Jump to content

Fort Lauderdale & North/Central Broward


bobliocatt

Recommended Posts

HoJo's to Go- Fort Lauderdale

The Howard Johnson Hotel on the oceanfront in Fort Lauderdale is set to be demolished within the next 60 days. While demolition is certain for the building damaged by Wilma last fall, its replacement is just as certain to face opposition from the neighboring Bonnet House and gardens. While I do not lament the passing of this spring break party hotel, I worry that another glassy high-rise in this spot may be too much. I will be interested to see the plans. As we have moved further north, the building won't be impeding our view in any case.

The Orlando Sentinel

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Replies 209
  • Created
  • Last Reply

HoJo's to Go- Fort Lauderdale

The Howard Johnson Hotel on the oceanfront in Fort Lauderdale is set to be demolished within the next 60 days. While demolition is certain for the building damaged by Wilma last fall, its replacement is just as certain to face opposition from the neighboring Bonnet House and gardens. While I do not lament the passing of this spring break party hotel, I worry that another glassy high-rise in this spot may be too much. I will be interested to see the plans. As we have moved further north, the building won't be impeding our view in any case.

The Orlando Sentinel

The proposed new hotel will charge between $600.00 and $700.00 per night for the average room. I think this is a bit unrealistic. Who is going to pay that for a hotel in Fort Lauderdale? For that kind of price I would think someone would want the glitz and glamour of Miami Beach or the posh elegance of Palm Beach. Fort Lauderdale Beach is dead. Nothing happens on the beach. Downtown is where all the action is in Fort Lauderdale. People are used to prices around $100.00 to $300.00 a night in Fort Lauderdale Beach.

I, for one, am distressed by how the city seems to be trying to remake its self in the image of Palm Beach with ultra expensive EVERYTHING, catering only to the megga wealthy. I see noting wrong with the Spring Break crowd. They bring lots of money with them that is great for our local economy. All these new hotels in Fort Lauderdale will sit empty, and the beach will be a ghost town. Somehow, I think that is just how many of the locals would have it. I don't get that mentality at all. I would like to see a vibrant urban beach, with ALL LEVELS of hotel classes. Sure a few ultra luxury hotels are great. But there should also be many hotels that tourists from the Midwest can afford, and that college kids can afford. The city of Fort Lauderdale seems all too willing to let them (and their money) all head south to Miami Beach. In Fort Lauderdale they are waiting on European tourists, and other high rollers to come to town. I just wonder if those people would even consider such a flop of a beach.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Elbo Room to be Elbowed Out for New Development?

This article in the Sun Sentinel describes a not-too attractive fight over prime waterfront real estate on Fort Lauderdale's oceanfront. It would appear that the renowned (but still dumpy) Elbo Room may have been granted a reprieve. In any event, I doubt the boarded up businesses will lie fallow for long.

The Sun Sentinel/Hotel-Online

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Elbo Room to be Elbowed Out for New Development?

Tghis article in the Sun Sentinel describes a not-too attractive fight over prime waterfront real estate on Fort Lauderdale's oceanfront. It would appear that the renowned (but still dumpy) Elbo Room may have been granted a reprieve. In any event, I doubt the boarded up businesses will lie fallow for long.

The Sun Sentinel/Hotel-Online

Elbo Room, Blondies, and Club Atlantis/ more recently Beach Bums just won't fit with the millionaire mile that strech of beach is about to become. With Las Olas Beach Club, St Regis, 2 Trump Projects, W, And Hilton/QClub all opening in the next few months/years the clientele is going to be expecting more than a draft beer. I am all for redevelopment though I think another multimillion dollar hi-rise on that spot is the wrong idea for Fort Lauderdale beach. Keep the groud floor retail and build maybe 4 or 5 stories up above it of prime residential/hotel such as this killed project which woudl have been a great boon to the area

http://www.andyweiser.com/newcon/palazzo_la.htm

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I Hope they revitalized fort lauderdale to make it better.

I don't see that happening. What most likely will happen is we will get another 100,000 condo towers thrown up, more apartment complexes coverting to condos and maybe a few new super markets. BUT no real job growth and no real responsible mass transit system.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Everyone please excuse me, but I need to vent for a moment. All of the recent NIMBYISM is driving me nuts!

I really hate the nimbyism in Broward. Considering how truly out to lunch some of the residents are, it is amazing that we've had the development we've had. But I think things will change in the coming years. If you look around most of Broward is up for sale, and long time residents are cashing out and moving on. There is a sense among many in the community that Broward is going the way of the dreaded Dade (more density in the buildings, taller buildings, ect).

Also as Broward shifts more racially to become an even more solidly minority majority county (Broward became a minority majority county this year) many whites (who are the chief nimbys) are packing up.

I have never understood the passionate opposition to progress... Why don't people welcome a city with a sense of place, where one can walk places in stead of driving every single place you go? Maybe I'm missing something, but I just don't get it.

I look forward to seeing more and more of both Broward and Dade become more like an urban village. Mixed use buildings, smart growth. And personally I like tall buildings. I love what is being done in Hallandale Beach. It is starting to look really beautiful. Look at Hallandale Beach and Lauderdale by the sea next to each other. Which beach would you prefer? Lauderdale by the Sea with it's 4 story building cap and trashy atmosphere (which its crazy residents are trying to "protect"), or the beautiful Hallandale Beach with its 40 and over 50 story condos and hotels like the Diplomat? I know which beach I prefer.

The last straw is now Hollywood has placed a building moratorium on all new projects on the beach... give me a break. This will last for 6 months, and in this real estate market that may be just long enough for Hollywood Beach to miss out on the building boom.

It's too bad that Broward's progress is held up by what is really just a handful of very vocal unhappy residents who hate anything that might revitalize their areas. They are the most nasty people you will ever meet. They shout down anyone who DARES to speak at a county or city meeting in favor of development. They are really out of control. My question is this: Why the hell do these people still try to live in an urban county with over 1.8 million residents and pretend like they are in the fight of their lives to save their small town way of life? In case they haven't noticed, that was over more than 20 years ago. It's time to move on people... I hear that the panhandle is nice.

All good poitns but I think the real problem with broward is they have a dearth of GOOD jobs. They have very very few companies head quatered here. They have done little to nothing to get big companies here and yet they are throwing up all these silly condos. People have to eat man, so why not get some jobs here, i mean real ones, enough to support all this luxury living they are trying to build. Not only that why have they not invested in a real bloody mass transit system here. Get a light real or something for God sakes, I swear the mentality here turns my stomach at times. This place wants so bad to be a urban metro place yet they do it in all the wrong and dumbest ways.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

All good poitns but I think the real problem with broward is they have a dearth of GOOD jobs. They have very very few companies head quatered here. They have done little to nothing to get big companies here and yet they are throwing up all these silly condos. People have to eat man, so why not get some jobs here, i mean real ones, enough to support all this luxury living they are trying to build. Not only that why have they not invested in a real bloody mass transit system here. Get a light real or something for God sakes, I swear the mentality here turns my stomach at times. This place wants so bad to be a urban metro place yet they do it in all the wrong and dumbest ways.

They are going to ask us citizens to fund the light rail project with a penny sales tax increase to be voted on this November. Assuming that passes (I imagine there will be much opposition to it) groundbreaking won't be till 2009. Here is some more info

http://www.ddaftl.org/dtc.asp (newly redesigned site btw)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They are going to ask us citizens to fund the light rail project with a penny sales tax increase to be voted on this November. Assuming that passes (I imagine there will be much opposition to it) groundbreaking won't be till 2009. Here is some more info

http://www.ddaftl.org/dtc.asp (newly redesigned site btw)

It's true, I think the penny sales tax will be a tough sell, maybe an impossible one at the current moment. People here are taxed out, they are dealing with storm insurance, rising interest rates, rising property taxes, ect ect. I think most people will vote no on sheer reflex to the notion of paying even a penny more for anything. Also, I think that many in Broward are still against the very concept of a mass transit rail system for a number of reasons, almost all of them being illogical or racist in nature (EX. We don't want to look like or become another Miami-Dade, people from bad neighborhoods could easily get to my gated community out in the everglades if the trains run west, ect ect.) It's sad but true. As bad as traffic can get, and as bad as it's going to get, I think that most of the people who actually turn out to vote, are stuck in a small minded mentality that says, "let the people leave Broward so it can be just like it was." Most aren't interested in progress, they are bitter because of it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's true, I think the penny sales tax will be a tough sell, maybe an impossible one at the current moment. People here are taxed out, they are dealing with storm insurance, rising interest rates, rising property taxes, ect ect. I think most people will vote no on sheer reflex to the notion of paying even a penny more for anything. Also, I think that many in Broward are still against the very concept of a mass transit rail system for a number of reasons, almost all of them being illogical or racist in nature (EX. We don't want to look like or become another Miami-Dade, people from bad neighborhoods could easily get to my gated community out in the everglades if the trains run west, ect ect.) It's sad but true. As bad as traffic can get, and as bad as it's going to get, I think that most of the people who actually turn out to vote, are stuck in a small minded mentality that says, "let the people leave Broward so it can be just like it was." Most aren't interested in progress, they are bitter because of it.

Yeah guys I knew of this tax and have been telling all my friends to vote yes. You know Sun-Sentinel did a report on the average income of the south flridian and its 27,000 and I am among the median at this present time. However I see how important it is to look past the now.

I have a fear though that even if Broward did a light rail system it will be done in one of the dumbest manners possible and be virtually in effective. I base this on past experience.

1. The river front was a disaster but look at identical projects in Miami and West Palm beach ie City place in W. Palm and that one that is right across the street from U.M.

THose things were done properly with big name stores beautiful architecture etc. etc. They really went all out with those projects in dade and palm beach. Now look at river front, bunch of trinket stores and eateries, because of the money down town they should have put high end big name stores like those other projects I named did but oh well another case of the small minded browardian (yes I just coined and patented that phrase lol).

Oh well what can you do?! I guess its one of those leave or stay and deal with it situations.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ireland's Inn to be Replaced With New Resort

Though this isn't exactly startling news to me (I knew that this would be happening soon), the Ireland's Inn at the north end of Fort Lauderdale Beach wil be demolished and replaced with an elaborate new resort. It's too bad that the building will be torn down, and I hope that they may be able to preserve elements of the curving 1964 main building. The balconies are distinctive. Having just had lunch there not long ago, I would have to agree that the property is tired, but there are certain parts which might be preserved. This is just a few blocks down the beach from our condo at the Sea Tower. RIP Ireland's....

The Sun Sentinel/Hotel-Online

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ireland's Inn to be Replaced With New Resort

Though this isn't exactly startling news to me (I knew that this would be happening soon), the Ireland's Inn at the north end of Fort Lauderdale Beach wil be demolished and replaced with an elaborate new resort. It's too bad that the building will be torn down, and I hope that they may be able to preserve elements of the curving 1964 main building. The balconies are distinctive. Having just had lunch there not long ago, I would have to agree that the property is tired, but there are certain parts which might be preserved. This is just a few blocks down the beach from our condo at the Sea Tower. RIP Ireland's....

The Sun Sentinel/Hotel-Online

What that area needs is some smaller scale restraunts/shopping/convenience store etc within walking distance of all the new development going up. Attach it to the bottom of a new resort if you like, but please don't charge $40 for a $20 steak just cause you have ocean views!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I couldn't agree more. The Cafe Martorano is nearby, but it is outrageously overpriced and turns into an obnoxious disco after 9PM. Who needs it? The tiny cafe next door offers so-so sandwiches for about $10. A few more decent restaurants with moderate prices would surely help an area that has lots of residents and relatively few dining options.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Current rumor has it that the replacement for Ireland's Inn may be a Ritz-Carlton or even possibly a Mandarin Oriental resort. I'll post more when I find out more info.. The hotel will not be closing until January, 2007.

tom, where is Ireland's Inn located ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Marlins Looking At Pompano Beach As Ballpark Site

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. -- A new potential location for a Florida Marlins stadium has emerged: Pompano Beach.

City and Broward County officials have been negotiating with the Marlins since May on an agreement to build a ballpark with a retractable roof, county Mayor Ben Graber said Wednesday. A proposal may be ready for consideration by the county commission in a couple of weeks, he said.

http://www.nbc6.net/sports/10000395/detail.html

Where could a stadium be a consideration in Pompano?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Local sources tell me that the Ireland's Inn project may be tabled, at least for the time being. Rumor has it that the Ritz-Carlton people want to wait and see how the other 5 star properties do before taking the plunge. In the meantime, this may mean a reprieve for the old hotel. On the other hand, the Ireland family has enough money to build whatever they want to build on the site. They are not likely to be dissuaded by temporary market forces.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.