Thursday, January 31, 2013

Lago Valera - only a "dream?"

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Look what someone is pushing for in Lake Worth. The"dream" appears to be located on S. Palmway and Lake Avenue. At least it's not affordable housing. This is how the Real Estate broker describes the property:

Approved Site Plan for Downtown Lake Worth's Most Valuable Corner! This is the only 3 story project grandfathered not affected by the city's revised building guidelines that now limit downtown structures to two stories. No other property in the downtown area can now provide the necessary density, setbacks and parking for profitable development!!!

Price Reduced by $1,700,000!

Just West of the Intracoastal Bridge to the Ocean.

Prime Downtown Location by Lake Worth's Municipal Golf Course, Intracoastal Waterway, Scenic Bryant Park and the Public Ocean Beach.

23,960 S/F Residential (18 Units)
2,775 S/F Office (2 or 3 Suites)

Lago Valere is a 3-story mixed-use project featuring 18 residential condos averaging 1,330 S/F, featuring 2 master suites and 2 to 2 1/2 baths with 2 assigned covered parking spaces. Second story sun deck garden terrace and pool. Two to three suites of professional office space (2,775 S/F) with lobby access fronting Lake Avenue.

Each unit's main living space features nearly 10' ceilings. Sixteen units include balconies.
Revitalization of downtown Lake Worth is in full stride as historic Lake Worth morphs old Florida charm into one of South Florida's hot spots with cultural events, leisure activities and international dining amid the city's historic splendor.

Further evidence of the renaissance occurring in downtown Lake Worth is renovation of the neighboring historic National Historic Site, the Gulfstream Hotel, to target the high-end carriage trade.

Plans for the city's multi-million redevelopment of the beach front historic casino building, shops, restaurants and Olympic-sized swimming pool are already underway.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great! when's the groundbreaking? Anything is better than the vacant dusty overgrown lot that's there now.

Anonymous said...

Holly crap. Grab a shovel the BS is getting deep. They make it sound like your buying a Condo in Hollywood,Ca. Did it say off street parking for your Limo?

Anonymous said...

Excepting the railroad tracks right next to it, it looks almost exactly like the CRA development on 6th and F street.

Anonymous said...

The only similarity is that it's built on a corner and has the same amount of stories. It won't become Section 8 housing.

Anonymous said...

It would be a dream if something for home OWNERSHIP and not a low-rent ghetto actually got built in this town!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Don't count on it just wait until the height issue on the March ballot,
get passed. Then the only thing that will make sense to build is low income housing.

Anonymous said...

It's a shame people don't realize just how badly they are hamstringing the city by what seems like a good idea: Limiting Heights

"keep our bedroom community small-town feel"

The unintended consequences of actions like breaking contracts, encouraging use of city buildings to help our illegal population, ramming through a beach project without considering it will need utilities and parking lighting, etc, etc.

By passing this initiative, we possibly eliminate a transit station at Lake Ave for the new transit rail system that requires more density near rail stations to move people. It's in the Treasure Coast Regional Planning guidelines.

There are a group of people who wish to keep Lake Worth "poor". Passing this will help their agenda. Wake up Lake Worth.

Lynn Anderson said...

Since you posted anonymously, I will say it--You are an ID*&T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The only agenda here is you and your developer friends trying to make it rich on LW and spreading the most stupid lies to achieve your end. May you not succeed. May you also Google other small towns that are affluent, that did not have to destroy their cities with tall buildings that only lined the pocketbooks of developers and their friends.

Talk to all your best buds on the CRA about keeping LW poor and also tell them, while you're at it, to start working on the slum and blight.

Anonymous said...

We don't need transit train stations housing developments. Do you want the whole city to be affordable and attract migrant workers? Tell the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council to stick it. This is just more development for builders to prosper.

Anonymous said...

OK... so if you can't win the argument with thoughtful ideas, just call me an idiot.

Since we have had the heights we all voted for on IN THE CHARTER close to 20 years ago, there has been one tall building built East of Federal The Lofts, and two West of Dixie, the Lucerne and the Eco-Center Building.

No one complains about the Lofts because, among other issues, it is in an area of other like sized buildings and condos. That makes sense. So the unintended consequences of including the area East of federal in your proposal will hamstring the city for the possibility of a hotel or expansion of the Gulfstream Hotel to make it viable. If you take away your argument of someone being able to scoop up a bunch of historic single story residences in that area, (East of Federal, between 1st South and 2nd North)get approval to level said historic residences to put together enough land to actually go to the height that is already allowed there, 65', and been that way for more that 50 years, the only viable properties that could be considered are those you can count on one hand.

The Eco-Center which rises to 63' feet above the pavement is described by you as "stunning". Now I understand you don't describe it as "stunning" BECAUSE of its height.

But due to its DESIGN, it would not be as "stunning" if it were only two stories.

I don't have "developer friends". I am not a developer. You live in a "development". A developer built all those condos across from the beautiful lake you take and post wonderful pictures of. Because of an evil, greedy, money grubbing developer, you are able to enjoy a waterfront lifestyle where possibly, if proposed today, you and Katie would be howling against it because it's in a residential neighborhood with little two lane roads handling all that traffic. You have high density there. It is in an area of like sized buildings. IT MAKES SENSE!

That is why there are professional planners. I do know some. They are not my "buddies". They plan communities. Where density is needed. Where new roads and infrastructure must be in place. Types and sizes of structures.

And to the poster after you, try to differentiate between affordable and slum properties. Most slum properties are "affordable", but not all affordable properties are slums. All recipients of "affordable" mortgages to buy brand new single family homes in our worst blighted area of town take an incredible risk. They can take two paths... 1) they can get involved in their new neighborhood to help organize and participate in making their neighborhood a better place to live (which will help to eliminate blight) or 2) they can allow their property that they have invested hard earned labor and money to deteriorate and add to the problem.

It is the hope of many that these new homeowners will contribute to the solution and, in turn, attract many more homeowners, while the homes close by are still affordable, which
is the only way to improve the neighborhoods. Increase home ownership, decrease rentals.

Habitat has built 3 bedroom, 2 bath homes for credit worthy, "qualified" families. They are definitely affordable. The new homes and families are helping to reduce the slum and blight. There will be eight more homes dedicated to their new owners over the next two weeks. Hope you get a chance to come and experience the joy of home ownership through their eyes at one of these dedications and post pictures of something positive for Lake Worth. I've been to a couple and they are heartwarming events.

You may not want a transit stop on Lake Ave at the shuffleboard courts that can take you to City Place or the County Courthouse, or people can get off here to go to our downtown events and restaurants, but it might be good for Lake Worth.

So another unintended consequence of the Charter Amendment could be for the professional planners to skip Lake Worth's most logical place to have a stop. You're right... who needs it?

Lynn Anderson said...

There are a group of people who wish to keep Lake Worth "poor". Passing this will help their agenda. Wake up Lake Worth.

That statement, and that statement alone, gave you the distinction of being called an "idiot." NO ONE WANTS TO KEEP LAKE WORTH POOR.

All your arguments about why we should grow our downtown are your opinion. All your opinions on building more affordable housing thus eliminating slum and blight are opinion. That is a CRA assumption and goal but unproven.

The "evil developer" who built along Lake Osborne--that was nearly 50 years ago. There was not that much greed back in those days. My apartment cost the same as a single family house back then. Condos were a relatively new housing concept and certainly ideal to the retiree. It is a shame that our property values went down the same percentage, if not more, than yours did.

P.S. Why not find out why we keep building affordable housing? Find out why developers can't build a 4 story hotel other than their greed that's in the way? If they can build them in thousands of cities, they can build one here.

Anonymous said...

The idiot here again...

"P.S. Why not find out why we keep building affordable housing?" Lake Worth is an affordable community. Where else do you build affordable housing?
"Find out why developers can't build a 4 story hotel other than their greed that's in the way? If they can build them in thousands of cities, they can build one here." If you have enough property, you can build 2 story hotels. William Waters explained when asked how Delray is doing it, they have more vacant land and can spread it out and keep it four stories. Our blocks are laid out smaller. Sort of why Publix needed to build over the alley for their small neighborhood store. Half a block wouldn't work; they needed the whole block.

The "stunning" Eco-Center is a 4 story building. You are against building up to 65', not 4 story buildings. Try to stay focused.

That is why many of us are focused on the arbitrary 65' height limit. The point again is not height, but against building anything out of character for the area, which your amendment won't address, except for taller buildings. Our LDR's are addressing the compatibility issues... whatever size the building is.

The amendment screws the city down the road for a proposal that could add value to the city EAST OF FEDERAL.

Unintended consequences.

Would you object to another 4 story "stunning" building being built East of Federal if it were 63 feet high? Apparently so. So we give up the opportunity to have architecturally significant "stunning" buildings because you object to the Lucerne.

I find your assertion that developers weren't as greedy back then in those days specious and naive at best.

We build affordable housing here because we are an affordable community. Why do we build mansions on the Intracoastal waterway? What's your point?

This thread originated about a proposed "nice" development on Palmway and Lake Ave that looks almost exactly like the CRA proposal on F and 6th. Why shouldn't people who can't afford the apartments in a nicer area be able to live in decent affordable housing?

My statement about the group wanting to keep Lake Worth "poor" is spot on and supported by the words and actions we all witnessed over the past few years.

How else can you explain opposition to tearing down old dilapidated slums and replacing them with new energy efficient single family homes occupied by homeowners? Why is it so bad they are affordable?

Even the NEW affordable RENTALS are to be maintained by Adopt-a-family so we have a little control to maintain community standards for the exterior upkeep, something we lack with the slum and blight you so eloquently harp on.

Lynn Anderson said...

Too much of anything is NOT a good thing. We will agree to disagree, anonymous. Thanks for your comment, I think.

Anonymous said...

I'll be voting no to tall buildings, we don't need more tall buildings East of Federal. Look at the building on 2nd Ave. North that towers above the small cottages behind it blocking light and wind. And that building has sat empty since it was built!

The only people benefited by tall buildings east of Federal are developers who want to build on our waterfront in our single family historic neighborhoods.