| Hollywood activists oppose condo project From David VolzHollywood resident Cat Uden and a group of activists are fighting the 30 story condominium project to be built on AIA. “Most residents feel this project is not worth the benefits that are being promised. We feel the land should be used for the public and a condominium is not a public use,” said Uden. “We don’t have to build a 30 story condominium. The land should be used for recreation and other public uses. We have height restrictions and we should abide by them.” |
Background information on Hollywood Condo project at 1301 South Ocean Drive
Hollywood leaders are in the process of granting approval for the construction of a 30 story condominium building to be Located at 1301 S. Ocean Drive. The approximately 4 acre site on the barrier island currently houses the City’s Hollywood Beach Culture and Community Center, Harry Berry Park, and two asphalt surface parking lots. Hollywood leaders have been looking for a way to develop this property and the Related Group may provide them the opportunity they want.
In February of 2020, the City Commission discussed the condition of the current community center and development interest in this site in a public Commission Real Estate Workshop. The direction was to broadly market any opportunity to redevelop the site to achieve the best possible proposals for the benefit of Hollywood residents. By the end of March, the City received an unsolicited proposal for the redevelopment of the site. The unsolicited proposal was determined to be a qualifying project as required by the state public-private partnerships statute, and the city issued the required Notice of Receipt of an Unsolicited Proposal and a willingness to accept competing proposals. The City’s real estate advisory firm, CBRE, marketed the opportunity nationally and internationally to more than 20,000 development contacts. The proposals were due in September 2020, and by October, the proposals were in technical review. In January 2021, the City Commission received an overview of the top 4 proposals in a public meeting, and in February, the firms submitted their best and final offers based on Commission and community feedback. This resulted in a final ranking, and on March 17, 2021, the City Commission approved the final ranking and authorized negotiations with the Related Group, the top ranked proposer. Weekly meetings between City staff, advisory consultants CBRE, and Related Group have taken place to develop a term sheet for the project. The term sheet was presented to the Commission at the August 25, 2021 Regular City Commission meeting. The Comprehensive Agreement will be presented to the City Commission for approval in early fall. Development Plans will go before the Planning and Development Board and City Commission for final approvals. Ongoing community outreach opportunities and negations on programming and design for the public amenities continues.
