NEW HOTEL COMING TO BOCA RATON

NEW HOTEL COMING TO BOCA RATON

I found this one interesting. They say that there is no hotel in Downtown Boca Raton and that this would be the first. But did they forget about the Boca Raton Resort? It has the city’s tallest building at 27 stories and is a hotel and private club. Brushing that fact aside, the new hotel at 120 East Palmetto Park Rd. (the Southeast corner of Palmetto Park Rd. and Federal Highway) will be more centrally located and shorter at just 12 stories. It will be called Hyatt Place Hotel Boca Raton and feature 200 rooms. It will be right next to the Mark at CityScape, another new project, a 208 rental residential building. There will be 8,000 SF of retail / restaurant space which is highly rumored to be taken by the restaurant chain Del Frisco’s, who would not confirm or deny this. The project has full approval and will be built shortly although no timeframe for completion was mentioned. As you can see from the rendering above it will be a nice looking building and will surely be an amenity to the city. It is one of the many new residential projects going up in the area and more are being planned. They will bring badly needed residents, hopefully year round residents at that, to the Eastern part of the city. The retail in the area has always struggled for this reason, not enough customers. It is surely boom times again for the residential developers and they are going for it. Who can blame them as no one knows when the bubble will burst again. I am looking forward to trying that Del Frisco’s, which opened recently in Palm Beach and I have heard good things about. Like with any new project, you just hope there will be enough parking. We will find out soon enough. As always thanks for reading and have a great day.  

Boca's first downtown hotel moving closer to reality

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2014-08-26/news/fl-boca-first-downtown-hotel-happening-20140825_1_downtown-boca-raton-downtown-hotel-city-codes

PLAN FOR 2ND BOCA RATON HOUSTON’S RESTAURANT MOVES FORWARD

PLAN FOR 2^ND BOCA RATON HOUSTON’S RESTAURANT MOVES FORWARD

This has been in the works for years, and it was in fact the 3^rd time that Hillstone Restaurant Group had gone before the City Council in Boca Raton in hopes of opening a Houston’s restaurant on the intercostal at Palmetto Park Rd. and Northeast 5^th St. It would be the only standalone waterfront dining option in Boca Raton. But to be honest this is a somewhat confusing article. It says that the city is moving forward with lease negotiations. But it also says that it is already agreed upon that the restaurant will pay $500,000 per year in rent, plus a percentage of sales, and the restaurant is anticipating opening in 2016 (which is very quick for building something like this unless the already have an approved plan). So it sounds like a done, fully negotiated lease deal right? Not so the city and Hillstone say. The city is now looking to have Hillstone create boat dockage at the site, at Hillstone’s expense. Meanwhile, the biggest issue of concern with the project, adequate amount of parking, seems completely unresolved. Area residents are rightly concerned and it sounds like they (the city and Hillstone) are still working out the details, but parking is a lot more than a detail with a restaurant project; it is everything. And really I don’t see any way they can provide enough parking for it, but enough will be provided to “meet code”. That will allow the project to get built and then everyone will have to live with the consequences. The restaurant will be very successful there, on par with what they have at their Pompano Beach location, which is the most profitable in the country I am told. So people are going to park somewhere and it will be a mess. Sounds to me like a deal has already been fully negotiated and both parties are just going through the motions to cover themselves in case there is a big public outcry over the deal. Eventually the final details will be made public and when they are you will see them here. As always thanks for reading and have a great day.

Plan for upscale dining on Boca property advances

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2014-09-10/news/fl-boca-houstons-discussion-20140910_1_wildflower-property-hillstone-restaurant-group-silver-palm-park

TRI-RAIL GOING COASTAL?

TRI-RAIL GOING COASTAL?

Could it really be so simple as adding trains to the Florida East Coast Railway tracks? Those tracks run along Dixie Highway and pass through cities like West Palm Beach, Boca Raton and Ft. Lauderdale, and would complement not replace the existing Tri-Rail tracks along I - 95. While these plans have been in the offing for years, they might be close to realization now. If it were to happen, it would expand service to up to 22 new stations. Service would expand from the current Northern limit of West Palm Beach to Jupiter under the new plan. There would be new stations that would have to be built, creating jobs. The East station stops are more centrally located and would eliminate the need for the cumbersome Palm Tran buses that are needed now. Most of all, it comes down to money as usual. There is a 2 year study being conducted by the Florida Dept. of Transportation but the costs to link the FEC tracks (called the Tri-Rail Coastal Link) are between $720 and $800 million. Then another $100 million would be required annually to run it. The money would come from the counties, and possibly from some cities as well. To pay for the larger infrastructure costs, options such as transportation sales tax, gas tax or rental car surcharge have been discussed. I am extremely excited about this! This has been something sorely lacking in Florida, mass transportation, and this is a great and cost effective way to make it happen. We all know that our population in Florida is growing rapidly. We are the 3^rd most populous state now, having just overtaken New York, and the traffic problems are mounting. I have lived in Boca Raton since 2001 and this summer is the most traffic I have ever seen. If it stays this way there will no longer be an “off season” in the summer and fall, if it hasn’t happened already. So we must find a way to get some cars off the road and quickly. It sure looks like this is a viable plan so hopefully it will happen. I promise to provide more updates on it as soon as they are available. As always thanks for reading and have a great day.

Tri-Rail moving ahead with coastal railroad expansion

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2014-08-23/news/fl-tri-rail-coastal-link-20140816_1_tri-rail-service-coastal-tracks-second-track

FT. LAUDERDALE INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW PLANS FOR GROWTH

FT. LAUDERDALE INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW PLANS FOR GROWTH

Sorry, no photo associated with this article. Through past blogs we know just how huge this show is economically each year. It is bigger than a Super Bowl, and it happens every year! How about these numbers: 90,000 local jobs and $500 million dollar economic impact. But like every business in Florida these days, they have plans to grow. The plan is to attract new businesses, both locally and internationally, that are outside the marine industry. The owner of the show, Marine Industries Association of South Florida, is partnering with the Greater Ft. Lauderdale Alliance, who is Broward’s public-private economic development agency and the official tourism marketer for Broward County. They are going to sponsor a lunch on Oct. 30^th, which is the show’s first day, to promote the show and the economic impact it provides the entire state. The people attending the lunch will be a mix of foreign diplomats from 18 different countries along with local company executives from several different businesses. It is an invitation only lunch, and 220 people are expected. Attending countries that were mentioned include Brazil, Canada, Chile, Columbia, France, Italy and Norway. Fittingly, the lunch will take place aboard the Floridian Princess boat. Strangely, this seems like the first attempt at growing the show, probably because it continues to grow each year with no efforts. But I bet with these efforts they will be successful in attracting even more businesses and participants to the show. It will be interesting to see how quickly it happens and who will be the newest participants. I have no doubt they are focusing heavily on South America, who Florida has seen massive growth from lately. It would also make sense to see Mexico and Canada there since they are our neighbors and have large areas of marine industry. I am going to try and make it this year, for the first time. One of the main detractors of the show is the expense and difficulty in parking during it. Wish me luck! As always thanks for reading and have a great day.

Boat show expansion plans include new businesses

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2014-08-29/business/fl-boat-show-marketing-initiative-20140829_1_boat-show-marine-industry-marine-trade-group

GALLERIA MALL IN FT. LAUDERDALE PLANNING $1 BILLION DOLLAR DEVELOPMENT

GALLERIA MALL IN FT. LAUDERDALE PLANNING $1 BILLION DOLLAR DEVELOPMENT

Oh yes, this is a big one! What do you do when you have a mall that has struggled over the years, and has recently faced a rodent infestation? You build a city around it so you have more people to shop there! Duh! That is exactly what is happening with the Galleria Mall in Ft. Lauderdale now. Keystone Florida Property Holding Corp, the owner of the mall, is going to spend $1 billion dollars to make it happen. They will be building seven new buildings, which will include 1,600 apartments (sounds like a mix of rentals and condos), and 150 hotel rooms. One of the buildings will be 45 stories, which will be all apartments. That would make it the tallest building in Ft. Lauderdale. All the properties will be connected by walking paths, bike lanes and trees, and will essentially be a community itself. It is currently awaiting city approval now, but that is expected to happen shortly. Construction would begin in late 2015 and would be completed in phases over a 7 year period. The only concern is the parking at this point, and they will find a way to make it happen. This is a very exciting and interesting project. I am very happy to see that they took the time to make it into a walkable community, and I think it will be very successful. Many jobs will be created and property values will soar once this is approved. Congratulations in advance to Keystone, who should clean up here. I will provide more information on the project once it is released. I am very curious to see the renderings. I am certain that they will feature the most expensive apartment in the city, the penthouse on the 45th floor of the tower. I wish them the best of luck and look forward to seeing it get built. As always thanks for reading and have a great day.

Galleria mall plans billion-dollar development

http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/blog/morning-edition/2014/09/galleria-mall-plans-billion-dollar-development.html?ana=e_sflo_rdup&s=newsletter&ed=2014-09-10&u=imWEgan6Mo2Fr8QCA5ZmD1rCrgv&t=1410356288

ROSENFELD RESTAURANT REVIEW – BRIO TUSCAN GRILL

ROSENFELD RESTAURANT REVIEW – BRIO TUSCAN GRILL

It is hard to believe that I have never eaten at a Brio Tuscan Grill before today. After all, it is a national chain, and they were located in Town Center Mall for many years before they relocated to the Boca Center in Boca Raton. One of the reasons is that I try and avoid chain restaurants, and support the local operators. But I do go to them on occasion and I am glad I decided to go there for lunch today! Brio is a very large, bright, airy place that has many tables but enough space between them. It is very noisy but not so much that you couldn’t talk with the person across from you. The bread bowl is worth mention. It is a combination of flatbread crackers with sesame seeds, and warm sourdough bread. Both were awesome and I ate too much of each. We did have a bad service experience, but the food was right on the money (and not inexpensive), and that is what really matters to me. I met a friend there who has eaten there many times and always enjoyed it. He always gets the same thing, and did so again today, getting the brick pressed chicken, which is actually chicken marsala. It came with mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables and looked awesome. He loved it. After picking the waiters brain, I went with the spicy grilled shrimp, which he said was the 2^nd most popular item on the menu. It was a little spicy, and came on a bed of orzo, faro, cherry tomatoes, spinach, asparagus, broccoli with a lemon pesto vinaigrette. It was really good. Normally I wouldn’t drink or have desert at lunch during the week but since the service was so bad they gave us free deserts. We accepted and both went with the pecan butterscotch caramel bread pudding with vanilla ice cream and crème anglaise sauce. It was served warm and was really amazing. It is worth noting that they also have smaller, shot glass size deserts as well (literally in a shot glass,  like you see at Seasons 52 or P.F. Chang’s, must be a chain restaurant thing), which also looked really good. There were quite a few other things that I would like to try here and I look forward to my next visit. I would love to hear about a place you have recently tried and enjoyed or about your favorite restaurant. As always thanks for reading and have a great day.

B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB GIVES WAY TO LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM AT CITY PLACE

B.B. KING’S BLUES CLUB GIVES WAY TO LAFAYETTE’S MUSIC ROOM AT CITY PLACE

Yes we have written on a few of these articles recently, and sadly here is another article about a retailer that is closing its doors at City Place. But this one is not all bad, and might even be good (and we love writing about those stories!). The owner of B.B. King’s Blues Club is not leaving after all, they are just opening up a new concept in the same location. It is going to be called Lafayette’s Music Room. It will have a New Orleans kind of look and will offer Cajun food. They will also offer many different kinds of music, unlike B.B.’s did. The idea is to appeal to many more customers and do so year round. That means drawing in the younger crowd, which they couldn’t do before as B.B.s. This is a huge win for City Place, even though this is the first B.B. King’s location to fail. With 12,000 square feet on the 2^nd floor close to the movie theater, it would be extremely difficult to find a replacement tenant for this location. So the beat goes on for this tenant for a little while longer, for how long no one knows yet. But with the new Revolutions opening there recently, featuring bowling, it could prevent people from getting to the 2^nd floor if it is successful. That would be bad. But the convention center hotel is finally under construction, not a day too soon for all the retailers at City Place who hope it will be a source of new customers. That would be good. And we also know that the new Eat – Scene is supposed to open nearby as well, possibly bringing the types of customers Lafayette’s Music Room needs. Ones with deep pockets that can afford live entertainment and go out frequently for entertainment. City Place must find a way to turn things around since it is critical to the success of the area. It is the center of West Palm Beach, and when that is dying or sick, it reflects badly on the entire city. I really hope they can figure it out and soon. Maybe Lafayette’s will be the catalyst to invigorate the project, but I have my doubts. What do you think? We will soon see, and I wish them all the luck in the world. As always thanks for reading and have a great day.

NEW EAT-SCENE COMING TO WEST PALM BEACH

NEW EAT-SCENE COMING TO WEST PALM BEACH

This one has some potential for West Palm Beach, and it is located right in Downtown West Palm Beach within walking distance of City Place. A developer named Tony Solo is opening a 10,000 square foot market at Quadrille Blvd. and Fern Street. It will be similar to an executive suite for restaurants, featuring 20, along with 4 “micro” restaurants. There will be a communal seating area for all, and there will be an art gallery and wine bar, separated by a beer garden between the market and art gallery/wine bar. The owner will take care of the marketing and management of the project, which will be called Eat - Scene, allowing the tenants to focus solely on their craft. They are hoping for a hip, wired in crowd and there is huge potential to reach many types of customers since there seems to be a draw for people of all ages. It is striving to be an artisan market, something doesn’t currently exist in West Palm, or really anywhere else in Palm Beach County. But if it all sounds too good perhaps it is. Solo said that they project is 75% leased, but declined to name tenants, always a concern. He owned the property since 2005 and spent 3 years on the business plan for East Scene. So why is the time right for this now? For one thing, the All Aboard Station is about one block away, if it truly starts service in 2016 as expected. I wouldn’t bet on that, but what I think this Eat Scene has going for it now is just the uniqueness of the project. There is a lot of money in the surrounding areas and they are known to come into town for benefits, concerts, etc. Can this kind of project bring those people to West Palm Beach? I bet they can get them there once, but then it will depend on the quality and experience, just like with a new restaurant. It will be interesting to see and I am rooting for them all the way. It is supposed to open in December so look out for it soon. I can’t wait to check it out! As always thanks for reading and have a great day.

Eat-Scene planned as food-lover’s marketplace in West Palm Beach

http://www.mypalmbeachpost.com/news/business/eat-scene-planned-as-food-lovers-marketplace-in-we/ng55R/?icmp=pbp_internallink_invitationbox_apr2013_pbpstubtomypbp_launch#116a5dce.3711057.735478

SOUTH FLORIDA RESIDENTIAL RENT PRICES AMONG THE HIGHEST IN THE U.S.

SOUTH FLORIDA RESIDENTIAL RENT PRICES AMONG THE HIGHEST IN THE U.S.

We have written plenty about the dozens of new residential projects that are either under construction or in the planning stages. And we have noted that the large majority of these projects are rental projects. While we knew that affordable housing is in short supply which is getting shorter all the time, this article looks at where the area stacks up nationally as far as rental prices for housing are concerned. The news is not good, and has the potential for serious damage to the economy if it continues unchecked the way it is going right now. To start with, average renters in South Florida spend 44% of their income on housing as compared to 30% for the rest of the country. South Florida has the 3^rd highest rent in the U.S., tied with San Francisco, which is widely accepted to be the most expensive place to live in the U.S. Only Los Angeles California (48%) and Sarasota (47%) are higher. The rental rates are growing much faster than wages are, especially in South Florida. So when you have residents who are spending all their disposable income on housing, they don’t have much to spend on other things, which hurts the retailers. Then their stocks go down and investors lose money and eventually you have recession like conditions even with a strong housing market. But that is somewhat deceiving. Many of the renters of today are not renters by choice. They have either had credit problems or lack the money for a down payment so buying a home is not an option. So they are trapped renting, and pricing just keep climbing unchecked. As long as the demand is there it is not going to change. I predict that cities that have been down for some time will pick up dramatically in the next few years as people scramble to find more affordable housing options. And for that they be forced to drive farther to their jobs, schools, etc. just to be able to afford a place to live. You can almost feel that housing bubble growing, and who knows when it will burst again? This cannot go on forever that is for sure. As always thanks for reading and have a great day.

Renters feel trapped amid higher costs, stiff competition

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2014-08-29/business/fl-rental-trap-zones-20140824_1_rent-control-rent-burden-median-household-income/2

BOCA RATON BOWLING ALLEY COULD BECOME APARTMENTS

BOCA RATON BOWLING ALLEY COULD BECOME APARTMENTS

This article caught my eye because there have been so many rumors about this site over the past 10 years. First it was going to be part of a high end restaurant cluster, which would have stretched along 19^th Street. That didn’t pan out. Then there was the Dick’s Sporting Goods rumor, which I knew couldn’t happen since there wasn’t enough room for one of their normal prototypes. There were several gym rumors and rumors of supermarkets. But now we might finally have a winner for this site, a not very exciting 649 unit apartment building which would feature 25,600 square feet of retail and restaurant space. For anyone that has lived in Boca Raton for some time this is shocking news. Strikes @ Boca, which is the current name of the bowling alley, is the only bowling alley in Boca Raton. The building has been there for 33 years and is a beloved use of the City’s residents. The bowling alley is currently used by area high schools with bowling teams and also by 3,000 league bowlers. I was just there with my family and a friend’s family for a couple of hours of fun on Labor Day. But as we know, money talks and that is what is important when it comes to real estate. So if this project is approved by the City Council it is going to happen, nostalgia be damned. Fortunately we have a brand new bowling alley close to our house, called the CineBowl & Grille at the Frank’s Theaters at the Delray Marketplace but it really isn’t the same. There is something about Strikes, the dirtiness, the terrible food, the arcade, the kids, the old fashioned style, that will be missed. Development is often called progress but sometimes I am not so sure. But there is no question that apartments here is the highest and best use for this site so expect the owner, CVR Realty to cash in soon. Who can blame them? I think it will be very successful, with residents being to walk to both The Town Center Mall and The Boca Center. Soon there will even be a Tri – Rail station they can walk to on Military Trail. As always thanks for reading and have a great day.

New development would strike Boca's only bowling center

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2014-08-30/news/fl-boca-bowling-soon-to-end-20140826_1_boca-helping-hands-town-center-mall-james-gavrilos

ROSENFELD RESTAURANT REVIEW – FABIEN’S BISTRO

ROSENFELD RESTAURANT REVIEW – FABIEN’S BISTRO

While I like to promote good news, let’s face it, the news is not always good. Such is the case with the reborn Fabien’s Bistro. I have a lot of connections to this place, located in a shopping center on 18^th Street in Boca Raton where I have done the leasing for years called Village Tower Shoppes. At one point I replaced the longtime operators called Fleming & Else Bistro, who had an amazing place. It stayed with the same name until it became Village Bistro at Fleming and now is Fabien’s Bistro after they sold it. I didn’t know any of this Saturday night, I was just hoping to have the same menu they used to have when it was Flemings, like I did the last time I was there 6 months ago. Those days sadly are over. My wife started out with a Caesar’s salad, and they said they couldn’t put the dressing on the side, the first time we had ever heard of such a thing. I started with a French onion soup, which was good but not well done enough on top. My older daughter had the same, which they were kind enough to do without cheese. Then for the entrees, we tried to order 2 coq au vins, and were told at 6:20 that they had run out and only had one left. Irate, I agreed to give that one to my daughter and went with the sea bass blackened instead. My wife got the crab cake and my little one went with pasta, as usual. My wife’s crab cake was terrible, filled with vegetables and smothered in a mustard sauce. My sea bass was terrible, and not prepared the way I asked. I sent it back after eating just 2 bites. My little one loved her pasta and my older one loved the chicken. Fortunately she is always watching her weight these days (not that she needs to, unlike me) so I had the opportunity to have some of it and it was excellent. But the damage was done, we didn’t like the attitude and I just couldn’t get past the fact that they ran out of chicken at 6:20 on Saturday. We passed on the deserts and instead went to Yogurt Emporium next door, which has the best yogurt in town, so there was a happy ending. I would love to hear about a great restaurant that you have tried or one of your favorite places. As always thanks for reading and have a great day.

ROSENFELD RESTAURANT REVIEW – SAPPHIRE INDIAN CUISINE

ROSENFELD RESTAURANT REVIEW – SAPPHIRE INDIAN CUISINE

It has been a long time since we have had one of these and this is a good one to get back into it with. Anyone that knows me knows that I like a wide variety of foods, especially exotic ones. One of my favorite foods is Indian food, and I do frequent several Indian restaurants each month. So you can imagine how excited I was to find that a new one was opening in my hometown of Boca Raton! Finally I went there with a friend last week. It is located in Royal Palm Place in Boca Raton on Federal Highway South of Palmetto Park Road. This is a very upscale place, with white clean décor, and a small bar. They have a couple of lunch options, a 3 course with an appetizer, entree and dessert and then a multi dish option that comes with 3 dishes and other stuff. For that you can choose vegetarian or non-vegetarian, and there are no substitutions of any kind (which precluded me from this one!). My friend went with the multi dish and I had the 3 course. I started with a tomato covered cauliflower, which was absolutely delicious. Then I had the boring chicken tikka masala, which came with rice and naan. It was excellent. My choice for desert, rice pudding, was too hot to serve since it just came out of the oven so they offered me a small donut with a honey sauce that was served warm. It was excellent and small enough so that it didn’t make you feel too guilty. My friend’s order was much more interesting looking. It was served on a large tray with many small cups on the perimeter and a large naan in the middle. He had his meats first, then a lentil sauce, which could be a soup, and various other sauces. His meats were shrimp, lamb and chicken. I was very impressed with this place and look forward to my next visit. It is a little pricey so be forewarned, but you do get a lot of food for the money and it is very high quality. I would love to hear about a place you have tried or one of your favorite places. As always thanks for reading and have a great day.

IS ALL ABOARD FLORIDA FINANCIALLY VIABLE?

IS ALL ABOARD FLORIDA FINANCIALLY VIABLE?

That is the question, and it is sort of crazy that it is still being asked at this point. This was supposed to be a private funded initiative that was to stretch from Orlando to Miami. There were plenty of problems along the way with regards to planning and the proposed stops the trains would make but since it was privately funded no one really cared. All of a sudden now that All Aboard Florida is seeking a $1.6 billion dollar federal loan to fund their shaky plans lots of people care. The loan is being sought from the Federal Railroad Administration, and this is the largest amount ever applied for. The total cost of the project is $2.5 billion and counting. Two U.S. congressmen, Patrick Murphy, D – Jupiter and Bill Posey R – Rockledge, are calling for independent review of the project to determine whether it is worth spending tax payer money on. If All Aboard were to get the loan and the project fails the taxpayers would pick up the bill. Specifically, the nonpartisan Government Accounting Office will be investigating how much the cost is to taxpayers, the amount of risk for potential default and the interest rate being charged on the loan. This is a painful situation indeed. Florida is badly in need of more mass transit, especially to airports, stadiums, etc., and this is a step in the right direction. But from the start it seems like this project has been badly planned. It has been fought by many residents whose homes are close to the rail crossings (they planned to have 32 trains running per day), and by many other cities who wanted to have stops there and have not been able to get them. How can you get to this point and not have the routes already planned out and agreed to by the respective cities? All Aboard has already bought the land for the train stops in West Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale and Miami, which is valued at $730 million dollars. While I hope that All Aboard can be successful, I really don’t think the public should be paying for its business/plans. What do you think? As always thanks for reading and have a great day.

Congressmen question All Aboard's viability

http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/blog/morning-edition/2014/08/congressmen-questions-all-aboards-viability.html?ana=e_sflo_rdup&s=newsletter&ed=2014-08-19&u=imWEgan6Mo2Fr8QCA5ZmD1rCrgv&t=1408460302

30 STORY PROPOSED RESIDENTIAL TOWER WOULD ALTER BOCA RATON SKYLINE & MORE

30 STORY PROPOSED RESIDENTIAL TOWER WOULD ALTER BOCA RATON SKYLINE & MORE

Every once in a while there is a proposed project that is so large that it could drastically change a city or village. I think this is one of these for Boca Raton. Boca is a city that favors low rise (100 – 140 feet high) Spanish-revival style buildings, and that is what is provided for in city codes. Now a company called Elad National Properties is proposing a 500 unit “ultra luxury” 30 story condo building. The property would be called New Mizner on the Green and would be built at 210 SE Mizner Blvd. where 244 town homes are currently built. They would be demolished to make way for the new tower which would be at least 300 feet high. There is only one building of this height in Boca now, the 27 story Boca Raton Resort & Club. Elad claims the new building would add $5 million dollars to Boca Raton’s tax base, almost doubling the current amount. They argue that it will draw very high net worth buyers to the area which will support the retail and restaurants in the neighborhood. It should be noted that a public relations firm has been hired to push the project, unlike most projects up for approval. If this project gets approved, it opens the door for more projects like it. All of a sudden we are creating a Collins Ave./Biscayne Blvd. in Miami, or an A1A in Ft. Lauderdale situation, areas where residential high rises cluster along the ocean. Is this good for Boca? On the one side you say this is growth, if the demographics support it then do it. On the other, you say the city is losing its identity with this one and if it happens it will forever change the look and feel of the city. Clearly the members of the City Council are divided on this subject and a battle over it is looming. I can promise you when a decision is made you can read about it here. I would love to know how you feel about this issue, so please let me know if you can. As always thanks for reading and have a great day.

Boca on the rise? Proposal would double downtown building height limit

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2014-08-19/news/fl-boca-big-building-20140819_1_downtown-boca-raton-glenn-gromann-new-mizner

THE OTHER SIDE OF PORT EXPANSION: DAMAGING THE ENVIRONMENT

THE OTHER SIDE OF PORT EXPANSION: DAMAGING THE ENVIRONMENT

It is true I have been quite bullish on the area ports expanding, and the exciting economic prospects that will bring, but there is another side to this. This article details the environmental collateral damage that is created by this expansion. All the port expansion we have been writing about lately are proposed, to the Port of Palm Beach and Port Everglades. But there is dredging taking place now in Miami at the Port of Miami, so this is what can also be expected at other ports once they expand. And what they are finding is exactly what opponents of port expansion claimed, that the dredging of the sea floor would smother coral and damage sea life. The problem is the amount of sediment that is being churned from the dredging, which prevents oxygen from reaching the bottom and kills coral reefs, sea grass and sea life. Now the Department of Environmental Protection has accused the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the entity that is overseeing the work, of violating state permits and gave them 2 weeks to respond. State inspectors have confirmed that the monitoring of the dredging work is not working. This is a $205 million dollar project and like most construction jobs there are probably incentives for getting the work done quickly. It sounds like that is what is happening here, and the environment is the one who is suffering from it. This kind of damage can be long lasting, and affect the many pursuits that draw people to the area like fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling, etc. But I am afraid there is too much money and potential economic benefits to stop this work. But it can certainly be done better, more responsibly and more safely. One of the ways that was discussed to accomplish that would be to have divers in the water at the bottom measuring the amount of sediment created rather than relaying up sophisticated equipment like they do now (which is clearly not working). All of this is really important because it will serve to guide the other area port expansions, and it seems like Miami is a testing ground for it now. Sometimes being first doesn’t have any benefits, but time will tell. What do you think? As always thanks for reading and have a great day.

Miami port dredging damaging sea life, state inspectors say

http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/08/19/4298352/miami-port-dredging-damaging-sea.html