The developer plans to pay homage to what will soon become another lost landmark by installing a smaller replica of the Manhattan Tower\u2019s iron crown at the lobby entrance of the new tower.<\/p>\n
Mayor Dean Trantalis suggested the sculpture be 50 feet high like the real thing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Manhattan Tower has been part of Fort Lauderdale for a very long time,\u201d he said before the vote. \u201cIt\u2019s rusting. It\u2019s not structurally sound. We\u2019re all aware of all of that. But it doesn\u2019t mean we want to erase it from the streetscape of Fort Lauderdale.\u201d<\/p>\n
The replica can get taller, but not as tall what\u2019s standing on the site now, said Stephanie Toothaker, attorney for the developer.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Opus-5.png\")
A rendering of The Opus at 701, a boutique condo slated to rise along the Intracoastal Waterway at 701 Bayshore Drive. (Adache Group Architects Inc., Courtesy)<\/p>\n
The Manhattan Tower is reminiscent of old Fort Lauderdale, the mayor said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve lived here 44 years now and it\u2019s just part of the kitschy look of Fort Lauderdale,\u201d Trantalis said. \u201cI think it would be good to have a little more respect for the existence of that look.\u201d<\/p>\n
Commissioner Steve Glassman asked for more detail about the developer\u2019s plan to create a gallery that tells the story of the Manhattan Tower.<\/p>\n
The tower, designed by architect Charles McKirahan, was built as a corporate retreat for General Motors executives and later became a popular tourist spot.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe hired Peacock Architects to create a pictorial history,\u201d Toothaker said. \u201cThat\u2019s meant to be inside the lobby of the building. That was a commitment we agreed to make.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/TFL-L-Manhattan-tower-02.jpg\")
The Manhattan Tower at 701 Bayshore Drive in Fort Lauderdale is being replaced by a high-rise condo tower expected to begin construction next year. (Mike Stocker\/South Florida Sun Sentinel)<\/p>\n
Arthur Marcus, an architect and chairman of the Fort Lauderdale Historic Preservation Board, told the commission he was sorry to see the city lost one of its most beloved and recognizable historic landmarks.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the future, there needs to be a more focused approach to make sure our legacy is protected,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Abby Laughlin, a local activist and longtime resident, urged the city to hold off on issuing a demolition permit until the developer has a building permit so it won\u2019t get knocked down right away.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt least we get to enjoy this building for a few more years,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
William Lougheed, owner of CNB Contracting Corp., and real estate finance executive Richard Mach are the project\u2019s developers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis project reflects the continued strength of the Fort Lauderdale waterfront residential market and the demand for thoughtfully designed, boutique-scale luxury living,\u201d Lougheed said. \u201cOur vision is to create a property that not only looks exceptional, but supports how people want to feel day-to-day \u2014 calm, energized and connected to their environment.\u201d<\/p>\n
A three-story podium with 114 parking spaces will sit above the ground-floor lobby. Residences will begin on the fourth floor.<\/p>\n
Residences will feature two- and three-bedroom floor plans ranging from 1,825 to 2,987 square feet, with expansive private balconies designed to frame both sunrise and sunset views over the Intracoastal.<\/p>\n
Amenities include a resort-style saltwater pool, fitness center and pool deck overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Opus at 701 represents a disciplined development approach focused on delivering long-term value in a highly supply-constrained waterfront market,\u201d Mach said.\u00a0\u201cAt the same time, we\u2019re seeing a clear evolution in buyer expectations \u2014 toward residences that integrate wellness, longevity, and lifestyle in a meaningful way. This project is designed with that future in mind.\u201d<\/p>\n
Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com. Follow me on X @Susannah_Bryan<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A sleek 13-story condo tower is slated to rise along the Intracoastal at 701 Bayshore Drive \u2014 a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":232547,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[33712,3640,36028,85,267,75,84,83,9,24,63,7336],"class_list":["post-232546","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-manhattan","tag-broward-county","tag-florida","tag-fort-lauderdale","tag-latest-headlines","tag-local-news","tag-manhattan","tag-manhattan-headlines","tag-manhattan-news","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-social"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232546","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=232546"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/232546\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/232547"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=232546"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=232546"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=232546"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}