{"id":291816,"date":"2026-06-01T14:55:08","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T14:55:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/291816\/"},"modified":"2026-06-01T14:55:08","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T14:55:08","slug":"hollywood-project-isnt-a-mistake-its-an-economic-lifeline","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/291816\/","title":{"rendered":"Hollywood project isn\u2019t a mistake \u2014 it\u2019s an economic lifeline"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board\u2019s recent clutching of pearls<\/a> over the development at 1301 S. Ocean Drive (\u201cHollywood\u2019s horrendous high-rise mistake,\u201d editorial, May 27) ignores economic reality, architectural logistics and municipal survival. Far from a \u201chorrendous mistake,\u201d Hollywood\u2019s handling of this project is a master class in adapting to bureaucratic whiplash and securing a future for its residents.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s dispense with the hysteria and look at the facts. When this property was dedicated to the city in 1974, it was given \u201cfor whatever the Commission wishes.\u201d Today, the location is completely built out and nearly 100% impervious, consisting of asphalt parking, almost no landscaping, and the converted former sales center for the neighboring Summit Condominium that towers over the site.<\/p>\n

\"KeithKeith Poliakoff is a land-use attorney based in Fort Lauderdale. (courtesy, Keith Poliakoff)<\/p>\n

After numerous public meetings and exhaustive vetting, the City Commission unanimously agreed to partner with the Related Group. The goal was simple and environmentally beneficial: maximize this underutilized site to build a modest 111-unit condominium and a brand-new community center, while doubling the size of Harry Berry Park and increasing the site\u2019s pervious area by more than 17,000 square feet.<\/p>\n

The city acted in good faith in seeking to redevelop the site, relying on the residential designation on the 1977 county land-use map that has been continuously readopted ever since. Broward County explicitly confirmed this residential designation, allowing the developer to move forward, only to reverse its stance<\/a> years later.<\/p>\n

Faced with the potential loss of more than $2 billion in long-term economic benefits, in an era of sweeping property tax reform and major financial uncertainty, abandoning that revenue would have been an act of municipal malpractice. To fund vital services without burdening taxpayers, the Commission made the tough, correct call: They approved a project under the state\u2019s Live Local Act.<\/p>\n

This pivot allows for a 210-unit development that includes 84 workforce housing units. Furthermore, this green building has been designed with the latest resiliency standards to ensure that it will stand the test of time.<\/p>\n

The Editorial Board and other local critics have weaponized the term \u201cpoor doors\u201d to describe the layout of this building, displaying a stunning ignorance of basic architecture. The luxury condos in this tower feature private elevators that open directly into individual living rooms.<\/p>\n

To solve this, a separate section of the building was thoughtfully designed for the workforce rentals. These residents aren\u2019t being shoved into a dark alley; they are receiving their own dedicated access, amazing amenities and stunning ocean views. Who are these units for? Our police officers, firefighters, teachers, hospital workers and the service sector community. Giving the people who run our city a chance to actually live on the beach is the realization of founder Joseph Young\u2019s dream, not a betrayal of it.<\/p>\n

The opposition\u2019s narrative that Hollywood is usurping home rule is entirely backward. The city is using the tools available to maintain its home rule. If critics truly despise the 365-foot, 210-unit Live Local project, their ire is pointed at the wrong dais.<\/p>\n

The Broward County Planning Council and the County Commission have the opportunity to confirm the county\u2019s map, which has existed for nearly 50 years. Confirming the initial position given respects Hollywood\u2019s home rule, and would enable the development of the original, less-dense 111-unit design. Either way, Hollywood\u2019s leadership ensured the city will not lose out on the economic opportunities it desperately needs. That isn\u2019t a mistake; that is leadership.<\/p>\n

Keith Poliakoff is a land-use attorney based in Fort Lauderdale who represents PRH 1301 South Ocean Dr., LLC, an affiliate of the Related Group.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board\u2019s recent clutching of pearls over the development at 1301 S. Ocean Drive (\u201cHollywood\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":291817,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[483,249,251,250,114,482],"class_list":["post-291816","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fort-lauderdale","tag-commentary","tag-fort-lauderdale","tag-fort-lauderdale-headlines","tag-fort-lauderdale-news","tag-latest-headlines","tag-opinion"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/291816","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=291816"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/291816\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/291817"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=291816"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=291816"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=291816"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}