more than $200,000. The high end tops $700,000.

''I'm concerned about the pricing of the proposed development,'' said Carlton Moore, a Fort Lauderdale commissioner who has advocated affordable housing. ``I am not trying to harm developers. I am not trying to harm the tax base. We are a city of citizens, and our first obligation is for them to have the ability to reside within our city.''

Moore supports the creation of a law that would require a percentage of residential construction to be affordable.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/10734272.htm

renner01

January 27th, 2005, 11:57 AM

Broward officials discuss revamping of downtown with government complex

By Scott Wyman
Staff writer
Posted January 26 2005

Broward County commissioners broadened their discussion of a new government complex Tuesday to encompass the construction of new state and federal courthouses and the redevelopment of a wider swath of downtown Fort Lauderdale.

They hope their move will prompt federal officials to back away from closing federal court operations in Broward as Chief U.S. Judge William Zloch recently recommended. They suggest a new federal court could be built alongside court facilities long sought by the area's state judges.

advertisement

advertisement

Their proposal would mean not only a judicial campus and a government center for the county and city of Fort Lauderdale agencies, but mass transit links, affordable housing projects and more park space. Commissioners argue a unique opportunity exists to shape downtown, but they need the buy-in of the judiciary and Fort Lauderdale officials.

"We have a chance to look at the whole picture and create somewhat of a utopia," County Mayor Kristin Jacobs said. "We can marry our government buildings together and set the way we develop and grow from here."

The county plans to meet with city and judicial officials and hire consultants to begin needed planning. Commissioners said they are willing to seek voter approval of a bond issue to pay for part of the work and use their power to condemn property if necessary.

Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle said he was willing to listen to the county's ideas. But Zloch said the federal courthouse's fate rests with the U.S. Judicial Conference, which must decide how to operate the courts in a budget crunch.

"That's in the hands of the federal judiciary," said Zloch, who was speaking Tuesday at a Fort Lauderdale Historical Society luncheon.

Zloch was responding to a mandate to cut costs when he sent a seven-page memo to a subcommittee of the Judicial Conference, suggesting that Fort Lauderdale's federal court be closed. He suggested Broward cases be heard in West Palm Beach and Miami.

Federal officials announced years ago they would move out of the Fort Lauderdale courthouse because it doesn't meet security requirements.

County Administrator Roger Desjarlais told commissioners that he has been quietly aiding those seeking to keep federal courts in Broward, including having his staff appraise the current building. The appraisal came back at $10 million.

Until now, largely separate efforts have been looking at space needs for the federal and state court systems and county government.

A study last year concluded the county could join with developers to replace the current Governmental Center with a new high-rise building surrounded by condos, shopping plazas and parks on other government-owned land. State judges have long wanted relief at their aging and increasingly overcrowded courthouse, but plans have been stalled for the past two years.

Desjarlais and county commissioners said area governments could set a defining vision for downtown. More valuable government property, like the location of the current county building, could be used for private development, while new facilities could be located just off the downtown core to spur more improvements.

Staff Writer Brittany Wallman contributed to this report.

Scott Wyman can be reached at swyman@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4511.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-cdowntown26jan26,0,3969360.story

renner01

January 30th, 2005, 05:17 PM

Fort Lauderdale beach resorts change the market for older hotels

By Tom Stieghorst
Business Writer
Posted January 30 2005

Email story
Print story

Click here to subscribe Subscribe today to the Sun-Sentinel and find out how to get one week extra! Click here or call 1-877-READ-SUN.

Since the raucous Candy Store bar closed a dozen years ago, there hasn't been much of anything on the corner of Castillo Street and State Road A1A to draw Fort Lauderdale tourists to its magnificent view of the ocean.

This year that may change.

If all goes as planned, the $140 million St. Regis Fort Lauderdale Hotel and Residences will open in December, planting a flag in the sand for luxury travel.

But as redevelopment of Fort Lauderdale beach -- Broward County's prime tourism asset -- moves forward, hotel owners with older but viable businesses are at a crossroads. While their new neighbors could bring a wealthier crowd, they also embody tougher competition.

Hotel operators that haven't made major upgrades since the heyday of The Candy Store now must decide whether to spend tens of millions of dollars to keep pace, or risk slipping into the shadows of larger hotels now in the pipeline.

"Clearly there's going to be some competitive challenges," said John Tolbert, president of sales/marketing for the Radisson Bahia Mar Resort, which along with the two Sheraton hotels on the beach will look dated next to the new crop of lodgings.

Most of Fort Lauderdale's oceanfront was first developed in the 1940s and 1950s. Its renaissance has proceeded in fits and starts. But the entire region has an interest in its improvement because nearly half of all visitors to Broward head for Fort Lauderdale.

A revitalized beach, in tandem with the county's dynamic airport, would likely put the city in a new light on vacation maps nationwide.

Signs of the transformation are beginning to occur. Last year two new properties opened. The Atlantic, a 124-unit condo/hotel run by a unit of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, replaced the much smaller Horizon Hotel, while the 156-unit Best Western Pelican Beach Resort was redeveloped by the Kruze family from a 109-room complex that was outmoded.

A third property, the St. Regis, is well into construction, but suffered a blow last month. John McDonald, managing partner of Castillo Grande LLC, which was building the hotel, died unexpectedly of heart failure at age 59. The 23-story hotel is topped off and is expected to open late this year.

"There's glass up to the 17th floor," said Steve Shalit, general manager of the 223-unit structure, which combines condominium and hotel uses.

Shalit said that although McDonald was pivotal to the project, there are others who can step into his shoes. Castillo Grande partner Fred Bullard, a Tampa real estate veteran, will be the main hand steering the hotel to completion.

Bullard owned the defunct Jacksonville Bulls pro football franchise and owns part of several restaurant chains.

"He's not a newbie to the project. He's been involved in the decision-making since Day 1," Shalit said.

Luxe on the beach

When it opens, the 169-room St. Regis will be Fort Lauderdale's first true luxury hotel. It expects to charge between $650 and $800 a night in the 2006 winter season, a spokeswoman said.

That, in turn, will let the county visitors bureau reposition Fort Lauderdale as an upscale resort.

Locally, redeveloped hotels mean higher taxes to the city and county governments and jobs in the upper end of the hospitality sector. The 996-room Westin Diplomat that opened in Hollywood in 2002 generated 1,000 jobs and about $6.7 million a year in tax revenue.

No hotel proposed for Fort Lauderdale beach will be that big. The closest will be the W Hotel planned for the block between Bayshore Drive and Riomar Street that once held The Bahama Hotel and several smaller lodgings.

Dan Adache, a partner in the group developing the W, said the 517-unit project is under way and will start vertical construction this summer, with an opening set for 2007. The W is another brand belonging to the Starwood group.

Also moving forward is the Trump International Hotel & Tower, being developed on the site of the Gold Coast and Merrimac hotels, now being demolished. Developed by New York's Stillman Bayrock Merrimac LLC, the plan for the 24-story building was recently modified to reflect a design by renowned architect Michael Graves.

The revision dropped the number of units from 320 to 298 and reduced the restaurant from 16,000 square feet to 3,815 square feet. A 15,000-square-foot ballroom was eliminated altogether, as was a vertical wing of rooms.

Trump International is a hotel operator affiliated with developer Donald Trump, and is separate from Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts Inc., which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November. Its flagship hotel is housed in a 52-story skyscraper overlooking New York's Central Park.

`Needs a facelift'

Competing in that league will be new for some of Fort Lauderdale's venerable resorts. Some are plotting improvements while other are still mulling their options.

At the Sheraton Yankee Trader & Clipper, a major redevelopment has been in the works for close to two years. A serious obstacle has been capital. The Gill family is seeking a partner to share costs, estimated at $35 million to $50 million.

Gill Hotels President Linda Gill declined to be interviewed, citing ongoing talks, but agreed to answer written questions. She said there are talks under way with several parties with differing strategies. "Our goal is to assure that our hotels remain premier properties," she wrote.

The 501-room Clipper was built in 1956, with the 460-room Trader added about a mile to the north in 1964. Gill said they have received about $3 million annually in routine upgrades, plus a $7 million renovation in 2001.

That money bought remodeled guest rooms, expanded function space at the Trader, built new ballrooms at the Clipper and enlarged gift shops and sports facilities. The Trader got a new restaurant, Shula's on the Beach, in 1996.

While some guests praise the hotels, others say an overhaul is overdue. Richard Christiansen, creative director at a New York magazine, stayed at the Clipper for a conference earlier this month and found its musty and dark interior "very depressing."

"Sheraton needs to throw some money into this hotel, " Christiansen said. "It really needs a face-lift."

Welcoming rivals

Another Fort Lauderdale hotel that could be in the market for a makeover is the Radisson Bahia Mar, which turns 30 this year. The yachting center surrounding the 296-room hotel got a $17 million renovation last year under former owner Boca Resorts Inc., which sold the hotel and four others for $1 billion last month to private equity firm Blackstone Group.

With 26 acres of docks and land fronting both the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway, Bahia Mar is a prime spot for a luxury brand. "The great opportunity with Bahia Mar is that the site location is unparalleled," said Tolbert, marketing head for the new management group.

But the Radisson brand has a workaday middle-market image, and the hotel tower was designed and built in the disco days of 1975.

Tolbert, the marketing head of the management company installed by Blackstone, said the group is comfortable with the positioning of the hotel, which gets rates of $99 to $269 a night. He said it would be premature to discuss improvements, but added that getting squeezed by his new upscale neighbors on the beach is not at the top of his list of concerns.

"They will help the destination more than hurt any of the individual hotels there," Tolbert said.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/local/sfl-sbbeach30jan30,0,4025484.story

renner01

February 2nd, 2005, 12:51 PM

istrunk development could add 400 condos

Developer seeks to build on property that was razed

By Brittany Wallman
Staff Writer
Posted February 2 2005

FORT LAUDERDALE · A developer wants to build 400 market-rate condos on land where the homes of poor, black residents were purchased using federal money 20 years ago and later bulldozed.

Family developers Milton, Sean and Barbara Jones are being given five acres of free city land to build a grocery store for the greater Sistrunk Boulevard community.

advertisement

advertisement

Milton Jones Development Corporation was granted city permission to build on the land about 14 years ago, although a firm agreement with the city is only now under serious negotiation. Sean Jones told commissioners Tuesday he also wants to add a condo to the development mix, with no requirement of affordability.

Commissioner Carlton Moore, who has been frustrated with the delays and lack of a competitive bid, said he was "shocked" to hear of plans for a 15-story condo tower.

Other commissioners withheld a decision about affordability until they can review federal requirements.

Moore said the history of the land surrounding Church's Fried Chicken, at Sistrunk Boulevard and Seventh Avenue, dictates that any condos there be affordable to the people such as the 1,500 black residents originally displaced from the site. The city bought and cleared the land using federal money intended to help the poor.

"I don't know if you all recall the populace in this community before the city acquired it and pushed out all those homes," Moore told his City Commission colleagues. He urged them not to seek permission from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development to put market-rate condos there.

Moore, who championed high-priced, city-subsidized homes in Sweeting Estates farther west in the community, nevertheless is leading the city's effort for affordable housing and organized two recent forums on the issue.

"You can't run with rabbits and bark with the dogs," said Moore, repeating his favorite saying about picking a side and sticking with it.

High-density housing construction is taking off downtown, especially in the area north of Broward Boulevard. Commissioners on Tuesday approved a 72-unit, three-building condo complex called Xposed at 700 Northeast Fourth Ave., just blocks from the grocery store site. On Sistrunk, Jones plans to answer the community's longstanding request with a Neighbors grocery store. He'll need several approvals from the City Commission to develop the land, particularly if he adds a residential component.

City staff suggested Tuesday that HUD might approve the market-rate condos because the land, though purchased with Community Development Block Grants, would also feature commercial development and provide the 60 jobs required for federal grants.

Sean Jones said his family's company exceeded affordability requirements at Regal Trace apartments next door, also built on public land. This time, though, it might not be "feasible" due to high construction prices, he said.

"We're not saying we're not going to do affordable housing," said Jones, "but I think you should allow the market to dictate that."

Jones also said that in order to attract retailers, "We believe it's important to have higher incomes."

Mayor Jim Naugle backed the Joneses, saying that coupling the 5 acres with the Regal Trace property next door could meet HUD's requirement that 51 percent of the units be affordable to low-to-moderate income residents.

"You're putting condition after condition in there," he accused Moore.

At the small Bass Brothers grocery two blocks down on Sistrunk, a man who goes by the name Fhat Tonii said condos have no place in his community.

The point of condos "is so young executives can walk to work and jog to work so they don't have the expense to commute," he said. "There's a lot of people in this community that don't make over the poverty level."

According to the U.S. Census, the neighborhood is 90 percent black and has the highest poverty rate in Broward County.

Brittany Wallman can be reached at bwallman@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4541.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-csistrunk02feb02,0,4493627.story

renner01

February 11th, 2005, 01:02 PM

Hyde Park tower foes lose round in court

Sun-Sentinel
Posted February 10 2005

Opponents of the Hyde Park Market condo tower suffered a small loss in court this week, when the case was transferred to Broward Circuit Judge Robert Lance Andrews.

After a long court fight over the choice land at 500 E. Las Olas Blvd., next to the historic Stranahan House, the city agreed in December to let developer Related Group build a condo tower there.

advertisement

advertisement

But Stranahan House Inc. and Friends of the Park at Stranahan House Inc. challenged the legal settlement.

Stranahan supporters had argued in a legal motion that the case should not be transferred to Andrews, as had been requested by the land owner and developer, because Andrews is the same judge who approved the settlement in question.

The judge's decision was signed on Monday.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-209hyde,0,4868203.story

streetscapeer

February 11th, 2005, 06:27 PM

^^yes...hopefully he approves it again, and FT Laud gets their new tallest!!:D:D

MIAballinboi

February 12th, 2005, 06:50 AM

now heres one about the st regis, cool

source. www.southeast.construction.com

St. Regis Resort

Project designed, built as Broward County's first five-star hotel

by Natalie Keith

It took two groundbreakings to get started, but Broward County's first five-star hotel, the $135 million St. Regis Resort, Spa and Residences in Fort Lauderdale, is expected to be completed in the fall.

Developed by Castillo Grand LLC of Fort Lauderdale this new St. Regis will be one of 13 worldwide and the first to have a condominium component. The 23-story tiered tower is located on the beachfront between the Atlantic Ocean and Intracoastal Waterway.

The first groundbreaking took place Jan. 11, 2002, but the event was merely a symbolic gesture meant to assure supporters of the project's viability after Sept. 11. "We held it to let our supporters know that we were planning to move ahead with the project," said John McDonald of Castillo Grand.

After Castillo Grand obtained project financing, another groundbreaking was held and construction started in July 2003. The project topped out in mid-December.

"I've been extremely happy with the project. It's both met and exceeded our expectations," McDonald said. "The contractor is doing an outstanding job, which is a good thing."

The contractor, Facchina-McGaughan LLC of Fort Lauderdale - formerly AMEC - has a special job on its hand.

The 750,000-sq.-ft. project includes the 169-room St. Regis Resort, 33 penthouse condominium residences and 25 private residence club suites. Facilities and amenities will include terraces with ocean views; a two-story, 22,000-sq.-ft. spa; five-star restaurant and cocktail lounge facing the ocean; outdoor café; 10,595-sq.-ft. ballroom; 29,000-sq.-ft. landscaped pool deck with an infinity pool and whirlpools; beach cabanas; and water sports activity center.

The condominium levels in the upper portion of the tower area will be accessible by two high-speed passenger elevators and a dedicated service elevator. The two time-share levels will be accessible by the three hotel passenger elevators and two service elevators.

After the hotel is completed, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, based in White Plains, N.Y., will manage it.

Facchina-McGaughan project manager Brant Kish said one hurdle was the limited staging area on the site, which is bounded on two sides by the north and southbound lanes of A1A.

The project team addressed the problem by constructing the tower portion of the structure first, followed by the podium portion. Workers then could use the building's future podium area to store materials and for other construction work.

And then there was the original design of the pile caps for the elevator banks. They were initially designed to go below the water table, but with the assistance of the engineers on the job were redesigned and "lifted up" above the water table, Kish said.

"We lifted up the caps so we didn't have to deal with sand and water," he added.

The architectural design was done by Arquitectonica of Miami.

The podium and tower consist of a series of curing bands of nautical cool whites, aqua glass, natural stones and sand-colored stucco, punctuated by landscaping.

The lobby has been designed to open up to both the Beach Boulevard pedestrian entrance and the Castillo Street entrance where the vehicular drop-off is located. Twenty-ft.-high ceilings "bring the spacious feeling of the beach-side verandah inside and then gradually step down as visitors walk farther into the lobby," according to Arquitectonica.

A curving colonnade at the ground level faces the beach along the Beach Boulevard sidewalk and is punctuated by the grand entrance stair to the verandahs and hotel. White awnings provide shade to the café and lounge tables on the verandah. Above the verandah is the terrace of the restaurant and meeting rooms, echoing the curves of the wave wall along the beach, according to Arquitectonica.

Kish said the wavy walls weren't easy to construct. Concrete subcontractor Capform Inc. of Carrollton, Texas, assisted with the work.

"From the beach, it's a good-looking building, but from a layout perspective, it's challenging," he added.

All but one of the condominiums has been sold at prices ranging from $1.5 million to $9 million, McDonald said.

http://www.southeast.construction.com/images/cover.jpg

FTLMAN

February 16th, 2005, 04:30 PM

Fort Lauderdale commission OKs luxurious Trump Tower along beachfront

By Brittany Wallman
Staff Writer
Posted February 16 2005

FORT LAUDERDALE -- A hotel bearing Donald Trump's name and the design of renowned architect Michael Graves was unanimously approved Tuesday night, giving momentum to a project considered key to the beach's transformation to a classy tourist destination.

The 24-story Trump International Hotel & Tower will rise on State Road A1A on the beachfront, filling the block between Terramar and Windamar streets.

Graves, a noted international architect also known for his design of can openers, clocks and toasters sold at Target stores, attended the City Commission meeting, where Vice Mayor Dean Trantalis complimented him for redesigning the hotel to trim its size.

The 298-room hotel is more massive than would be allowed under today's development rules, but the city could do little to change the project because an earlier version of the condo-hotel was approved in 2001 and that approval is still valid, according to a memo by city staff.

Nevertheless the redesigned hotel has 215 fewer parking spaces and 22 fewer units than first approved.

"I think the building is a very attractive addition to the beach," said Trantalis, adding that the Trump insignia should help promote the beach to the outside world.

The gutted shell of the old Gold Cost/Merrimac hotel stands alone on the block now where the new hotel, to be operated by Trump, will be built.

Next door, the new The Atlantic condo-hotel, the first of the new luxury resorts, opened last year.

At least eight major beachfront condo-hotels were approved several years ago, and after a stall in the economy, are now under way.

Elsewhere on the beach, smaller projects are filling in where older, smaller buildings have been torn down.

The city hopes to create a posh tourist destination at the beach. To that end, they grappled Tuesday with the new form of hotels -- "condo-hotels" whose units are sold and used partly as short-term homes.

Generally, city officials don't want condo residents on the central beachfront; they want hotel tourists. So they announced plans to pass a new law to better define "hotel." Specifically, they want any buyers of units in the condo-hotels to know they can't stay more than 30 days at a time, three times a year.

"We're concerned that people from out of the area or internationally will buy one of these things and consider it a permanent residence," City Attorney Harry Stewart said.

For years, the central beach has been ground zero in the public debate about over-development. That was evident Tuesday, as beach residents spoke out against the 37-unit Marbella Place project, saying it was too big.

Attorney Don Hall withdrew the project in the midst of the public hearing, asking that it be postponed until March 15.

Residents complained that Marbella Place's two seven-story buildings at the northwest corner of Riomar Street and Birch Road would be too tall in their neighborhood, but Commissioner Carlton Moore said height alone is not the sole measure of compatibility.

"I happened to go to the Heat game the other night and saw Shaq with his wife," he said. "They're very compatible. But they're different heights."

Brittany Wallman can be reached at bwallman@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4541.

streetscapeer

February 16th, 2005, 07:29 PM

Great news!

MIAballinboi

February 16th, 2005, 10:38 PM

cool trump ft laud!

texasboy

February 19th, 2005, 03:58 AM

Anybody have information on the Sunrise Middle River Hotel (http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=200970)

streetscapeer

February 19th, 2005, 10:59 PM

^whoa...lol, where'd that project come from...I have no idea about it!

MIAballinboi

February 21st, 2005, 02:50 PM

http://southflorida.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2005/02/21/story5.html?page=1

Empty nesters, singles targeted for 'soft' lofts
Ed Duggan
Development in Fort Lauderdale's central business district is moving north with the announcement of Strada 315, a 20-story residential mixed-use tower on the southwest corner of Northeast Third Avenue and Northeast Fourth Street.

Pre-construction prices for studio units will start in the low $200,000s, with initial pricing in the $350 a square foot range for the studio, one- and two-bedroom units, according to Thomas D. Laudani, president of Northpointe.

Southpointe, Strada's developer group.

The $38 million project's development company is split: The Northpointe division develops in the New England area, while Southpointe concentrates in Florida.

Ocean City Lofts in Delray Beach was the group's first local venture, and Strada is its first project in Fort Lauderdale. Additional projects in both locales are in the pipeline, Laudani said, declining to give further details.

Strada comprises 9,000 square feet of commercial space on its ground floor, topped with five floors of parking, an amenity deck, and 13 floors - 117 units - of "soft" lofts. Those are condominium apartments with 10-foot-high ceilings, but without the exposed ductwork and raw concrete floors of a vintage loft.

Fort Lauderdale architect Jiro Yates, said he thinks the popularity of the old-style loft has peaked.

"Some people were unhappy after they moved into some early loft projects because of the sparseness and lack of privacy with no interior walls," he said. "Strada is a compromise, giving the spaciousness of a loft, but the finish of a luxury unit."

The headquarters of Morgan, Olsen & Olsen will take up 4,000 square feet of the ground floor commercial space. The law firm currently occupies the existing office building on the site, which is to be demolished for the new construction.

The fit is tight for the compact land parcel the 20-story tower will rise on.

"It is tight like most urban infill developments, but we are prepared for it and already have planned for nearby staging areas and off-street parking during construction," said Alan Macken, director of operations for Southpointe and VP of Aventura-based Vercon Construction Management, the general contractor for Strada.

Macken doesn't envision any shortages of building materials or skilled labor.

"Contractors who pay their bills promptly and deal fairly with their suppliers and subcontractors will always be at the top of the list for service and delivery," he said.

A marketing feasibility study has highlighted certain target groups as potential buyers. They include Generation X-ers, empty nesters, those who live west but want the urban lifestyle, gay couples and singles, and young professionals who want some balance in their lives.

"It's a pretty broad group," Macken said. "People can save two hours a day of commuting. They can walk to work downtown, sample a variety of restaurants, enjoy day and nighttime entertainment, and in general, reclaim their lives."

Amenities at Strada include a workout room, a curvilinear swimming pool, a walking/jogging track on the seventh-floor amenity platform, a lounge area, juice bar and a residents' suite with computers and related equipment.

Sales are being handled by Fort Lauderdale-based Galleria of Fine Homes.

:cheers:

FTLMAN

February 21st, 2005, 04:48 PM

I think the Sunrise Middle River Hotel is dead.....I belive the county is acquiring the land for a park

streetscapeer

February 21st, 2005, 07:27 PM

this strata development is hot stuff:)...FTL is quickening it's pace

renner01

February 22nd, 2005, 04:36 PM

http://www.globest.com/newspics/mia_strada315.jpg
Southpoint Plans $38M, 117-Unit Strada 315 Condo
By Marita Thomas
Last updated: February 22, 2005 06:42am

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL-Southpoint Realty Development unveiled plans for Strada 315, a $38-million, 117-unit condominium here at 315 NE Third Ave. at the corner of Fourth Street. Residential units in the 20-story building will begin on the eighth floor above approximately 9,000 sf of office space on the first floor, a five-story parking garage and seventh-floor amenity deck.

Residential units range from 607-sf studios to 1,579-sf two-bedroom, 2.5-bath floor plans. Prices begin in the low $200,000s and reach to nearly $600,000. The target market is young professionals who want to live close to their jobs and suburban homeowners who are tapping into what Thomas D. Laudani, Southpoint principal, sees as Fort Lauderdale’s urban renaissance.

“Fort Lauderdale is evolving before our eyes into an energetic urban village where people can live close to their worksites and the many attractions the city has to offer,” he says. Strada 315 won unanimous approval from the city commission and will break ground this summer. It is scheduled for occupancy in spring 2007.

Amenities include a free-form heated outdoor pool with a waterfall effect and Jacuzzi. A glass-enclosed space will encompass a fitness center, jogging track, walking trail, plasma TVs, stereo system, coffee and juice bar, and clubroom with kitchen facilities.

The architect, Falkanger, Snyder, Martineau & Yates, and interior design firm Steven G. Inc., are based here. Construction is being handled by Vercon Construction Management Inc. Vercon’s VP, Alan Macken, is Southpoint’s director of operations. Locally based Galleria Collection of Fine Homes, headed by Paul McRae, is handling marketing and sales.

Delray Beach-based Southpoint is the South Florida counterpart of Andover, MA-based Northpoint Realty Development, of which Laudani and Louis P. Minicucci Jr. are principals. Among Southpoint’s developments are Ocean City Lofts, Bella Vista, Renaissance Village and Marina Bay, all in Delray Beach.
http://www.globest.com/news/216_226/miami/131502-1.html

renner01

February 25th, 2005, 12:53 PM

Posted on Fri, Feb. 25, 2005

REAL ESTATE

Working with Donald Trump, developer must `suck up ego'

Making money with Donald Trump looks so easy but real life isn't always as simple as reality television. Sometimes you have to stand in the shadow of fame.

BY DOUGLAS HANKS III

dhanks@herald.com

Roy Stillman brought most of the money to build Fort Lauderdale's latest luxury hotel, and he's sure to get little attention for it. So it goes when your junior partner is named Donald Trump.

''It's a little frustrating. But I knew that going in,'' said Stillman, the New York high-rise developer behind the Trump International Hotel & Tower Fort Lauderdale, set to start construction in the coming months. ``I'll just have to suck up my ego.''

He has plenty of humble company: Trump has already licensed his name to a Sunny Isles Beach condo-hotel, and plans to announce a second project on Fort Lauderdale beach. Meanwhile, Trump has launched more than a dozen high-rise towers around the globe, often with developers who see his name as a lucrative investment.

But along with Trump's marketability, his partners must deal with a novel array of perks and complications that real estate's biggest celebrity brings to the table.

First, there's The Apprentice television show. Though the ratings are off from last season, the weekly installments of would-be executives competing for Trump's favor remains a hit for NBC and a marketing bonanza for Trump.

Trump said he might offer the show's winner an apprenticeship at the Fort Lauderdale venture, like he did in past seasons for condo-hotels in Chicago and Las Vegas. But Stillman didn't sound eager to link the project with the game show.

''To me, there's a very loose connection [between what] these Apprentice candidates are asked to accomplish and business skills,'' said Stillman, who said he's learned a little about the show from its commercials. ``This isn't a job for people who are learning. This is a job, really, for experts.''

COUGHING IT UP

Though Trump and his partner Bayrock Group brought Stillman into the Fort Lauderdale project less than a year ago, Stillman said he lined up the financing and put up the dollars to move ahead with the venture at the site of old Merrimac and Gold Coast hotels on Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard.

The 42-year-old emphasized his admiration for Trump's marketing genius and real estate acumen, calling him a ``terrific partner.''

But along with checking his own ego at the door, Stillman also must tread lightly when it comes to The Donald's. After a reporter told Trump that Stillman doesn't watch The Apprentice, Trump retorted he'd fire someone for saying such a thing.

''Besides,'' Trump said, ``he's probably the only one in the country who hasn't watched it.''

BELLS AND WHISTLES

Even so, Stillman clearly has faith in Trump's allure.

The hotel's 298 condo-hotel units will sell for about $1,000 a square foot -- sky-high for Fort Lauderdale and about $300 more than what units went for next door at Fort Lauderdale's new luxury condo-hotel, the Atlantic.

''The Trump name has become a cultural emblem of success,'' Stillman said. ``They feel they're buying into just a little bit of the glamour.''

Stillman said only a few people have raised concerns about how potential buyers would react to Trump's casino company filing for bankruptcy last fall. ''I just see excitement and green lights,'' when it comes to Trump's name, he said.

A New York real estate brokerage once estimated Trump's name adds about 18 percent to prices a condominium tower can charge, and Mark Ellert, who helped develop the Atlantic, thought Trump could probably tack at least a $200-a-foot premium in Fort Lauderdale.

But some question the depth of Trump mania as the television star leverages his fame across an array of branded products: business suits, a business school, bottled water, golf clubs, cologne, a board game, a radio show, a magazine.

Overexposure is a worry in Fort Lauderdale too, since Trump, Bayrock and an undisclosed partner are getting ready to announce the 12-story Trump International Beach Club about a mile down the beach from the 24-story hotel they're building with Stillman.

But Stillman contends normal brand-saturation principles don't apply to Trump. ``I realized in Manhattan there are a number of Trump properties [Trump's website lists nine] and people seem to be able to reconcile that just fine.''

He and Trump declined to describe the financial details of the partnership, though Stillman insisted Trump was an equity investor who put cash into the venture.

IT'S ALL IN THE NAME

That wasn't the case in Sunny Isles Beach, where the owners of a Sonesta hotel reportedly signed a licensing deal worth $4 million to add Trump's name to the oceanfront condo-hotel complex. The 2001 deal also yields Trump $2.25 for every occupied room, according to recent Sonesta filings.

''The name has brought a cachet to certain areas that wouldn't have had it,'' Trump said of Sunny Isles, where vacations once centered around discount motels.

That's the hope for Fort Lauderdale, which wants the influx of luxury hotels like the Atlantic to bury its reputation as a cut-rate destination for spring breakers. Stillman described Trump as a fitting vehicle for the city's new upscale image.

''I've got to tell you,'' Stillman added, ``what he forgot about marketing, I may never know.''
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/10986495.htm

SkyDiveJunkee

February 27th, 2005, 01:00 AM

St. Regis is going to be hot. This is great for Ft. Lauderdale.

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/en_US/Media/Graphics/Brands/St_Regis/Properties/1512/images/na1512wb1_lg.jpg

texasboy

February 27th, 2005, 01:03 AM

St. Regis is going to be hot. This is great for F. Lauderdale.

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/en_US/Media/Graphics/Brands/St_Regis/Properties/1512/images/na1512wb1_lg.jpg

That is pretty cool. Especially the lush landscape on every floor. What is that on the right side of it?

Dale

February 27th, 2005, 01:19 AM

Interesting, just one year ago, FTL, along with Sarasota, were the only Florida cities building a significant number of high-rises donwntown.

Now, FTL tends to get left out !

renner01

March 1st, 2005, 11:35 AM

Trump condo-hotel aims for 5-star atmosphere

by Robyn Friedman, Special to the Sun-Sentinel
Posted February 28 2005

E-mail story
Print story

Click here to subscribe Subscribe today to the Sun-Sentinel
and find out how to get one week extra!
Click here or call 1-877-READ-SUN.

More details have emerged on real estate mogul Donald J. Trump's proposed condo-hotel on the Fort Lauderdale beachfront. The five-star, 298-unit Trump International Hotel & Tower was approved by the city a couple of weeks ago.

It will be Trump's first Broward County project, after establishing himself as a multi-family developer in South Florida with two oceanfront projects in Sunny Isles Beach.

Trump is developing the project in partnership with New York-based developer Roy Stillman and Bayrock Group LLC, a resort and hotel development company.

The project will rise on two acres at 551 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., just north of Las Olas Boulevard. Construction is scheduled to begin in April, with completion slated for 2007.

Trump International will take the place of a 1950s-era motel. "We have a highly original building that is intended to be an icon for Fort Lauderdale," said Roy Stillman, managing member of Stillman Bayrock Merrimac LLC, the developer. "It's going to set the bar in terms of cultural awareness and identity, with important architectural design that's been lacking on the beach."

The 24-story tower, designed by renowned architect Michael Graves and Associates in collaboration with Oscar Garcia Architects, will have the feel of a 1925 luxury cruise ship, with elegant woods and upholstered surfaces.

The studios, one- and two-bedroom units will range from 530 to 4,000 square feet, with the bulk of the units being about 600 square feet, Stillman said. Prices will range from the $500,000s to more than $3 million. The units will be furnished and will include flat-screen TVs with DVD and CD players, state-of-the-art kitchens with upscale appliances, imported Italian marble flooring in the kitchens and baths and luxurious bathrooms.

"The name of the game here is five-star service," Stillman said.

Owners and hotel guests will have access to the hotel's five-star amenities, including white-glove concierge service, valet, security, housekeeping and room service. There will be a 5,000-square-foot health club and spa, a fitness center with personal trainers, a world-class restaurant and a pool deck overlooking the ocean.

Owners of the condo-hotel units have the option of allowing a hotel management company to maintain and rent their units when not occupied. Donald Trump's condo-hotel in New York, the Trump International Hotel & Tower on Central Park West, was rated the No. 1 hotel in the United States by Conde Nast Traveler.

Stillman said sales to "friends and family" have begun and that 40 units have been reserved since sales opened about two weeks ago. He expects to officially launch sales within a few weeks.

Although some of the condo-hotels in Fort Lauderdale have struggled, and the project faces competition, at least one real estate insider expects Trump International to do well. "New hotel-condos are not just going to be a short-term rage, but the new norm for many investors looking for luxury living," said Carl S. Marzola, president of Atlantic Properties International Inc. in Fort Lauderdale. "There's strong competition to attract the luxury buyer for these new developments, but Trump has been well recognized and people buy in part just because of the Trump name."

Donald J. Trump established The Trump Organization in 1980 as the umbrella organization for his real estate developments and other corporate affiliates. The firm is currently developing residential, hotel and golf club projects in Chicago; Las Vegas, Nev.; Los Angeles; Phoenix; Miami; Toronto; the Caribbean; New York; New Jersey and Seoul, South Korea.

Roy Stillman is a real estate developer with projects in New York, Connecticut and Florida. His projects range from land planning to residential and commercial developments that include condominiums and hotels. He recently completed The Metropolitan, a 94-unit luxury residential tower in Manhattan.

Bayrock Group LLC is a real estate investment and development firm specializing in luxury residential, commercial and mixed-use projects. The firm is developing projects in New York, Florida and Arizona and owns five luxury resorts on the Mediterranean Sea and throughout Europe.

Robyn A. Friedman is a freelance writer. E-mail real estate items or tips to rafriedman@att.net.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/local/sfl-ybreal28feb28,0,6077790.story

streetscapeer

March 1st, 2005, 07:34 PM

^thanks for the info renner

I wonder if there are there any renderings out there for this new trump building?:)

The Mad Hatter!!

March 2nd, 2005, 08:47 PM

yea i've seen the rendering for the new trump building it looks like the w hotel it was in the herald let me see if i can find it..

is this it?
http://www.andyweiser.com/newcon/trump.htm

Dale

March 2nd, 2005, 09:05 PM

^ It sure looks like Michael Graves to me.

smiley

March 2nd, 2005, 09:13 PM

http://www.andyweiser.com/newcon/trump1/front-north.jpg

You know, Trump designs are so disappointing. THe only thing that makes Tampa's tower mildly decent (though by no means great) is that they designed it before they brought trump in. They may have great interiors, but htey do little for me as buildings.

Dale

March 2nd, 2005, 09:24 PM

But this is Michael Graves. And he put his trademark smokestack things on the low-rise portion.

streetscapeer

March 3rd, 2005, 06:34 AM

^^YEah...I don't like the color scheme....they could do better on the design....but hey, It might look good in person (when built)

SkyDiveJunkee

March 3rd, 2005, 06:39 AM

So now Ft Lauderdale can join Celebration as one of two cities in Florida with a Michael Graves design. Oh how I love celebrity architects.

dave8721

March 3rd, 2005, 05:03 PM

So now Ft Lauderdale can join Celebration as one of two cities in Florida with a Michael Graves design. Oh how I love celebrity architects.

He also did 1500 Ocean Dr on South Beach.

http://www.michaelgraves.com/project_type.asp?tID=5&id=73

SkyDiveJunkee

March 3rd, 2005, 08:02 PM

^Not a very unique design, is it? He also did the Swan and the Dolphin at Disney.

Dale

March 3rd, 2005, 08:05 PM

I like it. Kind of evokes a cruise ship.

Toucano

March 4th, 2005, 07:38 AM

I dunno if this is new or not but:

An insider has let me in on a little secret...Ft. Lauderdale is currently working to create a small LRT system that would connect downtown with a New Nova Southeastern university medical campus as well as another main point of interest in the area. I do not know how big the system will be but do know who will be making the LRT (A fact which i am keeping to myself). If you all know anything, let me know...

FTLMAN

March 5th, 2005, 10:38 PM

Broward GP, LLC/Groupe Pacific has submitted plans to the City Development Review Committee for a 48 story mixed use tower at 111 E Broward Blvd. Plans call for 354 units, 4500 sq ft of retail, 3000 sq ft of commercial and 43,000 sq feet of office space.

Dale

March 6th, 2005, 04:08 AM

^ Great news ! Is this on the north or south side of Broward ? The reason I ask is because, as I recall, development is temporarily capped south of Broward while the city amends its development plan.

Aessotariq

March 6th, 2005, 04:23 AM

^ The address is an odd number, so it's on the north side.

Dale

March 6th, 2005, 04:25 AM

Then if my info is correct, it's full speed ahead for this new project irrespective of how long it takes to redo the city plan.

FTLMAN

March 6th, 2005, 05:40 AM

^ The address is an odd number, so it's on the north side.

Yes, I believe it is on the north site between the SouthTrust Building and the Federal Courthouse (until that gets sold and town down)

Dale

March 6th, 2005, 06:51 AM

FTLMAN -

Keep the FTL news coming please ! I've been keeping up with its downtown development for some time now.

streetscapeer

March 6th, 2005, 09:31 PM

^^me too:)

jzquince69

March 7th, 2005, 07:54 PM

That 48 story tower sounds awesome. Maybe it will be as remarkable as Riverhouse in design.

Dale

March 7th, 2005, 07:56 PM

^ Or even more so.

FTLMAN

March 14th, 2005, 08:48 PM

39-story condo tower up for approval in Fort Lauderdale

By Brittany Wallman
Staff Writer
Posted March 14 2005

FORT LAUDERDALE · A 39-story residential tower that would rise amid low-rise industrial buildings along the railroad tracks faces a final vote Tuesday at the City Commission.

At 414 feet tall, it would be second in height to only one building in downtown Fort Lauderdale: the River House condo on Las Olas Boulevard, which is 42 stories and 422 feet.

Developer EDI (Ellis Diversified Inc.) proposes the Brickell Heights project on land next to the FEC railroad tracks in an industrial patch north of Broward Boulevard, at 307 NW First Ave. It would be the tallest building north of Broward Boulevard downtown, where developers have filed dozens of plans for mid-rise lofts, apartments and other residential projects.

The project, including 356 apartments for sale, would also have 9,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor and feature apartments at lower prices than other downtown towers. The project is exempt from the usual downtown parking requirements because it includes 616 spaces. A traffic analysis by Tinter Associates Inc. concluded the roads could "adequately accommodate'' the project. On the property now is a two-story building, six one-story buildings and three small parking lots. All will be razed.

"It's not your primary piece of real estate,'' said EDI president Jim Ellis, who called the area a "secondary market'' downtown.

But Ellis said he foresees area improvements, such as Boward County's proposed government center on land to the south, and a possible park on city land to the east.

He said the prices would start in the $200,000s, much lower than in many of the luxury buildings downtown. Ellis said he hopes to lure downtown employees who can't afford to live in the other towers, where prices can soar past $1 million.

"We feel we're hitting a market that has been overlooked,'' he said. "We will be marketing this to a population who has not had a choice to live in downtown. The live-work-and-play only applies to some and not all.''

Ellis said his company would move quickly to build the tower. "We are immediate. We do not flip. We do not sit on deals,'' Ellis said.

Flagler Village Civic Association president Robert Larsen wrote a letter supporting the project and no opposition has surfaced so far.

Public input will be allowed at the meeting, which will start at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 100 N. Andrews Ave. It will be broadcast live on the Internet, at www.fortlauderdale.gov and can be viewed on local cable channel 78.

Dale

March 14th, 2005, 09:14 PM

I like it. I'm confused though by the 422 ft. height for the Riverhouse. Not too long ago their website said 447 ft.

streetscapeer

March 14th, 2005, 09:19 PM

great news...if approved, maybe this cuilding can break ground before the year's end:)

streetscapeer

March 14th, 2005, 09:22 PM

maybe we'll be able to see some renderings at the meeting tomorrow @ 6...I hope it's a nice design

FTLMAN

March 14th, 2005, 11:13 PM

Rendering is available in the Sun Sentinel. Check out the link below.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-ctower14mar14,0,326842.story?coll=sfla-news-broward

streetscapeer

March 14th, 2005, 11:37 PM

cool...

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/media/graphic/2005-03/16687479.jpg

MIAballinboi

March 15th, 2005, 12:18 AM

true dale i thought riverhouse was around 450

Dale

March 15th, 2005, 12:22 AM

This one should dominate from I-95.

jzquince69

March 15th, 2005, 05:26 PM

you guys should check out the thread for this building in the general Florida forum and the criticism its gotten b/c of its name. I don't think people realize that NW 1st Ave becomes Brickell Ave. when it crosses broward Blvd.

renner01

March 16th, 2005, 12:39 PM

If approved, new condo tower would be tallest in Broward

By Jean-Paul Renaud
and Brittany Wallman Staff WriterS
Posted March 16 2005

Fort Lauderdale -- Plans have entered City Hall for a soaring 48-story residential skyscraper that would rise above every other building in Broward County.

If approved, the 514-foot structure would be 9 feet taller than the county's current record holder, the still unfinished 505-foot, 52-story Beach Club Tower 2 in Hallandale Beach. The proposed downtown building, at 111 E. Broward Blvd., is the latest in a barrage of projects constantly breaking height records in their efforts to claim a piece of a booming real estate market in Fort Lauderdale's urban core.

advertisement

advertisement

Meanwhile, the City Commission's approval of a 39-story residential tower was postponed Tuesday, as developers of Brickell Heights residential towers delayed seeking approval for the latest addition to this city's expanding skyline.

The most recent projects represent the first major push to develop the city's downtown north of Broward Boulevard. Once considered blighted and shunned by developers, this area now is the subject of plans that are piling up in City Hall.

Fort Lauderdale Planning Director Marc LaFerrier said all of the approximately 1,500 residential units allowed in buildings for the overall area have been claimed by projects that have been built, are under construction or are in the pipeline. Still more are in the wings hoping to step forward if a project ahead of them falls apart, LaFerrier said.

This is the first residential venture into Broward County for Groupe Pacific, the Miami-based development company that is seeking approval for the 48-story tower.

"While there is substantial `high end' residential development to the south of Broward Boulevard along the river," a proposal submitted to city officials from Groupe Pacific reads, "development along Broward Boulevard and to its north is lagging far behind in the number of units being developed."

Groupe Pacific's unnamed building would dwarf any current downtown highrise. Nestled among the federal courthouse, the 19-story South Trust Tower and a city parking lot, the new residential tower would open 354 apartments within a few steps of Fort Lauderdale City Hall.

City officials have already met with developers, sending the project back to the drawing table because the design was too "bulky."

"When we first saw the design, we had some concerns," Fort Lauderdale City Manager George Gretsas said. "The concern was the bulk of the building, as well as the positioning of the back of the building. The fact that it could potentially have an impact on the economic value of our property was a concern. Because we are a property owner, we wanted to make sure whatever was built there was not detrimental to the economic value of our property."

Current plans call for the first nine floors of the building to be a parking lot, able to accommodate almost 600 cars. The proposal also allows retail stores to line the building along Broward Boulevard, introducing businesses into a street traditionally inhabited by bankers and government employees.

"We know the business and we build where we believe there is going to be market acceptance with our product," said Alan David, vice president of Groupe Pacific. "In many areas, there is resistance from old timers to see change. People tend to resist change sometimes. I think that there's a need for downtown housing."

The housing market is making neighborhoods once ignored attractive to developers.

By Flagler Village, the 39-story Brickell Heights apartment tower would set precedent in the area, an industrial, low-rise section of downtown, adding 356 apartments to the neighborhood.

The project was rescheduled Tuesday to face commissioners on April 19, because the developer wanted more time to talk to city officials and the community, according to the group's attorney Robert Lochrie. But the community generally has supported residential development there, in part because new projects are replacing decayed buildings or defunct businesses. While there is no downtown height limit, Gretsas said it is a topic that will have to be addressed if residents begin to complain. "Height is an issue," he said. "There's more to come. There's no question about that."

Jean-Paul Renaud can be reached at jprenaud@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4556.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-ctower16mar16,0,1244350.story

jzquince69

March 16th, 2005, 03:53 PM

any prior postings of beach Club II?

FTLMAN

March 16th, 2005, 04:09 PM

Broward approves thousands of new residences in Lauderdale, Hollywood

By Scott Wyman
Staff writer
Posted March 16 2005

The eastward march of Broward County's development picked up speed on Tuesday as county commissioners agreed to allow 3,000 more residences to be built in downtown Fort Lauderdale. It also gave Hollywood the power to better use blighted parts of its city core for new housing.

Fort Lauderdale wanted the right to add 13,000 residential units downtown, but city officials could not overcome concern that roads, schools and utilities could not keep pace with such rapid growth. Still, the expansion agreed to by the county could result in 10 high-rise condos the size of downtown's current largest building, the 42-story Las Olas River House.

Hollywood, on the other hand, is expanding the area designated as its downtown so it can bring residential and commercial development to the Federal Highway and Dixie Highway corridors that so far have been left out of its revitalization. Hollywood's proposal does not increase its downtown density, but focuses where the remaining 4,400 units allowed under its current cap are built.

Tuesday's decisions will not result immediately in any construction in either city because the state Department of Community Affairs must approve both proposals, and then the county must conduct a second round of review. But officials said the decisions signal how development is shifting away from the western suburbs where open land is increasingly scarce to older coastal communities.

"Broward County is going from a sleepy, suburban community to the sixth largest urban area in the nation," County Mayor Kristin Jacobs said. "We are waking up to that fact and realizing we must figure out how to maintain our quality of life and build a sustainable community."

While some slow-growth advocates and environmental activists remain concerned about the effect of such plans, Fort Lauderdale officials complained that the county had set back efforts to expand affordable housing and mass transit. A dearth of additional housing units will drive up the price developers can seek and mean fewer people to sustain any type of downtown rail or trolley system.

"The people are coming and the question is how do we properly plan for growth," said Chris Wren of the Downtown Development Authority.

FORT LAUDERDALE

Fort Lauderdale wanted to raise the cap on housing from 8,000 units to 21,000 allowed between Sunrise Boulevard and the Tarpon River and between Federal Highway and Northwest Seventh Avenue. That would have meant as many as 26,000 additional residents.

Although major residential projects have been under way downtown for more than five years, city officials told the county that more are needed if the area is to become an urban center. The city has reached the maximum number of units allowed south of Broward Boulevard and has plans on the table to eat up those allowed in the downtown area north of Broward.

In an effort to win approval, city officials agreed to set aside 15 percent of the new units for affordable housing and pledged about $6 million in impact fees to address overcrowded schools. But they could not reconcile starkly different views about the impact of the extra growth.

County Commissioner John Rodstrom, who represents downtown Fort Lauderdale, joined neighborhood activists in charging that roads, sewer and water systems, parks and the electric supply are inadequate. Rodstrom persuaded his colleagues to limit the number of new units to 3,000 and to require the city to come back with better justification for more.

The city's traffic study said 13,000 additional units would more than double the traffic downtown even if some residents walked and others rode mass transit. Rodstrom said the city has not approved a needed switching station to bring more electricity downtown or a needed water tower to improve water pressure.

Rodstrom was particularly concerned about overdevelopment because another proposal that county commissioners will soon consider would allow the city to shift 20,000 more residential units downtown.

City commissioners and their planning staff promptly criticized the county decision.

They said utilities would be upgraded and that improvements in mass transit could only occur if more housing is built downtown. Currently, plans are on the drawing boards for a downtown light rail, a rail system along Interstate 595, an automated people-mover at the airport and seaport and public transit along the Florida East Coast Railroad tracks.

HOLLYWOOD

With the Hollywood project, the area designated as downtown would expand from 384 acres to 1,486 acres, encompassing most of the area south of Sheridan Street, east of Interstate 95, west of South 17th Avenue and north of Pembroke Road.

The expansion allows the city more flexibility in deciding which properties to develop. City officials would be able to focus a mix of housing, office and commercial development along major corridors served by mass transit.

Some residents had been concerned that the city planned to place all of the 4,400 remaining housing units in its primary downtown area around Young Circle, saying such a move would create a blighted outer Hollywood and an inner core of luxury housing.

City officials assured the county that was not the case. They pledged that half of the units would not be built in the core area.

City Commissioner Beam Furr said Hollywood planned to target the west side of Dixie Highway, the area south of Adams Street and corridors like Federal Highway. Furr said the city had to put the brakes on redeveloping those areas because of planning restrictions.

Scott Wyman can be reached at swyman@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4511. Staff writer Brittany Wallman contributed to this report.

streetscapeer

March 16th, 2005, 10:13 PM

damn...can you imagine Broward in 10 years....with rail and such...sweet:)

streetscapeer

March 16th, 2005, 10:17 PM

great articles everyone...2007 will be a very "transforming year" for South Florida

south florida dave

March 16th, 2005, 10:31 PM

wow, ft. lauderdale is going off. i hope to see one giant, connected skyline from miami to ft. lauderdale in my lifetime. i guess it would have to be more like miami beach to ft. lauderdale beach, but either way. now that would be nice!

jzquince69

March 17th, 2005, 04:36 PM

It will connect: Downtown to the beach to Hollywood beach to Hallandale to Sunny Isles/Aventura and then into Miami Beach... It almost connects now, with the advent of Westin Diplomat, Beach Club, etc...

Archit_K

March 17th, 2005, 10:13 PM

MIAballinboi

March 18th, 2005, 01:45 AM

wooow awesome ft laud really kicking ass,

wow what are the beach club guys gonna think of this lool,

thats awesome a 514 footer right where it belongs downtown!

Dale

March 20th, 2005, 02:50 AM

What's the status on the 14-story mixed-use tower, called 200 Brickell, by Stiles ?

It was announced with a big splash, about a year ago. Now I can't find it on the Stiles website.

renner01

March 31st, 2005, 04:52 PM

I've been wondering the same thing. Maybe they can't get tenants....

FTLMAN

April 5th, 2005, 03:22 PM

By Scott Wyman
Staff writer
Posted April 5 2005

Hoping to keep a federal courthouse in Fort Lauderdale and relieve overcrowding in state courts, Broward County is touting a plan for a new judicial campus on the site of the current state court building downtown and on nearby land.

The proposal presented to Chief U.S. District Judge William Zloch and county commissioners during the past week calls for a high-rise state court to be built on the southwestern corner of Third Avenue and Southeast Sixth Street. The oldest part of the current state courthouse would then be demolished to make way for a new federal court center.

The county began looking for land for a joint federal-state judicial campus two months ago after Zloch suggested closing federal court operations in Broward and sending local cases to Miami and West Palm Beach. Zloch had long been frustrated in his efforts to replace the current federal courthouse in Fort Lauderdale.

"I think we've developed the most workable plan that has been considered in the past 15 years on construction of a new federal courthouse," County Administrator Roger Desjarlais said Monday. "We would be able to build what we need while assuming the least amount of risk possible because we own most of the land already."

The total project would cost at least $240 million, about $120 million for each courthouse. Desjarlais said the county has $50 million set aside for a new state court building and could borrow money to pay the other $70 million in its construction costs.

Zloch could not be reached for comment. Desjarlais and Fort Lauderdale attorney Bill Scherer, who has been active in negotiations between the county and federal court system, described Zloch as open to the idea, even though Desjarlais said Zloch would prefer locating the federal court on a larger parcel of land a block south of the state courthouse.

"I think this works," Scherer said. "You get a new state facility with the feds right there."

Desjarlais said he will ask county commissioners to pursue more detailed discussions with federal officials and talk to landowners about whether they are willing to sell their property. Commissioners have said they would condemn land for the project if necessary.

Under the county plan, the federal government would trade its current courthouse at Third Avenue and Broward Boulevard for the site of the current state courthouse. The county would then decide whether to sell the Broward Boulevard property to developers or use it as part of other plans it has to build a new county government center.

To create the judicial campus and meet federal security requirements, the county also would close Southeast Sixth Street. Desjarlais said it would be turned into a pedestrian mall.

The county has been looking to build a new family court building to ease overcrowding at the state courthouse but scrapped the last plans to do so two years ago. The main section of the courthouse was built in 1955 and is outgrowing its 1995 expansion.

Scott Wyman can be reached at swyman@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4511.

streetscapeer

April 6th, 2005, 07:21 AM

Great news...I wonder if they'd realease any renderings, or if we'd have accesws to any...hopfully we some designs soon...this is great cause it's not just another high-rise condo:)...thanks FTLman:)

streetscapeer

April 6th, 2005, 07:22 AM

Originally posted by Aessotariq @ Urbanplanet

Partners Begin $10M Infrastructure for Metropica
By Marita Thomas
Last updated: March 31, 2005 09:24am

SUNRISE, FL-Aventura-based K-Group Holdings begins infrastructure development of 26 acres of land for the $160-million, 65-acre Metropica mixed-use development planned here adjacent to Sawgrass Mills Mall. The infrastructure development cost is estimated at $10 million, according to Joseph Kavana, K-Group CEO.

Phase I will include 500,000 sf of office space in four six- to seven-story buildings, 363 residential condos in two eight-story structures, parking garages and a 62,000-sf “restaurant village.” The second phase of the master-planned project will add an estimated 2,000 more residential units and an open-air park at the center of the land will anchor all components of Metropica.

Codina Construction, an affiliate of Coral Gables-based Codina Group, is general contractor. Codina is a JV partner with K-Group in the Metropica project. Plans for the development were announced in the summer of 2002, won the approval of the City of Sunrise in January 2004 and groundbreaking was initially expected to take place about a year ago.

The site is at the northeast corner of Panther Parkway and Sunrise Boulevard. Kavana says it is the last strategically located parcel of undeveloped land in western Broward County.

Link to Article (http://www.globest.com/news/254_254/miami/132734-1.html)

MIAballinboi

May 2nd, 2005, 03:26 AM

Tower Group Making Waves in Fort Lauderdale

The Tower Group of Davie was named as general contractor for a 21-story mixed-use tower in Fort Lauderdale, scheduled to begin in May. The project, known as the Waves, will feature 75 loft-style condominiums, a wall aquarium, orchid garden and fitness center.

__________-
thats nice add some more density to a great skyline :)

more.. even better
Fort Lauderdale Gives Go-ahead for New Condo

Southpoint Realty Development of Fort Lauderdale received approval from the Fort Lauderdale City Commission to begin construction on Strada 315, a $38 million condominium development scheduled for occupancy in spring 2007. The 20-story project will offer specially-appointed residences ranging from the low $200,000s to $600,000.

Dale

May 2nd, 2005, 04:21 AM

On the down side, the 'Brickell Heights' project has been chopped from 39, to 33, and finally to 28 stories.

Not that any of us were especially impressed by the design.

MIAballinboi

May 2nd, 2005, 11:16 PM

^ that sux

streetscapeer

May 3rd, 2005, 07:11 AM

What did Brickell heights look like again?

lauderdalegator

May 12th, 2005, 03:52 AM

Fort Lauderdale plan emphasizes dense downtown, mass transit

By Brittany Wallman
Staff Writer
Posted May 11 2005

FORT LAUDERDALE · High-density development downtown will continue and developers will pay toward mass transit to control traffic under a planning framework that city commissioners accepted Tuesday and sent to Tallahassee.

The draft document -- a thick bundle of maps, grids and bureaucratic planning jargon dubbed the "EAR," for Evaluation and Appraisal Report -- maps out development goals that are intended to guide future construction and prepare for impacts on water supply, schools, roads, historic buildings and more.

Based on the theories and goals deep within it, changes to the city's Comprehensive Land Use Plan will be brought forward for votes during the coming year or two. Few may read the heavy document, but eventually everyone will see the results of it on the city's skyline and in their neighborhoods.

Commissioners accepted it unanimously and with very little discussion Tuesday. The EAR will be the subject of a final public hearing in six months, after state officials review it.

The challenges that come with massive redevelopment are clear, and the report lays out a host of changes for meeting those challenges.

Perhaps the most drastic shift in the plan is a focus on mass transit instead of road improvements as a way of dealing with additional traffic from new development. That major change, woven throughout the EAR report, was set in motion last year by Broward County commissioners, who decided to charge developers mass transit impact fees rather than evaluating projects based on how much rush-hour traffic they'll add to the roadways.

Areas like downtown Fort Lauderdale will be subject to the highest fee in the county, according to the EAR, with developers paying $1,786 for every evening rush hour car their project puts on the road.

The money will be used to make sure that in this part of the county, a mass transit rider will wait less than 20 minutes for a ride on 40 percent of the routes, and less than a half-hour on 90 percent of them. There will be at least one neighborhood transit center built and at least two additional community bus routes, according to the planning document.

But developers will get partial fee waivers if they provide less-than-normal parking, supply bike racks, build near a bus route, or otherwise support mass transit.

Dense development downtown will continue to be encouraged, with the possible addition in the future of "mixed use and higher density buildings" south of the New River downtown.

While gridlock won't stop a project from being built, the city still vows to reduce non-local traffic from cutting through residential neighborhoods. It also promises an affordable/work force housing measure for the downtown within a year after the city's recent request for another 3,000 residential units is formally approved.

The city's own Planning and Zoning Board voted 6-2 against sending the draft to Tallahassee, later expressing concerns about downtown traffic, water supply, housing prices, overcrowded schools, transit and public process.

Charlotte Rodstrom said that like other planning board members, she voted against it largely because the city left the planning board "out of the loop" in its creation, and then presented it on a tight deadline without time for a workshop.

She had deeper qualms, as well.

"I have concerns about accommodating the families, the transportation, how you're getting people to and from. I have huge concerns about the height, and the infill housing," said Rodstrom, wife of County Commissioner John Rodstrom. "Urban sprawl has been brought up, that they don't want that. Well, we have that."

The document can be viewed at www.fortlauderdale.gov. Click on "city hall," then "city documents," then agenda items from Tuesday's City Commission meeting.

lauderdalegator

May 16th, 2005, 11:07 PM

I just thought this was cool. However, downtown is under cloud cover near the bottom of the pic.
http://img125.echo.cx/img125/2654/fortlauderdalesatellite2lc.jpg
Below is an old map of the same approx. area
http://img125.echo.cx/img125/9414/ftlauderdale3mf.jpg

streetscapeer

May 19th, 2005, 08:42 PM

cool graphics:)

lauderdalegator

May 20th, 2005, 06:51 AM

Isn't it cool? You can really see why they call Fort Lauderdale "The Venice of America."

jzquince69

May 27th, 2005, 05:28 PM

jzquince69

May 27th, 2005, 05:29 PM

months, not month... typo

Dale

May 27th, 2005, 07:52 PM

You know, Orlando's got a building boom downtown right now. But I gotta tell ya, its gonna pale in comparison to what starts coming out of the ground in Ft. L in the upcoming month.

Ft. L kicks arse.

I would have thought so, but the floodgates have opened (check out UP) in Orlando just the last few days.

Anyone up for a highrise war ? I know I am ! :)

Good for FTL though.

jzquince69

May 31st, 2005, 10:55 PM

Yeah, Dale, I noticed it on UP just after I typed this. But, nevertheless, I think the SoFla market for high rise construction especially in Miami is fueling Ft. L, which down the road should see more construction than O-town. That's my theory at least. But I can definitely see a skyscraper battle between the two. But, again, Ft.L has the edge with the beach construction in metro Broward (Beach Place; Westin Diplomat; etc...)

Dale

May 31st, 2005, 11:28 PM

FTL's major disadvantage is that Broward is quite possibly the nimbyest county in the state. I hope that common sense prevails and the high-rise proponents prevail.

Dale

June 1st, 2005, 12:06 AM

By the way, what's the latest on Related's 460-footer ?

StevenW

June 1st, 2005, 12:38 AM

Awesome tower. I forgot how tall it was to be. Does anyone know, right off? :?
http://www.andyweiser.com/newcon/las_olas_riverhouse/view-from-southeast.jpg

Dale

June 1st, 2005, 01:52 AM

I've heard as low as 422 ft. and as high as 452 Ft. At one time the developer's website said 447 ft. In any case, it appears noticably taller, from every perspective, than the second tallest building, which is listed at 410 ft.

lauderdalegator

June 18th, 2005, 01:14 PM

Twin condo towers to be built on former hospital site

Locals hoped for emergency room in plan

By Brittany Wallman
Staff Writer
Posted June 18 2005

FORT LAUDERDALE · "Hospital closed." Four years have passed since the Cleveland Clinic on the barrier island shut its doors, and a sign on the fence lets drivers know not to bring their injured there anymore.

Now, with little advance notice to the community, the hospital's replacement has been announced.

It's not a hospital; but a twin-tower condo called The Sapphire.

Surrounding neighborhood leaders said they held out hope the property would reopen with an emergency room. Some were surprised The Sapphire, a 172-unit condo, was going there instead.

"The first choice would have been for it to remain a hospital, obviously," said Thom Carr, president of the nearby Dolphin Isles Association.

But he said he was glad to see two shorter towers, 12 stories each, instead of a single, tall one.

"One of our big concerns is obviously density," said Carr, who was told about the project Thursday by the developer. "... I think the residents are pleased when things are kept in scale."

No public hearings at the zoning board or City Commission were required because the developer, The Altman Companies, did not seek any variances or changes to the development code, said Marc LaFerrier, the city's planning and zoning director.

The condo is the second major development in that area to meet all development code requirements, such as parking requirements and setbacks, and not be subject to extensive public review.

"I think the development community is getting the message that the days of old are over," said Vice Mayor Christine Teel, "and now we're looking to do better planning and provide more space between buildings, and be more conscientious about it."

The project, on State Road A1A/North Ocean Boulevard, two blocks south of Oakland Park Boulevard, is expected to break ground early next year and be built over 18 months. The condo apartments start in the $400,000s.

Developer Joel Altman said he put the land under contract for purchase only in the past year. The Cleveland Clinic closed in 2001 and moved to Weston.

Residents, particularly seniors along the nearby densely populated Galt Ocean Mile, worried the long trip across the Intracoastal Waterway to another hospital, or the long wait for an available ambulance, could cost lives. The city's solution was to buy a third beach ambulance.

"We run a lot of calls on the beach," said assistant chief for fire-rescue operations Stephen McInerny.

He said the concern was that if one ambulance was off the island headed to the hospital, that would leave only one other ambulance, at the south end of the beach. The extra rescue unit also means ambulances serving the mainland aren't pulled away to the beach, McInerny said.

News of the condo towers surprised Galt Community Association President Robert Rozema.

"We really hate to see it. ... We were always hoping maybe someone could rehabilitate that facility and operate it as a hospital," he said.

Altman, speaking from a yacht off Harbour Island in the Bahamas, said that his company puts a premium on good building design.

"We try to do something to be a good neighbor," he said.

FTLMAN

June 21st, 2005, 06:22 PM

Fort Lauderdale considers 750 new housing units north of downtown

By Brittany Wallman
Staff Writer
Posted June 21 2005

FORT LAUDERDALE · The reshaping of downtown continues, with three residential projects involving 750 apartments or condos up for votes at tonight's City Commission meeting.

Two of the projects take up entire city blocks, next to each other.

Together the two would add two 14-story towers, two seven-story buildings, one six-story building, four four-story buildings, and would contain 702 residential units.

The city's Downtown Master Plan, approved in November 2003 by the commission, lays out the way officials would like to see downtown redevelop.

"Years ago, we had a vision,'' said Michael Ferber, former president of the Flagler Village Civic Association, where the development to be discussed tonight is planned.

He said the vision called for "the kinds of development and kind of money that appear to be at work today."

Commissioners are expected to vote on:

The Commons at Flagler Village, 501 NE Fifth St., is planned by New Phase Realty Corp. developer Peter Feldman, a member of the Downtown Development Authority. Included are two seven-story buildings with a combined 284 residential units, 6,200 square feet of retail and a 376-car parking garage.

On the site now are 14 homes, duplexes or apartments. Two traffic circles would be added to Northeast Fourth Avenue at Fourth and Fifth streets.

Minto Federal, planned by Minto Communities, will be a major complex next to The Commons. Minto Federal would front Federal Highway between Fifth and Sixth streets. It includes two 14-story residential high-rises on either side of a six-story building. Closest to Federal Highway would be four, four-story buildings, with the larger complex behind it. The project would have 418 residential units.

Village View, 427 NE First Ave., is planned by DenCity Development LLC of Miami and would be mid-block on Northeast First Avenue between Fourth and Fifth streets. The project includes 48 residential condos in a six-story mid-rise.

The plans can be viewed at City Hall, and public comments are allowed.

Scores of projects have been approved or are in the works in the Flagler Village area north of Broward Boulevard and west of Federal Highway, but Ferber said the area still needs to be "nurtured'' by the city. An official Community Redevelopment Agency area, it has been considered blighted for years, and only recently became popular to residential developers.

Brittany Wallman can be reached at bwallman@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4541.

streetscapeer

June 21st, 2005, 07:27 PM

Damn...Ftl is non-stop with proposals...too bad we don't get updated on what is actually coming out of the ground. I hope most of these projects are being executed and cranes litter the city!

FTLMAN

June 23rd, 2005, 01:11 AM

Another project I've heard about but dont have much info on is at 300 NE 3rd Ave. I understand two 30 story residential towers were approved. Anyone know anything more?

If this is true, Flager Heights now has planned/approved two 30 story towers, one 28 story tower (Brickell Heights), two 20 story towers (Strada and Waves) and two 14 story towers (Minto Federal). All just north of downtown!

Dale

June 23rd, 2005, 05:05 AM

Any new news on Related's 42 story tower for the Hyde Park site ?

Also, there's that 514 footer that was announced some time back north of Broward.

MIAballinboi

June 29th, 2005, 03:26 AM

^ true any news would be good, cant wait for a 500 footer in ft laud.

ok guys, last post here for 2 weeks, im off, and ill be taken off from fort laud, but really early in the morning so hopefully theres some light for some good pics, but definetly on the way back.. :cheers:

Dale

June 29th, 2005, 03:32 AM

Guess0810

July 17th, 2005, 10:50 PM

New wave of high-rises to alter Fort Lauderdale’s skyline again

By Jean-Paul Renaud and Brittany Wallman
Staff Writers
Posted July 17 2005

Lounging on a plastic chair outside the rental apartments she manages, Nancy DeCrevel, a cigarette dangling between her fingers, dragged out the bad news to her neighbor.

Their one-story apartment complex in Flagler Village soon would be razed for high-priced lofts as the march of urban redevelopment reaches their downtown neighborhood. Soon, development in the heart of this city will add 5,681 new condos or apartments at prices up to $5 million, adding an estimated 9,600 residents.

"How did you let that happen?" tenant Sam Thompson asked.

There was nothing she could do, she answered.

"I can't believe they're putting condos up in the middle of the 'hood," Thompson added. "I don't understand how it even went through. You have to think about the people who have been here years and years."

The city is only now feeling the impact of a first growth spurt as buyers settle in to more than a dozen high-rises erected in the past five years.

But a second wave of development -- $1.3 billion in land purchases and construction -- soon will overtake downtown and redefine the skyline once more.

Bulging between thick rubber bands in city planning offices are 39 development projects that would:

Enclose 4.1 billion square feet of living, retail or office space -- the equivalent of seven Broward County Convention Centers.

Introduce at least 212 new students into the public schools, two of which are "critically overcrowded," according to school district letters to the developers.

Add 10,500 parking spaces for a legion of cars, with no significant improvements to the roads.

Stack the new construction end on end, and the towers would stretch a mile high.

"This is the first new neighborhood to be built in 30 years," said Charlie Ladd, a Fort Lauderdale developer.

Many of the projects have already been approved, barely noticed by the public, and welcomed by city leaders eager to see an urban renaissance.

The city's old plans for downtown never envisioned so much residential development. But now, in an effort to keep the building boom alive, the city has opened the downtown to more high-rise homes.

The city can't keep up with the demand. After city commissioners gave permission to build 3,000 residential units a year and a half ago, developers flooded City Hall with plans claiming them all, plus another 915.

Permission for an additional 8,000 apartments or homes could be allotted in the near future, but even those may not last long, officials say.

Conditions have been set for the skyline to spread dramatically in the next five years, with towers where previously, homes, offices and warehouses rarely reached two stories.

Twenty-one new ventures, including 2,812 condos or apartments, will pack the small area of Flagler Village, a crumbling neighborhood north of Broward Boulevard and west of Federal Highway. Many cluster on the same streets, creating sections of high-priced lofts and condos.

The old scrappy neighborhood of Flagler Heights has already been renamed "Flagler Village," a hip area that has been advertised with modern lofts to satisfy young, urban professionals.

Developer interest has also broken past the Florida East Coast Railway tracks into northwest Fort Lauderdale, where five undertakings are planned.

Surrounding the future site of Tango Village townhouses on Northwest 14th Avenue, the housing is some of the county's cheapest. Residents there want the neighborhood to look better, but they worry it will come at too high a price.

Connie Henderson, 46, lives near the Tango Village site and uses her disability check to pay $101 a week for rent. She moved there because she couldn't afford the taxes on a home near Plantation.

"If they come through here, I feel they should find us a place where we could go," Henderson said. "They could choose us a spot."

City planners have heard the criticism, but they say steering dense development into the city center will help Fort Lauderdale evolve into a metropolitan hub.

The idea, they say, is to push dense development into downtown and ultimately preserve outlying neighborhoods.

"We're in a fortunate position in that Fort Lauderdale is a very desirable place. And South Florida is, too," said Marc LaFerrier, planning director for the city. " The developers will go and try to find places to accommodate that growth. It's better to put it in the downtown than in your neighborhood."

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/media/graphic/2005-07/18511459.jpg

FTLMAN

July 18th, 2005, 05:13 PM

Developer proposes two 15-story condos for northwest Fort Lauderdale

By Brittany Wallman
Staff Writer
Posted July 18 2005

FORT LAUDERDALE · A developer who wants city approval of two 15-story towers will have to convince city commissioners Tuesday the structures are compatible with the surrounding neighborhood.

It's not your typical neighborhood, though.

The Downtown Lofts project is proposed in an area north of Broward Boulevard and west of the Florida East Coast Railway tracks that might be described as having an identity crisis.

Near the property are auto-body shops, nondescript office buildings, industrial buildings and a quiet community of two-story townhouses.

The new towers' tenants would look out at the county bus station, passing trains, a gated neighborhood and Club Fort Lauderdale, a gay men's private spa with outdoor pool.

The 210-unit complex would rise on the south side of Northwest Second Street between Northwest Third and Fourth avenues, behind and to the west of the state's big office building that fronts Broward Boulevard and the FEC tracks.

Ed Emilo, president of City View Townhomes Association directly across Northwest Second Street from the proposed development, said he knows little about it, having taken over as president of his association only six months ago.

But he has concerns. He said residents always are wary of redevelopment that might cast bright lights into their second-story bedrooms at night, ruining their evening "ambiance." Traffic also concerns them, he said, as well as loss of privacy.

"I have a hot tub in the back yard, and I'm right on Second Street," Emilo said, "and if someone's on the 14th floor across the street and looks out his window, he's going to see me in the hot tub. I'm not really nuts about that."

As the downtown expands into traditionally low-rise parts of town, such as Emilo's northwest Fort Lauderdale community, residents squirm a little. Emilo said he's pleased to see the city redeveloping, but he thinks it's happening too quickly.

"I'm all for development," said Emilo, "[but] I think they're getting a little carried away. I don't think Fort Lauderdale has the capability to handle twenty or thirty thousand more automobiles."

Downtown Lofts is one of 39 major residential projects in the pipeline downtown, and more and more are stretching beyond traditional borders.

Commissioners will have the final say on the Downtown Lofts Tuesday night, deciding whether to give up a city alley on the property and then whether to allot the project 210 residential units from a dwindling pool of allowable development downtown. Developers whose projects haven't been approved when the pool runs empty will have to resubmit their plans, city Planning Director Marc LaFerrier said recently. As of June 21, there were only 460 units left, he said.

At the same meeting Tuesday, commissioners will discuss another major residential project a few blocks away, at Sistrunk Boulevard and Northwest Seventh Avenue.

Approval of another 3,000 downtown residential units, recently approved by the Broward County Commission, is in process.

Because the Downtown Lofts project is denser than 25 units per acre -- the 210 units would stand on 1.9 acres -- it must pass a neighborhood compatibility review.

The original developer, Douglas McCraw, sold the property during the approval process. It is now owned by Downtown Loft Developers LLC, which lists Zusia Tenenbaum as a manager and member.

A traffic analysis paid for by the developer found that area roads could "adequately accommodate potential impacts" of the Lofts.

Brittany Wallman can be reached at bwallman@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4541.

Sunstorm

July 18th, 2005, 09:33 PM

It's great to see FTL limiting new highrise construction to its downtown. This should make an already awesome skyline even better with all of the new projects planned for that area.

lauderdalegator

July 20th, 2005, 01:01 AM

Here's a pic I took of downtown Fort Lauderdale today 7/19/2005. Imagine what it will look like in a few years!!
http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/5486/downtownfortlauderdalefromi955.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)

MIAballinboi

July 21st, 2005, 03:40 PM

wow great pic, cant wait for the new projects!

MIAballinboi

July 23rd, 2005, 04:46 AM

cant wait for the 500 footer in ft laud,

ne ways i saw ocean drive magazine, and they advertised the trump fort laud, i was thinking it was some mega 50 story scraper, but did a little googling and its some 20 story building on the beach.. well its still trump. :)

FTLMAN

July 25th, 2005, 12:25 AM

Lauderdale approves 210 units in northwest

By Brittany Wallman
Staff Writer
Posted July 24 2005

FORT LAUDERDALE · A block of shabby and vacant warehouses will be scrapped to make way for two 15-story residential towers, after city commissioners gave the go-ahead to the Downtown Lofts project in northwest Fort Lauderdale.

In a 4-1 vote, with Mayor Jim Naugle dissenting this past week, commissioners agreed that the 210-unit project is compatible with the neighborhood, and approved its site plan.

The City Commission also unanimously approved vacating a city alley on the property, to allow the lofts to be built.

The lofts are one of 41 projects coming through the city's development review system, or already approved, for the greater downtown.

But they are among the first major projects in northwest Fort Lauderdale, as commissioners expand the downtown beyond the traditional high-rise zone that's south of Broward Boulevard and east of Andrews Avenue.

More than half the new projects not yet built will be north of Broward Boulevard, and some, such as Downtown Lofts, will be west of Andrews.

The developer, Flagler POP I & II, LLC, represented by lobbyist Robert Lochrie, agreed to set aside 15 percent of the condos as "attainable,'' which they defined as selling for no more than $300,000. The developer also agreed to contribute $250,000 into the city's affordable housing fund, and $2,500 per unit for parks.

Commissioners agreed with residents of nearby City View Townhomes, who spoke at Tuesday's commission meeting in favor of the lofts.

They said they're glad to see something replacing the old, dilapidated warehouses on the property.

Nancy Devanny, past president of the Townhomes association, said many residents told her they're pleased to see the new development across the street.

Mayor Jim Naugle argued that the project was too dense -- 210 units on 1.9 acres -- for a side street like Northwest Second Street, and he voted against it.

He said it's "out of scale.''

"It's not on Broward Boulevard,'' he said. .

The project is on the south side of Northwest Second Street, between Third and Fourth avenues.

The development originally was designed as three high-rise buildings with 287 units. But it was reduced to two 15-story towers.

On the ground level, the developer plans 4,500 square feet of retail space.

Because the project is so close to a low-rise neighborhood, the towers are stepped back from the property line, atop several levels of parking garage space.

Automobiles will access the towers from Third and Fourth avenues, and 13 on-street parking spaces will be built nearby.

Brittany Wallman can be reached at bwallman@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4541.

The Mad Hatter!!

August 9th, 2005, 01:51 AM

Condo plan stuck in park
Six years later, Related's project is still in court
Ed Duggan
What could have been Fort Lauderdale's first downtown residential high-rise is still only a rolled-up drawing, while others have sprouted mushroom-like during the past five years.
The project, on the site of a former Hyde Park Market next to Stranahan House, has survived a public referendum to turn it into a park, an eminent domain suit and a series of ongoing lawsuits.

Now, though, there's the mysterious $2 million donated to Friends of the Park at Stranahan House, a group opposing the 42-story mixed-use tower by The Related Group of Florida on land owned by the Rabina Group of Scarsdale, N.Y.

continued at........ http://southflorida.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2005/08/08/story1.html

Dale

August 9th, 2005, 02:40 AM

^ I still contend that Broward County is the epicenter of nimbyism in Florida.

Guess0810

August 9th, 2005, 03:27 AM

Parcels to form urban village on North Andrews Avenue

by Robyn Friedman, Special to the Sun-Sentinel
Posted August 8 2005

The Fort Lauderdale developer of Las Olas River House is amassing 10 separate land parcels on and around North Andrews Avenue in Fort Lauderdale. They will be used to create an urban village that will ultimately include condominiums, townhouses, office space and retail space as well as a public park.

Tarragon South Development Corp. has purchased the Gay & Lesbian Community Center at 1717 N. Andrews Ave., as well as surrounding parcels, with the intention of creating Uptown Village, an urban center that it thinks will serve as a catalyst for future community improvements. The plans for Uptown Village include a new 18,000-square-foot GLCC building across the street from the existing one, 368 condominiums, 20 live/work residences, 12 townhouses, a 46,000-square-foot office building, 15,000 square feet of retail space and a public park.

It's taken Tarragon more than two years to accumulate all the land parcels, which total eight acres.

"The logistics of putting together the pieces and dealing with the principals has been difficult, but everyone sees it as a positive development in their neighborhood," said Danny Bivins, a Tarragon South vice president. "I think it's going to have a significant impact on their real estate values."

As part of its land purchases, Tarragon South paid the GLCC $1.2 million and will also construct a new building for more than $1.4 million that the GLCC will own free and clear. The GLCC and Stonewall Library & Archives will remain in its current building until it is necessary to move to a temporary space next year.

In addition to the GLCC land, Uptown Village will rise on lands at 41 NE 16th Place (now a residence), 1700 N. Andrews Ave. (a preschool), 1720 N. Andrews Ave. (vacant land), 1790 N. Andrews Ave. (The Beanery), 1759 N. Andrews Ave. (an office building) and 1741-1757 N. Andrews Square (a shopping center).

If all development approvals come through as expected, Tarragon anticipates breaking ground on the project in about nine months. Bivins said sales won't start for 18 months, when construction is already under way.

Uptown Village will include four buildings that will house the 368 condominiums and 20 live/work residences. The buildings will be of varying heights, but the maximum will be six stories. The townhouses will be in two separate buildings. All of the residential units will be on the west side of North Andrews Avenue, as will the retail space.

The condominiums will range 800 to 1,500 square feet and will include one- to three-bedroom units. The live/work units will be about 1,100 square feet and will have two bedrooms. The townhouses will be 1,600 square feet and will have three stories, three bedrooms and a garage.

Bivins said that prices will range from the mid-$200,000s to the high $300,000s. He expects the project to attract people who already live and work in the area.

Rob Rose, a Fort Lauderdale real estate broker, expects the project to appeal to gay and lesbian buyers, particularly those planning for retirement or relocating from other states. "The Gay & Lesbian Community Center provides critical outreach services," he said. "The social advantage of having the GLCC as a component of this development will be a positive factor for many gay and lesbian buyers."

Rose said he expects Uptown Village to be a "major improvement" for the area. "There is virtually no other mixed-use development of its type in eastern Broward County," he said. "Access to I-95 is easy, downtown is five minutes away and yet the surrounding neighborhoods are residential in scale."

Uptown Village will include typical amenities such as pools, a health club, business center and valet service, Bivins said. Tarragon will also dedicate some open space for a park.

Bivins expects the office building to be leased by small, local users such as architects, designers and accountants who already live in the area. The retailers will service the local residents, who seem to support the project.

"It's neighborhood-friendly," said JoAnn Smith, president of the South Middle River Civic Association. "The design has changed many times, but they are working with our neighborhood association. All in all, it's going along well."

Bivins said the architecture at Uptown Village -- which was designed by Dorsky Hodgson + Partners Inc. in Fort Lauderdale -- is "Florida Vernacular," which he described as "funked-up old Florida." Florida Vernacular is related to "cracker" design.

Tarragon South is an affiliate of Tarragon Corp., a New York-based real estate owner, home builder and developer of rental properties that controls more than 15,000 units and 1.5 million square feet of commercial and retail space.

Dale

August 9th, 2005, 05:26 AM

Guess, this is quite significant ! Keep us posted on it, will you ?

And please keep us posted on the ongoing saga of the 42st tower and Stranahan Park.

renner01

September 7th, 2005, 10:53 AM

Lauderdale's condo cap forces commission to choose 1 of 2 downtown projects

By Brittany Wallman
Staff Writer

September 7, 2005

Fort Lauderdale -- After a five-year frenzy of condo development downtown, the city has hit its max. Two major high-rise projects are up for approval tonight, but under the rules, there's only room for one.

The city's land restrictions put a cap on the number of homes -- apartments, houses or condos -- that can be built downtown, and if one of the projects is approved tonight, there will not be enough units left for the other, city staffers have told city commissioners.

One of the projects, by Ellis Diversified, would be the tallest in Broward County, at 48 stories, towering over Broward Boulevard west of the federal courthouse. The other, by Broward Groupe Pacific, would rise 31 stories in the same general area, a few blocks north of Broward Boulevard and west of Federal Highway.

Neither project has an official name.

Jim Ellis of Ellis Diversified said he was told both projects would be considered at the same time, even though his is listed second on the agenda. But he wasn't sure how the evaluation would be done.

"If both projects are being reviewed at the same time, which we have been told is what the case will be, then it really comes down to what project do you like better," Ellis said.

Commissioners have never faced a dilemma like this, and it's unclear how they will evaluate the projects. Planning Director Marc LaFerrier could not be reached for comment.

If the housing allotment is used up, downtown residential development would pause until the state approves more. The county agreed recently that another 3,000 homes could be added, but state approval is pending. City officials had requested 13,000 and have embraced a denser downtown.

The two projects total 436 condo or apartment units. The available number, though, is only 256, according to a memo from city planners.

Their memo said that approval of one of the projects would reduce the housing pool "to the extent that there will not be a sufficient number of [dwelling units] available for the approval of the remaining project."

Though more could be available in March, city commissioners could put additional requirements and restrictions on them, such as mandates to make some more affordable.

Commissioners can give units to either of the following:

Broward Groupe Pacific's 48-story tower, which includes 255 residences, about 43,000 square feet of office space and 8,000 square feet of ground-level retail, plus parking for 597 cars. The proposed tower would have two-story glass windows from floors 10 to 33 and single-story glass windows to the top. The existing buildings at 111 E. Broward Blvd. would be demolished, including three one-story buildings, three two-story buildings and three parking lots.

Ellis Diversified Inc.'s 31-story condo with retail at 405 NE Second St., which calls for 181 residences and 4,386 square feet of retail space, plus 312 parking spaces. The Lauderdale Lumber Co. at the site would be demolished.

Mike Parker of Lauderdale Lumber said his company has been there since 1937. If the project goes through, Parker hopes to find a more visible, larger site for the small business.

"It's a lumber yard in the heart of downtown," said Parker. "It's getting difficult."

Both projects have been evaluated by school officials, who note that the middle school serving them, Sunrise Middle, is "critically overcrowded." Other schools serving the area, Walker Elementary and Fort Lauderdale High, are both under capacity, according to the district's April projections.

Brittany Wallman can be reached at bwallman@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4541.

Copyright © 2005, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/broward/sfl-ctowers06sep07,0,470608.story

renner01

September 7th, 2005, 10:55 AM

obvious mistake the tallest is the proposed 48 story by group pacific

"One of the projects, by Ellis Diversified, would be the tallest in Broward County, at 48 stories, towering over Broward Boulevard west of the federal courthouse. The other, by Broward Groupe Pacific, would rise 31 stories in the same general area, a few blocks north of Broward Boulevard and west of Federal Highway."

FTLMAN

September 8th, 2005, 03:45 PM

Probably not the tallest anymore (at least not by much if it is). I read in the Sentinel this morning that the City Commission cut 6 floors off the tower. Now only 42. Approval delayed until next meeting, September 20th.

Dale

September 8th, 2005, 05:07 PM

Well, if it was 514 ft. at 48 stories, it'll still be taller than Las Olas Riverhouse, provided that the 422 ft. figure recently cited is accurate.

Of course the Hyde Market tower is supposed to be 460 ft. But who knows when, or even if that's going to fly, given its legal challenges.

MIAballinboi

September 8th, 2005, 09:19 PM

^that sux, thought ft laud would finally get a 500 footer, well looks like hollywood would take that cake first in broward

MIAballinboi

September 10th, 2005, 03:15 PM

just a lil news..

i saw in the herald that a crane fell in ft laud, no one hurt.

ChuckScraperMiami#1

September 10th, 2005, 04:56 PM

:speech:
Well, if it was 514 ft. at 48 stories, it'll still be taller than Las Olas Riverhouse, provided that the 422 ft. figure recently cited is accurate.

Of course the Hyde Market tower is supposed to be 460 ft. But who knows when, or even if that's going to fly, given its legal challenges.

DALE :wave: and MIAballinboi :angel: , take a real close look at the Ft.Lauderdale comissioners :ancient: and the mayor :bash: , lol. then look at Miami's commissioners and Mayor Manny Diaz :) , now you know why Miami is growing with super large and tall towers, and the old fashioned and country redneck looking bunch in Ft.lauderdale like to keep their city a " FORT " :old: , do I have to spell it out, LOL, Fort Lauderdale. There will never be a tower in the " FORT " of over 500 " FORT's" :runaway: feet, lol.. the last time one back 10 years ago was a huge tower proposed at 64 floors was shot down :banned: by a total commission :stupid: vote. " We :nono: don't want to look like Miami ", one commissioner :weirdo: said. :blahblah:

Dale

September 10th, 2005, 10:36 PM

Yep, I said it early and often: Broward county's the epicenter of Florida nimbyism.

mileageman

October 6th, 2005, 10:42 PM

Hallandale Beach project picks construction manager

Catalfumo Construction said it will be construction manager for the European Club, a mixed-use project set to rise in Hallandale Beach.

The development is to include 122,800 square feet of commercial space, 155 condominium-hotel units and 118 residential units.

The residential units are to range from 1,300 square feet to more than 8,000 square feet.

Construction is to begin late this year for a 2008 completion. Palm Beach Gardens-based Catalfumo did not give financial contract terms.

The architect on record is Hollywood-based Architectura Group.

http://www.architecturagroup.com/projects/euro/e1-big.jpg

Renderings (http://www.architecturagroup.com/index.php?page=european.php&left=euro-descr.php&bottom=euro-bottom.php&path=projects/euro/)

Dale

October 6th, 2005, 11:22 PM

It just never stops.

streetscapeer

October 11th, 2005, 05:27 AM

wow...that's...interesting

pretty cool, I like all the modern features!

900Biscayneguy

October 11th, 2005, 07:15 AM

Anyone have any renderings of the Related Hyde Market project on Las Olas?

dave8721

January 9th, 2006, 10:55 PM

Hmm...the first Ft.Lauderdale post since October?

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/13580936.htm

HALLANDALE BEACH
New building plan adds to traffic woes

A residential and entertainment complex proposed for Hallandale Beach will get its first public hearing before Broward County commissioners Tuesday.

BY DIANA MOSKOVITZ dmoskovitz@MiamiHerald.com

A proposed project that would add condos, stores and offices to 66 acres next to Gulfstream Park -- and tens of thousands of cars and trucks to Hallandale Beach's congested streets -- goes before the Broward County Commission this week.
Missing from the plans for the Village at Gulfstream Park: a detailed plan for handling all the extra traffic. County planners are recommending the project be rejected.
But some city and county officials, including Broward Mayor Ben Graber, support it.
''Most of the concerns revolve around traffic, but you know we're always going to have traffic problems,'' said Graber, who voted for the project at the Broward County Planning Council. ``But that's not a reason to not move forward.''
Hallandale Beach Mayor Joy Cooper agreed.
''I'm not saying we don't have traffic issues, but a lot of things have contributed to our traffic issues,'' Cooper said.
Hallandale Beach commissioners say the Village is key to the city's redevelopment and that its benefits outweigh the problems.
The Village plans include 1,500 condominiums, 500 hotel rooms and 910,000 square feet of retail space -- almost as much as the Broward Mall. It would be built in phases, with final completion expected by 2014.
46,462 VEHICLES A DAY
It would bring 46,462 vehicles a day to the area, including 4,023 during afternoon rush hour, according to a traffic study done for the developer, Forest City Enterprises.
City officials are urging the County Commission to approve a necessary land use change (from commercial recreation to local activity center) on Tuesday, after a public hearing.
If the commission OK's the change, it goes to the state for final approval.
State officials said they like the general concept of the Village, but want the developer to outline how it will specifically address traffic problems, according to a December 2004 report from the Department of Community Affairs.
If those concerns aren't met when the project goes back to the state, it could be rejected.
Forest City has said it is working on the problem, but its options are limited.
CONGESTED ROADS
Nearby Federal Highway and Hallandale Beach Boulevard are already congested, and neither can add more lanes.
The main solution the developer has proposed so far is a ''super stop'' for county and local buses, along with walkways and bicycle paths. The firm also will pay $2.8 million in traffic-impact fees.
Meanwhile, Hallandale Beach is conducting a citywide traffic study and will likely go to developers to fund improvements.
Although the project has been approved at every level so far, state, county and regional planners have raised traffic concerns.
The County Planning Council staff recommended rejection. But the council, made up of elected officials from across Broward, approved the plan 6-4, sending it on to the County Commission.
The project also has drawn criticism from neighboring Aventura, which has hired an attorney to help fight the project over concerns it will compound traffic problems.

Dale

January 10th, 2006, 05:52 AM

Yep, this FTL thread is on life-support.

Thanks, dave.

UrbanImpact

January 11th, 2006, 12:02 AM

It's because Fort Lauderdale has stopped approving projects downtown. The city will start approving again in March. There is a cap on residential units and it has been maxed out.

dave8721

January 11th, 2006, 03:36 PM

Not so fast...

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/states/florida/counties/broward_county/13596290.htm

BROWARD COUNTY COMMISSION
Vote on Hallandale project on hold

Broward commissioners delayed voting on the Village at Gulfstream Park on Tuesday because of concerns about traffic.

BY DIANA MOSKOVITZ
dmoskovitz@MiamiHerald.com

Broward County commissioners halted a plan to transform 66 acres in Hallandale Beach into condos, stores and offices Tuesday, fearing it would turn the city into another traffic-clogged Aventura.

Commissioners want more suggestions on how the developer would handle traffic from the proposed Village at Gulfstream Park.

The project may bring more than 4,000 vehicles during afternoon rush hour.

Several county leaders said they also would like to see more on affordable housing from the developer, Forest City Enterprises of Cleveland.

''These are the days we are supposed to correct the mistakes of the past, but I don't see that,'' Commissioner Kristin Jacobs said.

Hallandale Beach leaders had requested the county to approve the plan as is.

On Tuesday, City Manager Mike Good said commissioners' points were valid, especially about traffic.

Mayor Joy Cooper said the delay frustrating because traffic is a much larger problem in Broward, and can't be resolved by just one city.

''You can't hold traffic issues on just one development,'' she said, calling Broward County's traffic issues a ``global issue.''

The developer needs a county land-use change to build the Hallandale Beach project. If county commissioners vote yes, it would go to state officials for approval.
If commissioners vote no, the issue would not come up again for one year -- unless they granted an exception.
They will take up the issue again on April 25.

County Mayor Ben Graber, who supports the project, said the development, along with slot machines, would bring money into the area.

''Don't think of your street, your house. Think of the economic development of Broward County,'' Graber said.

The Village at Gulfstream Park would be built in phases on 66 acres. It would include 1,500 condominiums, 500 hotel rooms and 910,000 square feet of retail space.
If approved, developers say the project would be complete by 2014.

''There's no way this city can take anymore high-rise buildings and the Village at Gulfstream,'' former city mayor Arthur ''Sonny'' Rosenberg told commissioners.

The developer has proposed a bus ''super stop,'' walkways and bicycle paths.

Residents of upscale condos won't take public transportation, said Commissioner John Rodstrom.

''Those people are never going to ride mass transit,'' he said

dave8721

January 18th, 2006, 04:48 PM

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/13649182.htm

HALLANDALE BEACH

29-story high-rise given OK

A new high-rise was approved in Hallandale Beach on Tuesday as a crowd of residents expressed worry about its effect on traffic congestion.

BY DIANA MOSKOVITZ
dmoskovitz@MiamiHerald.com

Hallandale Beach commissioners approved a 29-story tower Tuesday night as close to 100 residents turned out to oppose the project, primarily out of concern about traffic problems.

Residents complained that they had not been informed about the project and mostly had heard about the proposed high-rise by word of mouth.

City leaders said that they had been trying to keep residents informed but said they were hampered because of recovery efforts after Hurricane Wilma.

City officials plan to meet today with a condominium association near the project, a day after commissioners gave the go-ahead for the tower.

Residents also fretted about adding more traffic to the city's already congested roads. ''I can't see how this 29-story monstrosity benefits us at all,'' said resident Daniel Van Zile.

Commissioners voted 3-2 to approve the European Club tower for the corner of Hallandale Beach Boulevard and Three Islands Boulevard on Tuesday night.

Vice Mayor Bill Julian and Commissioner Joe Gibbons voted against the project.

The European Club project is not related to plans to build another project, the Village at Gulfstream Park, not far away on Federal Highway.

Plans for the Village project include 1,500 condominiums, 500 hotel rooms and 910,000 square feet of retail space -- almost as much as the Broward Mall. While Hallandale officials have given an initial OK, necessary land-use changes must come before several government bodies, including the Broward County Commission, before the project can proceed.

The European Club project which was voted on Tuesday night will be a combination condominium and hotel with businesses on the bottom floors.

TRAFFIC ANALYZED
The European Club is expected to add another 2,463 vehicle trips a day, including 486 during afternoon rush hour, to nearby roads, according to a traffic analysis.
But instead of specific roadway improvements, developer V-Strategic Group of Miami has agreed to pay money into an account for future citywide traffic improvements based on an ongoing traffic study.

The developer also agreed to pay $20,000 for bus shelters and to install fiber-optic signal connections at nearby intersections to help with signal timing.

Mayor Joy Cooper defended the project, saying that traffic was growing worse even without the development and the only other option would be to raise taxes.

'I don't hear anyone saying `Yea, yea, yea, raise my taxes for traffic improvements,' '' she said.

After the developer gave a presentation, Cooper asked those in the audience if they had changed their minds.
The response of the roughly 30 residents left in the audience: ``No.''

Julian said he could not support the project because he doesn't believe it will improve traffic.

''I'm not a traffic expert -- I only drive here,'' he said.

ONE SUPPORTER
Only one resident spoke in support of the project, saying all the tower would do is move to neighboring Hollywood if the Hallandale Beach commission did not approve it.
''Hollywood would get the taxes,'' resident Connie Lelutiu said. ``And we still get the traffic.''

Included in the audience were two former city commissioners, who both spoke out against the tower.
''I wouldn't like to be in the next election,'' said former Commissioner Eudyce Steinberg. ``Several people are not going to be back in office.''

UrbanImpact

January 19th, 2006, 05:18 PM

Fort Lauderdale OKs 3,000 more units for downtown; 15% to be 'affordable'

By Brittany Wallman
Staff Writer
Posted January 19 2006

FORT LAUDERDALE · With a swift unanimous vote, the City Commission on Wednesday night made final its desire to welcome another major wave of residential development downtown.

Commissioners voted to send the state a request to allow an additional 3,000 units to be built downtown. Builders already hit the maximum residential development allowed in the urban core, and state and county approval is needed to expand that.

The 3,000 additional residences would bring an estimated 669 more cars to the afternoon rush hour and add students to schools that are already overcrowded, according to city documents.

But city officials are focused primarily on the cost of the housing, promising regional planners that a full 15 percent of the additional units will be "affordable."

Next task: figuring out what "affordable" is, and how to provide it.

In the past, commissioners have accepted prices as high as $325,000 as affordable, with Mayor Jim Naugle dubbing it "Lauderdale Affordable."

He reiterated that idea Wednesday, saying buyers should expect to pay more in Fort Lauderdale because of the high land prices and taxes.

"It's `Lauderdale Affordable,' it's a separate classification," he said.

City Manager George Gretsas said the city could have a policy in place in the first quarter of the year to protect the prices of 15 percent of the units.

"I think the commission is committed to getting something passed," Gretsas said.

The next move is a workforce housing workshop scheduled for 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday in the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, Abdo New River Room, 201 SW Fifth Ave. Public comment will be taken.

The high price of housing, especially compared to area incomes, is a crisis for the region and a major campaign issue this year in Fort Lauderdale.

In a study recently presented to the city, consultant Strategic Planning Group Inc. found the city will need anywhere from 1,800 to 6,400 more "workforce"-priced housing units by 2020.

Developers already have balked at the idea of a law that would put the financial burden on them. Members of the Downtown Development Authority said at a recent meeting they hope the city will subsidize the price difference.

Commissioners haven't decided whether each project that is approved will have to set aside 15 percent of its units as affordable, or whether 15 percent of the entire pool of 3,000 units will be earmarked for affordable housing projects.

Wednesday night's vote on the 3,000 residential units was the final move needed to send the matter to Tallahassee for approval. Then the Broward County Planning Council would give final sign-off and developers could once again submit plans for downtown projects.

Planning officials say developers are lined up with plans for hundreds more condos and lofts in the urban heart.

State officials already had weighed in on the issue, commenting that 3,000 more homes downtown might not be enough, considering the heavy growth expected in Broward County

UrbanImpact

January 19th, 2006, 05:32 PM

What Fort Lauderdale really needs (actually most of south florida) is mass transit (rail) asap. I live in Tamarac and traffic has become rediculous ever since there was no more to build in Broward. Does anyone have any news on the transit plans?

MIAballinboi

January 19th, 2006, 09:34 PM

btw, side note, in hallandale beach, the beach club II is almost topped off as the tallest building in broward county, over 500 feet

anyone to verify this, i saw it from a distance, but just to make sure, anyone..

dave8721

January 30th, 2006, 04:27 PM

New Condo for Pompano:

Pompano Beach high-rise hits new pricing heights

Ed Duggan

Two oceanfront Pompano Beach motels are being razed to make way for The Waters, a 16-story boutique condominium of 50 big units developed by Bradenton-based Taylor Woodrow

While the former motels got $100 or more a night for their rooms in season, the proposed construction ratchets up beach squatting rights to a brand-new level.

Priced from $1.2 million to $5 million a unit, The Waters could set new per-unit sales records for a Pompano Beach condominium, according to real estate consultant Jack McCabe.

The rest of the article can be found here:
http://southflorida.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2006/01/30/story7.html

DGM

February 10th, 2006, 07:02 PM

Courthouse tower proposed
A new $300 million proposal would put a 20- to 21-story family and civil courthouse directly across the street from the existing courts complex in Fort Lauderdale.
BY ERIKA BOLSTAD
ebolstad@MiamiHerald.com

Broward could alleviate crowding in its courthouse by shifting family and civil courts from the main building in downtown Fort Lauderdale into a new $300 million tower directly across the street.

The 20- to 21-story tower would be on the southwest corner of Southeast Sixth Street and Third Avenue, adjacent to the AutoNation building. If the county goes forward with construction plans, it could be open by July 2011, a consultant told several county commissioners Monday.

County commissioners have been looking for a way to create more elbow room at the courthouse by moving civil and family courts out of the main complex. The original option -- a building on the north side of the main courthouse along the New River -- was deemed too costly.

Instead, consultants found they could get more courtroom and office space by building a tower across the street, said architect Donald Dwore, one of the planners.

Dwore presented the proposal to a County Commission committee Monday.

Once the tower is completed, the two oldest wings of the courthouse could be torn down and replaced with a new federal courthouse.

The plan would likely require closing Sixth Street to traffic in front of the courthouse, creating a pedestrian mall that could double as a security buffer for a future federal courthouse.

The tower plan also would likely require construction of two additional stories on the existing courthouse parking garage, which is on the northeast corner of the Southeast Sixth Street and Third Avenue intersection.

The tower proposal is just part of a multi-decade courthouse expansion project that eventually could include building a fourth satellite courthouse.

So far, the County Commission has not identified how it will pay the estimated $300 million to build and furnish the tower. That cost doesn't factor in the parking garage expansion or the expense of buying the nine parcels that would make up the site. The privately owned property is currently home to a coffee shop, a parking lot and a small office building. The county has not released the appraised value of the land.

''We've got to buy the property,'' said Commissioner John Rodstrom. ``Not withstanding how many stories it is, we've got to have that footprint.''

To pay for the project, it's likely the commissioners would have to either raise taxes or ask voters to approve bonds -- an unlikely proposition because those same voters could soon be asked to pass a new transportation sales tax.

In spite of the expense, few county leaders have questioned the need for a new courthouse; most say they wish they had started the project sooner.

''The court system is our biggest institution,'' said Commissioner Jim Scott. ``We've got to do it, we've got to have it. We just need to figure out how to fund it along the way.''

Over the next 25 years, planners project that population growth and the resulting increase in court cases will require an estimated 30 new judges in Broward. That means additional prosecutors, public defenders, clerks and other courthouse employees also would need a place to work.

If the federal courthouse moves to the state court complex, county officials would like to develop its valuable site on the corner of Broward Boulevard and Northeast Third Avenue.

Federal officials have indicated that they don't want to talk about the project until the current round of federal courthouse construction elsewhere is completed, said Dick Brossard, Broward's public works director. Last year, federal court administrators threatened to close the Fort Lauderdale federal courthouse and shift operations to existing courthouses in West Palm Beach or Miami. For now, the Fort Lauderdale federal courthouse remains open, but its future is uncertain.
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local... (http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/states/florida/counties/broward_county/13808323.htm)
(requires registration)

MIAballinboi

February 13th, 2006, 01:28 AM

www.iconlasolas.com

MIAballinboi

February 13th, 2006, 01:30 AM

hott

http://specialsections.miami.com/imagehandler/rop-ad/2574474

MIAballinboi

February 13th, 2006, 01:33 AM

related group updated its site

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a140/miaballinboi/Icon20Las20OlasLargee-mailview.jpg

MIAballinboi

February 14th, 2006, 10:14 PM

www.trumphollywood.com
:cheers:

dave8721

March 21st, 2006, 10:44 PM

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/14147092.htm

FORT LAUDERDALE
Condo project denial upheld

BY SAMUEL P. NITZE
snitze@MiamiHerald.com

A Broward Circuit judge has upheld Fort Lauderdale's 2003 vote blocking a massive condo-retail complex proposed for city-owned land at the eastern foot of the Las Olas Boulevard bridge.

The developers, Palazzo Las Olas Group, argued that city officials led them on through years of costly planning and negotiations only to back away unlawfully at the final moment.

The city selected Palazzo in 2001 to redevelop the 7.5-acre site on the Intracoastal Waterway, but final plans calling for shops and 173 condominium units drew intense opposition, particularly from beach residents. The commission voted 4-1 against the project at a crowded hearing.

Judge Victor Tobin ruled that city commissioners gave Palazzo ''an unprecedented amount of time to present its evidence and cross-examine witnesses,'' and found that the record provided adequate grounds to deny the project.
''It's what we expected,'' said Mayor Jim Naugle. ``Our case was very strong.''

Palazzo lawyer Albert Frevola, Jr., could not be reached for comment.

The developers could appeal Tobin's ruling to the Fourth District Court of Appeals. A second Palazzo suit seeks more than $40 million in damages from the city, though Tobin's ruling is likely to weaken that case.

Naugle would not speculate on what the city might do with the property -- now mostly used for beach parking -- when the legal issues are resolved.

Some local activists hope for a public use such as a waterfront park, a new International Swimming Hall of Fame, or an expanded city marina.

dave8721

March 31st, 2006, 06:18 PM

http://southflorida.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2006/03/27/daily40.html?surround=lfn

Developer plans condos near downtown Fort Lauderdale
South Florida Business Journal - 1:09 PM EST Thursday

The Altman Cos. of Boca Raton has disclosed plans for Satori, a four-building condominium development, at 1111 E. Sunrise Blvd., in Fort Lauderdale.

The project is to include 279 residences and 13,000 square feet of retail space opening onto Sunrise Boulevard.

Design elements are to include meditation gardens, courtyards, fountains and waterfalls designed by Mouriz Salazar & Associates.

Residences, ranging from 900 to 1,600 air-conditioned square feet, are to be priced from the high $200,000s. Their designer is Interiors by Steven G. Features are to include hurricane-impact windows and patio doors,

Community amenities are to include a business center, round-the-clock concierge, resident-only parking garage, attended gated entry, plus a clubhouse with fitness center, pool, refreshment pavilion, private cabanas and a whirlpool spa with cascading waterfall.

Since its founding in 1968 and move into Florida in 1974 and Boca Raton in 1983, Altman said it has developed more than 15,000 condominium and apartment residences throughout the United States.

Local projects include The Symphony, a mixed-use condo in downtown Fort Lauderdale, the Astor in Delray Beach and Sapphire on Fort Lauderdale beach.

dave8721

April 3rd, 2006, 03:34 PM

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/14248629.htm

LAS OLAS BOULEVARD
Neighbors resist another big-box condo
A seven-story loft project proposed for Fort Lauderdale has drawn intense opposition from neighborhood residents, but the developer remains determined.

BY SAMUEL P. NITZE
snitze@MiamiHerald.com

Residents of Fort Lauderdale's Colee Hammock, a leafy enclave just east of downtown, have been battling for well over a decade to protect their neighborhood from overdevelopment.

For all that history, community leaders say a seven-story condominium project planned for Las Olas Boulevard may provoke one of the fiercest fights yet -- with serious implications for the Hammock and one of Broward County's best-known shopping districts.

Developer Carl Karmin, a trial attorney, has proposed a modern, glass-and-steel building with retail at the ground level, six stories of loft-style condominiums above, and three parking levels below ground (engineers take note).

The project would rise 77 feet from the northwest corner of Las Olas and Southeast 15th Avenue, a busy intersection linking key routes between Las Olas and Broward boulevards, downtown and the beaches.

Critics say the proposed building is far too tall and bulky, and argue it could set a dangerous precedent for a section of the boulevard characterized by low-rise shops and restaurants.

''It will be the beginning of the canyonization of Las Olas Boulevard,'' said activist and longtime resident Jacquelyn Scott. ``The mass is just too much. They are going to destroy the neighborhood.''

But Karmin said his critics are ignoring some basic facts about the project.

For starters, other buildings of similar height already exist on Las Olas -- apparently without destroying the neighborhood. What's more, Karmin said, the building will improve a drab corner once occupied by a gas station, then by a Subway sandwich shop, now by a clothing store.

His architect, formerly with renowned firm Arquitectonica, has created a modern, urban design that Karmin argues is better suited to the changing city than the tired single-story structures nearby.

''This building will be an anchor on the east end of the Las Olas business district,'' he said.

Similar conflicts over the size of buildings and pace of change have played out across the city in recent years, particularly in older neighborhoods around the urban core, where development pressure is intense.

During the recent construction boom, the oft-heard remark, ''This city is becoming more and more like New York,'' has been used as both compliment and complaint, depending on the speaker's perspective.

MAKING FIXES

When the Lofts on Las Olas project came before the Planning and Zoning board in November, Karmin noted the opposition and withdrew his plans in order to make adjustments.

He shifted a car entrance off of 15th Avenue, cut three stories off the project by submerging the parking and put a public arcade with a fountain through the middle of the structure, splitting one building into two.

''I understand their concerns and have tried to address them,'' he said. ``But they are so emotional about it, it's beyond the pale. They have a knee-jerk reaction against anything on Las Olas that's more than two stories.''

Debbie Scott-Queenin, head of a Colee Hammock Homeowners Association committee assigned to look at project, noted that Karmin's latest plan has more units -- 30 instead of 28 -- and still soars above surrounding buildings.

''They went back to the drawing board and all they did was make it more dense,'' she said

Traffic is another key concern, since Las Olas and 15th Avenue already tend to back up during busy hours.

A planner hired by the developer produced a study saying the new building -- 30 condos above retail and a restaurant -- will generate nearly 60 percent less traffic than the restaurant and Subway shop that occupied the site in 2004.

That analysis relied in part on the assumption that the Subway generated 1,394 car trips per day.

''It's ludicrous,'' said Jacquelyn Scott. ``No traffic engineer could have certified something like that.''

NARROWLY APPROVED

The Planning and Zoning board narrowly approved the project on March 15 by a 5-4 vote, despite this observation by the city's planning staff:

``The current proposal is not compatible in regard to height, length, mass and scale in relation to the established character along Las Olas Boulevard and the surrounding Colee Hammock neighborhood. When traveling along Las Olas Boulevard, the two buildings appear as one continuous box-like mass, and are an abrupt change from the adjacent buildings...''

The issue of ''neighborhood compatibility'' is sure to play a central role if the project goes before the City Commission.

Commissioner Cindi Hutchinson, whose district includes the site, said that on Tuesday she will ask the commission to schedule its own review of the project in the coming weeks, though she declined to be interviewed.

Some residents said they will view a commission vote as a test of whether Charlotte Rodstrom, recently elected after running on a hard-line slow-growth platform, will make good on her campaign promises.

''Charlotte Rodstrom has been Mrs. anti-development. Mayor Naugle has been Mr. smart development,'' said Veronica DePrado, president of the Colee Hammock Homeowners Association. ``Let's see if they are going to back up their words.''

dave8721

April 4th, 2006, 07:50 PM

The Broward anti-development momentum continues:

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/14259429.htm

DEVELOPMENT
Hollywood may put beach projects on hold
Hollywood commissioners are considering a freeze on development at the beach. But area business leaders aren't happy.

BY TODD WRIGHT
twright@MiamiHerald.com

For the past two years, Hollywood officials have fueled the train of redevelopment on the beach, shoveling millions in improvements and incentives into the area.

At the same time, longtime beach residents have pleaded with elected officials to put the brakes on construction, fearing they would be overrun by high-rises, hotels and traffic.

Their cries may have finally been heard over the cranes and construction trucks.

On Wednesday, the Hollywood City Commission will consider a moratorium on proposals for new projects on the beach for six months -- or until a city consultant makes recommendations on how the area should be developed.

The move would not affect projects already approved by the commission.

''The people who love the beach are terribly concerned about the quality of life here,'' said Cynthia Greene-Eason, president of the Condos of Hollywood Beach, a coalition of condo associations. ``It's probably too late to stop, but whatever quality of life we can have, we want to protect it.''

Beach business leaders aren't thrilled about the idea, fearing the interruption could break the development momentum the city has started.

The Hollywood Beach Business Association called an emergency meeting after hearing about the proposal and denounced the idea of a moratorium.

''We are against any premature decisions that may adversely affect Hollywood beach redevelopment and that includes a moratorium,'' said Debra Case, president of the association.

AN ABOUT-FACE?

In the eyes of developers, the move could be viewed as an about-face by commissioners, who have repeatedly voted for redevelopment on the beach, said Fabrizio Passlacqua, developer of Hollywood Grande.

Developers have also complained of being hamstrung by a cap on residential units on the beach, which has already been reached. The only developments that can be approved for the beach are commercial and hotel buildings.

Passlacqua said as construction and material costs soar, a lengthy moratorium could force developers to build higher or go elsewhere. He recently asked to expand his project from 148 units to more than 200 because of the unexpected spike in construction costs.

The moratorium was placed on the City Commission agenda at the request of Commissioner Cathy Anderson, who has represented the beach for the past 31 years.

She has supported beach development in the past, including her vote in favor of spending more than $100 million on improvements to the beach through the district's Community Redevelopment Agency.

The plan was designed to improve the infrastructure and look of the beach to attract developers and tourists. So far, it's working. Ten large residential developments, such as the Villas of Positano and the Trump Towers, already are in the pipeline, Anderson said.

This year, the CRA is expected to improve water and sewer lines and begin burying electric, cable and telephone lines.

The Hollywood Boulevard bridge is about to undergo renovations and improvements to the Broadwalk are almost complete. The CRA, which collects tax money on the beach and then uses it in the district, also will build a sea wall between the beach and the Broadwalk.

Anderson said developers won't suffer if they have to wait a few months while the city recrafts a master plan.

''It's time we stopped for a few months and look and see where we are and what's the beach going to look like when all the things that we have on the table are done,'' she said. ``I don't like all of this development at all. I voted for developments because I knew we had to have it.''

STUDY COMMISSIONED

In February, the CRA used $250,000 to hire Bernard Zyscovich to study the beach and draft recommendations on how it should be developed.

The contract with the CRA asks for a preliminary report by August, but Zyscovich said his work might take longer as he develops recommendations to alleviate traffic congestion and parking issues on the beach.

He considers the building freeze a good idea for both the city and prospective developers.

''When you are creating a vision for a place, and someone is building things that might not conform to it at the same time, even before you start -- there is a problem,'' Zyscovich said. ``The desire is not to prevent things from happening so much as it is an opportunity to create a cohesive vision.''

Dale

April 4th, 2006, 09:04 PM

Broward is the worst on this.

dave8721

April 25th, 2006, 05:02 PM

http://www.multi-housingnews.com/multihousing/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002382769

$145.98 Million in Financing Arranged for West Broward County's First Condo Development

APRIL 19, 2006 -- Sunrise, Fla. -- The Miami office of HFF (Holliday Fenoglio Fowler LP) has arranged $145.98 million financing for the construction of Tao, a 396-unit, high-rise and townhome condominium development, the first of its kind for West Broward County.

HFF senior managing director Robert Kaplan worked exclusively on behalf of the borrower, Weitzer/Kislak Sawgrass LLP, to secure a $126.25 million, 30-month construction loan through Corus Bank. Fidelity Investments provided a $19.7 million mezzanine loan. The borrower is a partnership between Weitzer Communities and J.I. Kislak Inc., which has more than 20 years of experience as partners in real estate developments.

“Tao’s success in securing highly favorable financing terms is clearly attributable to the leadership of its developer, a 30-year development veteran, Harry Weitzer,” Kaplan said. “[He] has instituted an extremely effective marketing program which has resulted in sales far in excess of 50 percent of the total units at prices exceeding even optimistic projections.”

Due for completion in April 2007, Tao will consist of towers each with 26 stories, housing 198 units averaging 1,335 square feet. Located eight miles northwest of Fort Lauderdale, the development offers a lagoon-style swimming pool, putting green, massage room, fitness center, tennis court and valet parking.

Copyright 2005 Multi-Housing News

FTLMAN

April 26th, 2006, 03:58 PM

By Scott Wyman
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Posted April 26 2006

After a year in limbo, plans to build a new Broward County government center advanced Tuesday, much cheaper and smaller than the original vision of reshaping downtown Fort Lauderdale.

Broward commissioners told the consultants who came up with the scaled-back plan to do an in-depth feasibility study.

LocalLinks

The proposal calls for a 10- to 12-story building to replace the county's current headquarters and for up to 1,000 condos and 30,000 square feet of retail space to be built alongside on government-owned property. The private development would subsidize up to three-quarters of the $116 million price of the new government center.

Gone are most of the original plans that encompassed as many as nine new buildings in a four-block radius of Broward Boulevard and Andrews Avenue. That included eight times as much retail space, a 150-room hotel, and a more appealing entrance to downtown with fountains and parks.

That vision, unveiled in late 2004, would have cost more than $800 million and involved a complicated partnership with private developers and the city of Fort Lauderdale. Skeptical commissioners brought in a new consultant, HDR Inc., to refine the project.

The consultants said they scaled back the size from the original plans and concluded the larger amount of housing and retail initially proposed was not feasible. Commissioners said they want at least part of the housing to be affordable to middle-income workers. They also want to renew talks with the city about participating in the project.

"We have found now that there is a way to get the cost of building a new government center to a very manageable level," Commissioner Lois Wexler said.

County commissioners still voiced concerns whether downtown could support the construction of more condos or needed space for more retail businesses.

Left unanswered as well is how the county would pay its share of the cost, which would top $28 million.

County officials have wanted to move out of the old Burdines department store that's been home for almost 20 years. They argue the building is too small for their $3 billion-a-year operations, cannot accommodate current customer needs and has an electrical system that cannot handle high-tech demands.

HDR executives suggested the new government center be built either at the corner of Broward Boulevard and Andrews Avenue next to the current building or across Broward at the county's current bus terminal.

Moving the government center to the bus terminal site would allow the county to maximize the potential for private investment, the consultants said.

The entire block where the current building is located could then be sold or leased to developers, they added.

Scott Wyman can be reached at swyman@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4511.

dave8721

May 10th, 2006, 09:01 PM

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/14540688.htm

HALLANDALE BEACH
Off to the races! Project gets OKThe Village at Gulfstream Park project was trimmed but got past what appeared to be its toughest obstacle.

BY DIANA MOSKOVITZ
dmoskovitz@MiamiHerald.com

Broward County commissioners decided Tuesday that the promise of jobs and housing beat out concerns about traffic bottlenecks and agreed to allow Hallandale Beach to transform 64 acres into condos, stores and offices.

Tuesday's vote -- an about-face for commissioners who expressed concerned earlier about the southeast Broward city becoming a replica of traffic-clogged Aventura -- was the largest hurdle for the Village at Gulfstream Park to cross before it could move forward.

The city and the regional planning council are expected to give their support for the project.

More than 100 supporters showed up on Tuesday at the commission chambers, some wearing green T-shirts that said ''The Village'' on the front and ''Vote Yes'' on the back.

That contrasted sharply to a meeting in January when city residents showed up to express concerns about the plans.

''The community wants this,'' Broward Commissioner Diana Wasserman-Rubin said.

Commissioners voted 6-3 in favor of a land-use change that the project needed. Commissioners Suzanne Gunzburger, John Rodstrom and Jim Scott voted against it.

County Mayor Ben Graber postponed the commission vote for two weeks until Tuesday at the request of developer, Cleveland-based Forest City Enterprises, which wanted to hire Lobbyist Ron Book.

Rules prevent Book from lobbying the commission for the Forest City project while he was representing them in Tallahassee at the legislative session. The session ended Friday.

''I think the project and its evolution have been cooking, and the commission got its answers today,'' said Book, sitting between two representatives of the project.

Even Gunzburger, who has previously said she wanted to kill the project, scaled back her objection.

On Tuesday, she tried unsuccessfully to get a delay until after the commission's summer recess, even offering a compromise -- cutting out the residential part of the project but leaving the hotel and commercial space.

In return, Forest City would no longer have to build 225 units of workforce housing, she said.

''Hallandale Beach is not lacking in housing,'' Gunzburger said.

Developers agreed to scale back the project.

Retail space went from 910,000 to 750,000 square feet. Office space went from 200,000 to 140,000 square feet. The movie theater's seats were cut from 3,500 to 2,500.

''We continue to believe this is a great project,'' said Will Voegele, Forest City's regional director of development.

The developers set aside $5.8 million for public transportation -- $3 million for some type of north-south rail near the area and $2.8 million for shuttle service between the Village and the Hollywood Boulevard Tri-Rail station. They also agreed to several road improvements along nearby Hallandale Beach Boulevard.

If the Village gets all final approvals, it will be built in phases, finishing in 2014. It will include 1,500 condominiums, 500 hotel rooms, a movie theater and room for offices and retail stores.

Community supporters have called the project a chance to give Hallandale Beach its own downtown and tourist destination.

With slot machines expected later this year at Gulfstream Park, the Village is considered critical for turning the community into a tourist destination.

''It's just going to be a shot in the arm for our city and community,'' Hallandale Beach Mayor Joy Cooper said.

dave8721

May 18th, 2006, 04:06 PM

http://www.multi-housingnews.com/multihousing/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002503362

Foundation Work Complete at W Resort Hotel, Residences in Florida

MAY 16, 2006 -- Fort Lauderdale, Fla. -- Construction has been completed on the foundation of the three pedestals of the two-tower resort hotel/condominium development, W Fort Lauderdale Resort Hotel & Residences on Fort Lauderdale Beach, the "W" brand's flagship Florida property.

General Contractor Hunt Construction will be pouring the fifth floor in pedestal A, which represents the first floor of the residential component in May. In total, 2,500 cubic yards of concrete will have been poured. When complete in December 2007, the 23-story towers will house 171 hotel condominiums and 346 exclusive hotel rooms.

“Every step brings us closer to a highly coveted lifestyle from a highly coveted brand,” said Maura Landers, director of sales for Colonial Realty, an affiliate of Ft. Lauderdale-based Colonial Development Group, developer of the project. “W represents a commitment to delivering a certain standard, and the steady construction progress is the first indicator of that promise.”

dave8721

May 24th, 2006, 02:10 PM

Another rejection in Ft. Lauderdale:

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/14651309.htm

FORT LAUDERDALE
Lofts on Las Olas rejected by city

A project to build a 77-foot-tall loft-condo complex fails after more than two hours of debate among homeowners, business people, and public officials in Fort Lauderdale.

BY ASHLEY FANTZ
afantz@MiamiHerald.com

Score one for the traditionalists.

Critics of the Lofts on Las Olas won their battle Tuesday night to prevent construction of the seven-story glass and steel structure at Southeast 15th Avenue on a boulevard that's known for its two-story businesses, cafes, and bustling pedestrian-friendly walkways.

Commissioners voted unanimously to oppose the complex, which would have offered retail space on its ground floor, six stories of loft-style condominiums and three levels of underground parking.

''This is a beautiful building,'' said Commissioner Christine Teel. ``It's just in the wrong place.''

For more than a year, Fort Lauderdale developer and trial attorney Carl Karmin, who owns four restaurants on Las Olas, has been trying to appease the members of the vocal Colee Hammock Homeowners Association. The group found the design, rendered by an architect formerly with the famed firm Arquitectonica, unappealing mostly because it seemed out of character with the neighborhood.

Nearly 30 people spoke out about the project -- some advocated the building as a modern advancement to Las Olas but most deemed it a boxy, unimaginative structure. One homeowner called the project a ''monster'' while another said construction of the Lofts would ''kill'' Fort Lauderdale's quaint downtown vibe.

The big fear was that the building would increase traffic in an already congested area and cast a shadow over its smaller surroundings.

''If this would have been approved, we would have lost Las Olas -- the pedestrians, the sunshine, that would have all went away,'' said Jacqueline Scott, a real estate broker who has lived in the Colee-Hammock neighborhood for 20 years.

Another argument against the Lofts was its height -- 77 feet. Originally, Karmin proposed the structure at 100 feet.

''My heart sank,'' said Deborah Scott-Queenin, referring to her first glimpse of renderings of the Lofts. ``He's [Karmin] ignoring what's currently in the neighborhood. It's a slap in the face of logic.''

Karmin and his attorney Courtney Crush argued vehemently before the commission that a reasonably tall modern building is just what Las Olas needs. The project would improve a drab corner, once home to a Subway sandwich shop and now by a clothing store.

After more than two hours of debate, Karmin decided to use his trial attorney skills and grilled Marc LeFerrier, director of planning for the city of Fort Lauderdale, about whether the city had measured other buildings along Las Olas -- particularly those that were taller than his project.

At one point, Karmin referred to Mayor Jim Naugle as ``your honor.''

''We've done everything to make this work,'' the developer said.

``This end of Las Olas, it needs help.''

Dale

May 24th, 2006, 04:36 PM

Maybe they ought to just start building everything underground in Broward.

MIAballinboi

May 24th, 2006, 10:34 PM

One homeowner called the project a ''monster'' while another said construction of the Lofts would ''kill'' Fort Lauderdale's quaint downtown vibe

quote by a super nimby

At one point, Karmin referred to Mayor Jim Naugle as ``your honor.''

wow, and this is only 77 feet, what if they get a 500+foot proposal...

Dale

May 24th, 2006, 11:04 PM

My favorite is ...

"My heart sank"

... when the lady saw a rendering of the 77' building.

MIAballinboi

May 25th, 2006, 08:26 PM

^wow, i hope shes doing ok after that terrible shock

ChuckScraperMiami#1

May 25th, 2006, 11:40 PM

related group updated its site

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a140/miaballinboi/Icon20Las20OlasLargee-mailview.jpg

MIAballinboi :) , My friend :cheers: ,
What's the latest on this Jorge Perez " ICON Ft.Lauderdale " lol, J/K/ :cheers:

42 floors right, Please let me know,

is it still a go, ???

Me Johnny 5, need input, Info, Help !!! :runaway:

Guess0810

June 9th, 2006, 05:44 PM

FORT LAUDERDALE -- The new owners of Las Olas Riverfront -- a $55 million bar-restaurant-movie complex on the river downtown -- plan to demolish it.

Deerfield Beach-based Boca Developers Inc. is considering tearing it down and starting over, city officials confirmed. Executives with Boca Developers have declined to talk about their plans, which have not been submitted to the city for its required approval and could change.

Heavily subsidized by taxpayers, the 260,000-square-foot entertainment zone that takes up a good portion of a city block at Las Olas Boulevard, Andrews Avenue and the New River opened eight years ago.

Had it succeeded, Las Olas Riverfront would be a destination for tourists and locals, a place to show off the beauty of a downtown with a river running through it.

But Riverfront is considered by many to be a flop and, at this point, disposable.

Jack Loos, one of the original developers, said the flaws were lack of parking and a downtown that, until recently, had no residential population.

"That center was designed poorly from Day 1, and was destined to failure," City Manager George Gretsas said. The complex did not take advantage of the riverfront, he said.

Taxpayers to both the Broward County School Board and the city of Fort Lauderdale lost more than $3 million in the deals leading to the development of Las Olas Riverfront. They still have a stake in it because the site must remain a public entertainment zone until at least 2011 under the terms of the original city-subsidized deal with a group of developers, said Mayor Jim Naugle, who opposes Riverfront's destruction.

Gretsas said he has seen sketches of the evolving proposal, which he, Naugle, and other city officials said includes hundreds of condos as well as retail and entertainment businesses.

Boca Developers earlier proposed tearing down only the movie theaters to build condos, but that plan fell apart.

Developers who helped fashion the original plan about 15 years ago expressed regret that their work, the ensuing two years of disruptive construction and $55 million in investment might fall in a heap of dust and rubble.

"I'm saddened. I think the project was ahead of its time," Loos said.

The complex eventually was taken on solely by Hollywood developer Michael Swerdlow, who last summer sold it.

Boca Developers, a partner with Swerdlow elsewhere, bought Las Olas Riverfront in July for $31.9 million, county records indicate. The company has built numerous condo projects, including Biscayne Landings, a $3 billion mini-town project on a 190-acre former Superfund site in North Miami.

Stiles Corp., which is building an office tower near Riverfront, supports the demolition and feels it's probably necessary.

"The retail experts I talk to tell me there are just enough inherent problems in the way it got developed that it's a challenge," said Stiles President Doug Eagon. "… Sitting there today, candidly, it's an increasingly difficult property that is not a positive for the area."

"It's regrettable," said former Broward County Commissioner George Platt, a lawyer-lobbyist involved in the original deal. "Because I think the basic concept when it started off kind of made some sense. I think it got overbuilt in the wrong way."

Uncertainty about Riverfront is contributing to the complex's decline, business owners said. Except for a barhopping weekend crowd, business is stagnant.

Wednesday night was typical of Riverfront these days, according to those who work there. A relative few patronized the restaurants, the largest storefronts were empty, the escalators out of order.

Dan Marino's Town Tavern, gone. Hooters, gone. The towering clock is stuck at 11:10. "Michael Swerdlow Co.," it reads on its face.

Naugle said he opposes the demolition because he thinks Riverfront could survive if better managed.

"I think competent management could run the place, and any problems they have are self-imposed," he said.

Vogue Italia, a trendy Riverfront boutique, was one of the first retail stores to open there, but won't be around much longer.

Owner Merv Brody said business has been on a steep decline -- sales have dropped 50 percent in the past few years -- and he's moving out.

"The center keeps getting worse and worse," Brody said.

Right now, Vogue Italia survives mostly on loyal customers.

"It's a shame," he said.

Laura Richards opened Beach Soles at Riverfront about three months ago. She knew of the demolition talk going in, but signed a six-month lease for her independent shoe store that sells brand-name items.

"Maybe I'm just positive because I have a new business and I want it to succeed, but I think there's some great potential here," Richards said.

She said her new business "did fairly well" in March and April when tourists and snowbirds were visiting South Florida, but she's seen a drop-off in sales since.

Regardless, she says the location is a good place to test out her business, considering affordable space is scarce in downtown Fort Lauderdale.

Rumors of the Riverfront's demise keep customers and business owners away, Scott Wells, a native of the city, said from inside a cavernous but empty restaurant Wednesday night.

Wells said he wouldn't mind seeing the site rebuilt as a housing-commercial "lifestyle center" as is being discussed, but for now, he would just appreciate some stability for the complex and the restaurant where he works.

"Maya Southwest Grill, formerly Olé Olé. And before that, Aztec World Café," he says.

dave8721

June 27th, 2006, 04:02 PM

Icon Ft.Lauderale takes another step forward:

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/states/florida/counties/broward_county/14908878.htm

FORT LAUDERDALE
Judge boosts condo project
A new court ruling puts the developer in the driver's seat on a condo tower near Stranahan House, but preservationists contend the war is not over.

BY ASHLEY FANTZ
afantz@MiamiHerald.com

The shadow over Fort Lauderdale's historic Stranahan House grew a little longer last week, as a judge denied arguments from a preservation group and continued to clear the way for construction of a 42-story condo high-rise next door.

Broward Circuit Judge Robert Lance Andrews ruled Friday that the Related Group of Florida may move ahead with the 287-unit condo complex that foes say will overwhelm the home built in 1901 by Fort Lauderdale pioneers Frank and Ivy Stranahan.

Ground could be broken soon at the site of the former Hyde Park Market, just northwest of Stranahan House at 335 SE Sixth Ave., according to Don Hall, an attorney representing the region's largest builder of condominium towers.

HYDE PARK MARKET

That possibility is an outrage for members of Friends of the Park at Stranahan House, a nonprofit whose mission is to have the home and the surrounding area -- including the Hyde Park Market site -- designated as historic.

Such a designation would impose a requirement for further approvals and possible revision of the plans.

Since the Hyde Park site was purchased for development in 1998, various interests have tried to derail it. The city attempted to take the property for a park, but lost in court, and ultimately negotiated a compromise with the developer.

In 2004, Stranahan House went to court to kill the compromise; in 2006, they filed a petition challenging the city's site plan and development approvals.

Andrews' most recent order denied both those appeals.

The legal wrangling and consequent negotiations have wrought changes in the original plans -- most notably, the addition of a broad, parklike plaza between the building and Stranahan House. The city would own the plaza.

FEELING BITTER

Still, preservationists are bitter about the recent ruling.

'Judge Andrews' decision has made everyone happy -- except Stranahan House,'' said City Attorney Harry Stewart.

Scott Strawbridge, president of Friends of the Park at Stranahan House, said he finds the developer's plans ''offensive,'' and plans an appeal.

ChuckScraperMiami#1

June 28th, 2006, 12:49 AM

DAVE :rock: , my friend :applause: , Thanks alot for this Very important update :righton: , Its got to be built soon, and I'll bet Jorge Perez will start construction in about a month after tearing down :bash: the old sick :bash: looking hyde park supermarket, its Ugly :bash: to look at from Las Olas Blvd :bash: ,

Its gotta go !!! :okay: :cheers2:

ChuckScraperMiami#1

July 15th, 2006, 07:52 PM

Dave :hi: , please tell me :bow: , What's the latest here on ICON LAS OLAS :dunno: ???

or anyone :grouphug: , please tell me if they have knocked down the ole Hyde park :bash: supermarket , yet :dunno: ??? :cheers:

Me Johnny 5, has got to know, Info, Input , I gotta see this tower go up at 454 Feet at 42 floors, PLEASE :gaah: :gaah:

bro305

July 16th, 2006, 12:53 AM

ok i went to this website: http://www.johnsabia.com/Icon.php

For Icon Las Olas at 455 feet and 42 stories :drunk:
Reservations beginning - January 16, 2006
Contracts - mid March 2006
Groundbreaking - November 2006
Completion - December 2008
Maintenance - To be announced later
Parking - 1 space per unit
Amenities on the 8th floor
7 stories of parking
15,000 sq. ft of retail
Pet Friendly - 2 small pets permitted up to 20 pounds each
Building Service include 2 restaurants; one right on the River and the other one on the other side with outdoor seating
Requirements

ChuckScraperMiami#1

July 16th, 2006, 05:31 AM

Thanks BRO :wave: from the 305, I know now :righton: , this ICON :) tower at Las Olas will be built for sure now, and start late this year, and be completed in early 2009 :cheers: .

Fantastic :cheer: , thanks BRO :bowtie: , and at 455 feet , at 42 floors, It will be the Tallest tower in Fort Lauderdale :applause: .

Dale

July 16th, 2006, 05:40 AM

I don't think there's been any problem at all with sales. I think it's pretty much the normal timeline considering permits and getting materials and labor lined up and all that.

Dale

July 16th, 2006, 06:06 AM

And one of the reasons I'm excited about this project is because it fills a crucial gap in the CBD. There is currently a dead-zone from Cheesecake Factory which runs two or three blocks west down Las Olas.

Dale

July 18th, 2006, 04:45 AM

And much to my very pleasant surprise, the 17-story mixed-use tower 200 Las Olas Circle has been u/c since January !

www.stiles.com/realty_lease_200brickell.htm

This will fill another significant deadspot.

FTL Beach Bum

July 22nd, 2006, 06:46 PM

Dave :hi: , please tell me :bow: , What's the latest here on ICON LAS OLAS :dunno: ???

or anyone :grouphug: , please tell me if they have knocked down the ole Hyde park :bash: supermarket , yet :dunno: ??? :cheers:

Hey everybody!

YES: The Hyde Park market is GONE!! :banana2: The sales office us up, the construction fence is lined with promo ads, and it looks like it's just about time to haul some serious dirt! :nocrook:
:dance:

Might grab a few shots later...

Dale

July 22nd, 2006, 09:38 PM

Woo-hoo !

FTL Beach Bum

July 24th, 2006, 10:30 PM

Alright...As promised, here's a few shots from Icon Las Olas, as of 7/24!! :banana2:

Looking into the property from New River Drive (Stranahan House in the background):
http://www.filecabin.com/up1/1153771098-DSCF1285_edit.jpg

Former location of the Hyde Park Market (facing due south)! :banana:
http://www.filecabin.com/up1/1153771379-DSCF1286_edit.jpg

http://www.filecabin.com/up1/1153771474-DSCF1288_edit.jpg

The promo fence:
http://www.filecabin.com/up1/1153771645-DSCF1289_edit.jpg
**Note: click HERE (http://www.filecabin.com/up1/1153771716-DSCF1289_full.jpg) for a detailed full-size version.

Looking northeast, with the sales office just on the other side of the fence:
http://www.filecabin.com/up1/1153771768-DSCF1291_edit.jpg

And finally, on an unrelated note, here's a shot of the School Board building in its current state of affair, some 9 months after Wilma:
http://www.filecabin.com/up1/1153771873-DSCF1294_edit.jpg
Pretty sad...

But anyway, here's to ICON!! :tyty: :drunk: :rock: :nocrook: :righton: :cheer: :applause: :llama:

ChuckScraperMiami#1

July 25th, 2006, 12:45 AM

Hey everybody!

YES: The Hyde Park market is GONE!! :banana2: The sales office us up, the construction fence is lined with promo ads, and it looks like it's just about time to haul some serious dirt! :nocrook:
:dance:

Might grab a few shots later...

Beacb Bum :wave: , Grab a Shot of Whiskey :scouserd: , and do a toast !!!

Thank GOD for JORGE PEREZ !!! :dance:

Build Fast , Finish Fast, He's the man :okay:

Rout Rout Hooray :cheer: :hi: :bowtie:

Rout Rout Hooray :applause: :pepper: :cheers1: :lovethem: :cheers: :banana:

DGM

July 25th, 2006, 02:23 PM

And finally, on an unrelated note, here's a shot of the School Board building in its current state of affair, some 9 months after Wilma:
http://www.filecabin.com/up1/1153771873-DSCF1294_edit.jpg
Pretty sad...
When I first read that I was pretty sceptical about whether this was caused by Wilma or just ordinary school board ineptness.

Miami as in Perfect

July 25th, 2006, 08:13 PM

^^ That would be sad if it were any other building, yes. But I happen to be a little, oh, I don't know, happy? that they finally got a taste of their own medicine. My middle school amounted to the pile of what was torn off of the building during Wilma; I call it payback. Mean and harsh - I know.

dave8721

July 27th, 2006, 08:54 PM

The progress or lack thereof of FTL projects:

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/15131145.htm

Residential projects lay untouched
Developers and investors have put Flagler Village condominium projects on hold as they wait to see how the real estate market plays out.

BY PATRICK DANNER
pdanner@MiamiHerald.com

In January last year, two of 23 residential projects planned for Fort Lauderdale's Flagler Village area were under construction.

More than a year and a half later, construction has started on only four others. At least eight projects have been put on hold, delayed or scrapped. Whether the rest get built may largely depend on how the real estate market plays out.

The slow progress has dampened hopes that the projects would transform the long-neglected north end of downtown Fort Lauderdale into a hip, urban village, at least anytime soon. Instead, developers are grappling with higher building costs, a shortage of construction labor, onerous insurance prices, stingier lenders and a softening real estate market.

''To do a condominium project now is really a risky venture,'' said analyst Jack McCabe of Deerfield Beach-based McCabe Research & Consulting. McCabe is starting a fund to buy units on the expectation that the condo market will tumble.

All of the uncertainty led Doug McCraw to halt plans for Brickell Point, a 205 loft-condo project, at 501-545 NW First Ave.

''I stopped the project cold turkey,'' he said. ``Everybody has backed away until the market has settled.''

Developers of the Waves, a 21-story, 75-unit condo development at 401 NE Third St., also put the brakes on its project earlier this year after failing to obtain construction financing. Dozens of buyers who had put down deposits totaling 20 percent of the purchase price have sued. The units ranged in price from about $300,000 to more than $600,000.

LEFT OUT

''First-time developers are more or less priced out of the market right now,'' said W. Bruce DelValle, a Kissimmee lawyer representing the Waves' developers. ``You have to have $10 million in the bank before you can borrow $4 million.''

The Waves property is now listed for sale. Proceeds will be used to repay unit buyers, DelValle added.

Other developers with little or no experience building multifamily housing projects are seeking out development partners.

They include Amera Corp. and Barron Commercial Development, which together proposed building 278 condominiums in two 30-story towers at Northeast Third Avenue and Third Street. They also plan to build a 60,000-square-foot office building.

''The market is obviously not as strong as it was a year or two years ago,'' said Barron's Charles Ladd. ``The cost of vertical residential construction has gone up 50 percent in the last year and a half.''

All sorts of construction materials have soared in price, including cement, steel, copper drywall and PVC. The question is whether costs will continue to rise or come back down, Ladd said.

''Our attitude is, if we can do it with someone who can do a good job, we'll do it,'' he said. ``Otherwise, we'll move with the office and wait on the residential.''

Jason Robertson of Downtown Lofts LLC said he is waiting for construction prices to subside before starting work on NoLA Lofts II, a 54-unit complex proposed for 312 NE Second St. And Peter Feldman of New Phase Realty is searching for a residential developer to partner with on his two projects, which combined feature about 500 condo units.

MOVING ON

Feldman suspended marketing of the 218-unit Courtyards at Flagler Village after Hurricane Wilma and refunded deposits. He couldn't deliver the units at the price they were marketed at because of higher costs, he said.

Some developers who have yet to break ground in Flagler Village insist they still are moving forward. Many must meet high presale targets -- generally 50 percent or more of all units -- to obtain construction financing.

Experienced residential developers seem to have a leg up. Southpoint Realty Development has sold about 104 of the 117 units in Strada 315, a condo project under construction at 315 NE Fourth St. Alan Hooper has under construction three projects, nearly all of them sold out before completion.

Hooper locked in his land and construction costs at lower prices than other developers. ''I'm selling for less than what people can build for,'' he said.

But some developers pushing ahead are finding the real estate market a challenge. Stanton-Pender Development Group, developer of the Heights at Flagler Village, a 26-unit project at 730 NE Fourth Ave. with prices averaging $600,000, has presold eight units. It wants to sell eight more before breaking ground.

''Sales are slow, as can be expected,'' said Saul Levy of Stanton-Pender. ``The feedback has been, `I like your project. I am just on the fence because down the road prices may go down.'''

Another factor that has slowed sales: speculative investors -- credited with fueling Miami's condo mania -- have largely evaporated.

A few developers have been stymied not by market conditions but by the city's decision to hold off allocating 3,000 residential units for new projects until it develops rules relating to workforce housing.

That prompted Aventura-based Groupe Pacific to kill its plans for a 42-story, 421-unit condo tower on Broward Boulevard. The developer now is exploring other options for the property, said Jacqueline Gonzalez, Groupe Pacific's director of acquisitions and development.

FRUSTRATION

Square Lake Group of Michigan acquired property at 501 NE 12th Ave. for $2.42 million in February. The property was previously approved for 12 loft units that would have cost over a $1 million each, Square Lake said -- too pricey for Flagler Village.

To price from the upper $200,000s to upper $400,000s, Square Lake wants to build more units. But it can't get them because of the moratorium, said Square Lake's Todd Rosenzweig.

''It's frustrating, to say the least,'' Rosenzweig said.

Marc LaFerrier, director of the city's planning and zoning department, didn't return calls.

Despite the early stumbles in Flagler Village's makeover, Chris Wren, executive director of Fort Lauderdale's Downtown Development Authority, is confident the transformation will occur -- it just may take longer than some had hoped.

''Sometimes the vision is so exciting that we have to temper our expectations in order to get there,'' Wren said. ``There is investment being made. I, for one, still believe that is going to be one of the most exciting village neighborhoods in our country.''

Dale

August 6th, 2006, 09:24 PM

Folks over on UP are reporting that they've heard that Icon Las Olas is going to be shelved due to poor sales. I hope this isn't true. Anyone heard anything ?

ChuckScraperMiami#1

August 8th, 2006, 01:05 AM

Folks over on UP are reporting that they've heard that Icon Las Olas is going to be shelved due to poor sales. I hope this isn't true. Anyone heard anything ?

OH DALE :wave: , please don't say that :ohno: , Its not true :gaah: ,
Jorge Perez :cool: put alot of effort into getting this tower built,
He's not bailing out of this one, I'll assured you , It will be built !!! :cheers:

He's :) come to far into many legal terms into starting this tower and building it fast, no matter how slow the sales are, He's gonna build it. :cheer: :applause: :cheers1:

Dale

August 8th, 2006, 04:13 AM

The progress or lack thereof of FTL projects:

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/15131145.htm

I was actually quite disappointed in downtown FTL last time I was down there, October last year. I expected quite a lot more progress than was evident. I would place it last among Florida downtowns in terms of synergy.

The possibility that Icon Las Olas is going to be shelved only serves to heighten my disappointment.

dave8721

August 8th, 2006, 05:31 PM

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/states/florida/counties/broward_county/15221241.htm

DANIA BEACH
Dania trailer park at end of road?A townhome and condominium development may replace a Dania Beach mobile home park.

BY JENNIFER LEBOVICH
jlebovich@MiamiHerald.com

A developer wants to build townhomes and a 14-story condominium tower on the site of a Dania Beach mobile home park.

Beacon Investment Properties will ask the City Commission tonight to allow up to 280 residential units at 801 E. Dania Beach Blvd., the current site of Weiner's Mobile Home Park and an abandoned gas station.

The developer needs a special zoning exception to go ahead with the project.

Conceptual plans submitted to the city show a cluster of condominium towers rising up to 14 stories along Dania Beach Boulevard, and three- to five-story townhomes along Gulfstream Road.

A five-story parking garage would be in the middle of the property, according to the plans.

The development would be built in phases, with the townhomes built first.

''I think it's a very attractive project,'' said Mayor Patricia Flury, ``And I think it would blend in well with what's going on the Dania Beach corridor . . . There's a number of projects on the drawing board for Dania Beach Boulevard.''

CONTINUING TREND

Mobile home park owners across the county are facing pressure to convert their land into townhomes, condominiums and shopping centers, not only from developers but also from local governments seeking to gain tax revenues.

There are now about 50 mobile homes and RVs at Weiner's park.

Florida statutes say local governments cannot approve site plans or rezoning that could displace mobile home owners without first finding comparable accommodations nearby.

In practice, mobile home residents are often given financial compensation instead.

If the commission gives the developer approval, Beacon Investment Properties will have to make arrangements for the permanent mobile home residents, as required by Florida law.

''This commission has never allowed a developer to not take care of the people,'' said City Manager Ivan Pato. ``[The developer] will be made to meet all of the state requirements before anyone is displaced. The city will see to it that is in place.''

The development will fit in with the city's plans for redevelopment, said Commissioner John Bertino, but he wants the townhomes and condominiums to be built at once as opposed to being phased in over time.

''Let's get stuff going,'' Bertino said.

``All these guys come in and buy land, they go through all the mastications to get what they need to build, then they flip the land. . . . We need to get stuff on the tax rolls. It's just that simple.''

SEVERAL PROJECTS

The development is just one in a string of high-rise projects slated for Dania Beach Boulevard. A developer is beginning work on the site of the Modello, two 14-story towers with 288 condominiums on East Dania Beach Boulevard, just west of West Lake Park.

And Boyd Gaming will likely unveil plans for the Dania Jai-Alai property in the coming weeks.

In June, the commission approved a plan for a 14-story condominium and retail space at the site of the Pirate's Inn hotel. Neighboring property owners recently filed suit against the city, saying the commission shouldn't have approved that project.

Commissioners will discuss Weiner's Mobile Home Park at the meeting tonight, starting at 7 at City Hall, 100 W. Dania Beach Blvd.

Dale

August 8th, 2006, 05:46 PM

Wow! They can build a highrise in a trailer park but Related can't get one up in downtown FTL apparently.

dave8721

August 8th, 2006, 07:37 PM

I'm I the only one who thought this was a little odd:

"Florida statutes say local governments cannot approve site plans or rezoning that could displace mobile home owners without first finding comparable accommodations nearby."

Why are mobile home dwellers given protections that no one else is given? Imagine if cities had to provide new housing to people who have their apartment buildings bought up and rezoned...I guess they have a powerful lobby or something.

DGM

August 8th, 2006, 09:17 PM

I believe that is because mobile home residents are more likely than any other type of resident to be displaced directly onto the streets. This rule should be made to extend out to low-end apartments as well as mobile home residents.

FTL Beach Bum

August 8th, 2006, 10:41 PM

I can only imagine the outcry from advocates of the now-demolished Hyde Park Market if Icon ceases to be...

dave8721

August 11th, 2006, 09:05 PM

Renderings of the expansion to Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach (the towers top out at 330 feet):

Site Plan:
http://www.kobikarp.com/images/gulfstreamplan.jpg

Project Site:
http://www.kobikarp.com/images/gulfstreammap.jpg

http://www.kobikarp.com/images/gulfelevation01.jpg

http://www.kobikarp.com/images/gulfstream01.jpg

Dale

August 11th, 2006, 09:57 PM

Yay! More Med-Revival!

*said sarcastically*

Guess0810

August 18th, 2006, 02:36 AM

Ireland's Inn seeks 5 stars for 5 acres
Fortune International signs up as co-developer
South Florida Business Journal - August 11, 2006

The owners of Ireland's Inn on Fort Lauderdale's beach have pieced together five acres and teamed up with developer Fortune International Realty for a planned five-star condo-hotel, spa and luxury condo tower.

The partners say they are negotiating with Ritz-Carlton and Man-darin Oriental, neither of which is in Broward County, for the hotel flag. Fort Lauderdale's beach is shedding its "Where the Boys Are" past and seeking an identity as a luxury travel destination, with projects carrying the St. Regis, Trump, Hilton and W brands.

The Ireland's property, just north of the coral- and yellow-hued Palms condominium towers, is east of State Road A1A, while the majority of Fort Lauderdale's oceanfront hotels are on the west side of the highway. It's a relatively quiet setting compared with the busier strip to the south, which has buses, clanging trolleys and bars with live entertainment.

"Certainly, this is one of the best sites in Fort Lauderdale or the region," Fortune International President Edgardo Defortuna said. Fortune has developed the Ritz-Carlton Club and Residences in South Beach, Le Meridien in Sunny Isles Beach and a trio of Miami-area projects with the Jade name.

The architect for the Ireland's project is John R. Nichols of Coral Gables' Nichols Brosch Wurst Wolfe & Associates, a firm that designed the Westin Diplomat Resort in Hollywood, JW Marriott in Miami, two new towers at the Fontainebleau Hotel & Resort in Miami Beach and three Ritz-Carlton projects in Miami-Dade County.

The assembled talent signals a drastic transformation for Ireland's, a nearly 50-year-old resort complex that had several buildings torn down after Hurricane Wilma. Ireland's is owned by the Fairwinds Group, whose CEO and president is Andy Mitchell, the husband of Kathy Ireland-Mitchell.

Mitchell said he hopes to submit plans to the city this fall, start marketing during the upcoming winter tourism season and begin construction in two years. Prices for units haven't been set.
450 feet of oceanfront

The Ireland's site has 450 feet of beachfront and has the potential for up to 240 feet in height, or about 24 stories.

"But this is not about density and how massive we can make something," Mitchell said, adding that he enjoys good relations with neighbors in the single-family homes that run north from Ireland's toward Oakland Park Boulevard.

Mitchell said he doesn't want the four- to five-story parking pedestal typically found on A1A, which is one reason a five-acre site was assembled. Part of the garage will be underground, so it will rise only 11 feet from street level.

The hotel also will be set back from A1A to provide curb appeal. Mitchell said he has visited nearly every resort from Orlando south and consulted with EDSA, a Fort Lauderdale-based landscape architecture firm, to formulate his vision.

A signature restaurant and the spa will be on the A1A side of the development, while Ireland's Windows restaurant and the Oceanside Bar and Grill will have a beachfront view.

Mitchell said the project will have larger balconies and terraces than usual, with room for hot tubs or a garden on some of the residential units.
Preservation battle

Some preservationists have fought to save Ireland's main building, arguing its wavy design and details are symbolic of mid-century modern architecture. On May 20, the Fort Lauderdale Historic Preservation Board recommended city commissioners give a historic designation to the building.

Preservationists pressed their case at the June 20 City Commission meeting, but the Ireland family had an outpouring of support, including a neighbor who said she feared the main building's shark-toothed balustrades would topple into her yard if a hurricane came.

The minutes characterized a few words by Lillian Ireland, the family's 100-year-old matriarch, about those opposing the destruction: "After all the years she has been here and listening to many complaints, this is the most ridiculous one of all."

Mitchell said: "I don't think it's historic and the Commission voted 3-2 against [saving] it."
Increased competition

He said he had no choice but to start over.

"I worry today that we are not equipped, given what's coming online," he said, mentioning a lack of room balconies and little ability to withstand hurricane winds.

Ireland's had more than 200 rooms before the hurricane and now has 74. Mitchell is currently fighting with Citizens Property Insurance over damages he estimates at $2.5 million.

Fairwinds gained control of the hotel in 2004 and assembled more than 20 lots, including a never-occupied 16-unit condo building on A1A. That effort involved quietly buying enough units until the condo documents could be changed to clear the way for a fair market buyout of the remaining units, he said.

Mitchell said Holiday Fenoglio Fowler assisted in finding a partner and that he chose Fortune because of its "impeccable reputation of doing what's right" and its ability to weather ups and downs in the market. Defortuna said he is not concerned with getting financing for the project, despite a recent report that outlined 27 hotel or condo-hotel projects in Broward.
'One of the easiest projects to finance'

The land has value and the partners will contribute private equity, he said. "I think this is going to be one of the easiest projects to finance."

The report, by the National Association of Condo Hotel Owners, indicates that owning a condo-hotel unit in Miami-Dade or Broward counties will likely require periodic injections of capital, meaning they won't generate a positive cash flow.

"The people who bought condo-hotels to use and make a return had a false premise," Defortuna said, adding that the right way, in general, for buyers to regard condo-hotel unit purchases is that renting them out helps defer costs and they get the benefit of professional management.

He does think a five-star property could turn out to be a solid investment in the long run.

Most hotels, regardless of their ownership structure, take several years to build up a repeat clientele and hit their maximum occupancy.

Mitchell is confident the overall development on the beach will help buoy business for everyone and points to the city's amenities and evolving reputation.

"I think Fort Lauderdale is going to become the Riviera of the South."

Roark

August 31st, 2006, 01:27 AM

GlobeSt.com Commercial Real Estate News and Property Resource
Last updated: August 29, 2006 02:14pm
Multi-Phase Hotel-Condo Project Rising on Nine Acres
By Natalie Keith

HOLLYWOOD BEACH, FL-Chicago-based MCZ Development Corp. and Centrum Properties have begun work on the multi-phase Sian Ocean Residences & Resort. The project is rising on nine acres from the ocean to the Intracoastal on South Ocean Drive.

Developers acquired the property, which includes a 16-story apartment building at 4001 S. Ocean Dr. facing the ocean and the Ambassador Hotel at 3135 S. Ocean Dr. facing the Intracoastal, more than a year ago. The first phase of the project includes conversion of the apartment buildings, which has been completed, and conversion of the hotel into a 309-unit condo hotel, which is under way.

The second phase of the project includes a 20-story oceanfront Beach Club Tower with 46 units and a separate condo-hotel on the Intracoastal. Also included in the second phase is the centerpiece of the project, a resort-style Beach Club with 34 cabanas that will be connected to all other parts of the project. Miami-based Fortune International has been named the exclusive sales and marketing agent for the project.

Other MCZ/Centrum projects here include the Tides, a three-building residential condo conversion alongside Sian, and the Wave, a condo conversion two blocks north of the Tides. The partnership also converted Regent Park at Young Circle and Cite in Miami’s arts district into for-sale residential condos.