While receiving applause at last month’s Village Council meeting, a segment of Key Biscayne residents appeared to be taking on a favorable stance on longtime Village resident Walter Defortuna‘s plan to redevelop the Coral Reef apartment/hotel rentals.
While the plan calls for a modern, vertical condominium building, one with water-retention capabilities and other aesthetic-pleasing features, residents in the Garden District have also mounted a campaign encouraging Council to either vote no or delay the process so more information becomes available.
What will Council members do during a special meeting at 6:15 p.m., this coming Thursday, Sept. 10, in the first official reading of the item at a special meeting? That evening begins with a vote on fixing an error in the Village Code regarding specific structure regulations in areas such as Galen Drive.
Two weeks ago was the first time the public, and Village Council members, got a glance of the plans for the building that is expected to be approximately 50 yards high and blend in better — both height-wise and with a dramatic physical appearance — with the surrounding structures, such as the adjacent Ritz-Carlton.
Defortuna had spoken to Islander News prior to the Council meeting, saying he wanted residents to know he would not exceed the existing density level of the current 51 units at 303 Galen Drive.
Walter Defortuna.
(Photo courtesy: Fortune Christie’s International Real Estate)
Mario Garcia-Serra, Mr. Defortuna’s land use attorney, said Defortuna, the principal for the development, has a “proven track record in the real estate development and hospitality sectors.”
The Coral Reef Apartments were built in 1967 with one-bedroom and two-bedroom units for short- and long-term rentals, and the assessed value has been dropping, from $9.5 million in 2023 to $8,850,000 today, Garcia-Serra noted.
The current owners, who are under contract to sell, purchased the property for $3.5 million some 30 years ago.
Defortuna told Islander News that the building was never for sale, but that he made an offer, hoping to improve the neighborhood look, as well as benefit the Village with some $550,000 more in taxes each year rather than the current $26,000 paid out.
Architect Bernardo Fort-Brescia, co-founder of the architectural firm Arquitectonica, spoke about the “self-sufficient” building with a rain garden that contains the stormwater within “and is resilient to anything that might happen.” He said he has had discussions with civil engineers on ways to protect the property and nearby areas from flooding.
Fort-Brescia showed the audience several ground-floor plans as well as exterior depictions of a very chic-looking condo building. The building appeared to show 8 to 10 floors. Resident uproar seems centered about a “14-floor” building. Neither number was confirmed by Defortuna or Garcia-Serra.
Defortuna said he has known the family that owns the Coral Reef Apartments for some 25 years.
“I am a longtime resident,” he said. “I looked at every issue carefully and analyzed … I thought this would be a great addition to the island. I’m against more traffic, more density, more crowdedness in our city, but I’m not asking for any more (density).”
He said if he doesn’t purchase the building and redevelop it, the alternative would be, “It’s still gonna be there (and) we all know what it looks like.”
He told Council members that he wanted a hearing on his requests.
Village Attorney Chad Friedman clarified that any comprehensive plan amendment requires a review by the State of Florida and other agencies, and a site plan workshop is required 28 days before that item could be heard.
“So, you need to have at least 30 days between the (first and second) readings and the zoning workshop,” Friedman said.
“All I’m asking is for it to be put back on the agenda … and want you to consider this project on its own merit,” Defortuna said.
“We just want a fair hearing on the applications we (submitted) and ask for a special meeting of the Council the second week of September,” Garcia-Serra said. “This is a small town, one that has always treated everyone fairly.”