Changing the look of the neighborhood
Notice the small set-back
Comparison of an Urban Loft townhouse
to a single family house next door
Notice the small set-back
Comparison of an Urban Loft townhouse
to a single family house next door
Oh no, it's the Urban Lofts again, built on a hope and a dream of affordable housing for artists.
There are some in the neighborhood who actually believe that the Urban Lofts will lift their neighborhood. Only time will tell as we have had a lot of failed condo and townhouse projects throughout the county and especially here in Lake Worth.
There are some in the neighborhood who actually believe that the Urban Lofts will lift their neighborhood. Only time will tell as we have had a lot of failed condo and townhouse projects throughout the county and especially here in Lake Worth.
On Monday night at 6pm there is a special meeting at 6pm to discuss the final approval of the Urban Lofts project and the requested Utility easement.
During utility coordination, the contractor realized that the design of the building, with the 2nd floor overhang in the rear of each unit, created a need for an additional easement that allowed for the location of electric meters within this overhang area of each lot. After coordinating with the utility providers, ORB 25648 PG 1503 was recorded to allow for these service locations within the individual lots. This easement is referenced on the plat.
The CRA is requesting final approval of the plats: Corner of Lucerne Avenue and North F Street and the west side of North F Street between Lake Avenue and Lucerne Avenue; the project is inclusive of the following parcels:
38-43-44-21-15-010-0210 1202 Lucerne Avenue
38-43-44-21-15-010-0230 -Vacant-
38-43-44-21-15-010-0250 -Vacant-
38-43-44-21-15-010-0270 1214 Lucerne Avenue
38-43-44-21-15-010-0290 1218 Lucerne Avenue
38-43-44-21-15-505-0060 1205 Lucerne Avenue
38-43-44-21-15-505-0070 11 North F Stree
38-43-44-21-15-505-0090 1202 Lake Avenue
38-43-44-21-15-505-0100 1204 Lake Avenue
And as there are winners and losers, this time the developer can't lose. He will get his $4.5 to $5 million from the NSP2 government grant paid by loans from China, and the CRA will be selling the twelve, 3,000 square foot townhouses to those artists whose credit score is 550 or better and not making more than 120 percent of the area median income for Palm Beach County of $73,080 for a family of two in a neighborhood already filled with families of the working poor. CRA Director, Joan Oliva, says that the price on these 3,000 s.f. units with garage will range from $90,000 to $110,00.
I have to wonder how these eventual new townhouse owners will afford the electric bill as these units will be 3 times larger than the average house in Lake Worth. I also wonder if in a few years the City of Lake Worth will, once again, be a loser with another uninhabited townhouse project sitting in an old section of our city. Hopefully by then, the economy will be in better shape and the city will be on its way as a destination, not only for arts but for our beach that is in its final stages of re-development. That is the gamble but it is, after all, someone else's money.
26 comments:
Talk about redistribution of wealth.
What are the costs to build? Are they 200% of the Sales Prices or 300%? Taxpayers provided the Gap Financing at 0% return.
What additional eradication of blight did this project generate? Probably as much as the PBC Cultural Council give aways.
Anybody want to talk about this additional Land being taken off the Tax Rolls, like the 1000 Lake acquisition by the CRA.
We can wait all we want to see what the future holds or we can evaluate with transparency & accountability what we are doing now with these give aways.
What I wonder is if you EVER have anything positive to say...?
Sometimes, anonymous. When this commission makes decisions that are SMART and FOR THE BETTERMENT OF LW... You know the game. It's not about taking government Grants and selling properties at 1/3rd the value to attract more poor people. It's not about spending $15 million on Gateways to attract developers, a bad decision that only acquired debt. The list goes on and on.
As it stands right now, I am not thrilled with the Urban townhouses.
Christ, the CRA needed to spend the money and spend it fast. It was all about wasting millions. This will be a slum in 2 years.
Even if I were poor enough I wouldn't want to live there. UGH.
Poor slob living next door to that.
If you gave me one with a big red bow on it for free I wouldn't want it look where it is right in the middle of. This past saturday right across the street for the whole block from corner to corner was strewn with 2nd hand clothing, baby strollers, toys, pots, pans, etc. a big open air unauthorized street flea market. Imagine waking up in your loft and opening your blinds on saturday morning to that lovely view. Yuck!
Let's see... where these new "low rise" mix use artist lofts stand, were once abandoned, dilapidated rentals and a vacant for decades, trash strewn lot on one of our major thoroughfares.
The obvious need to entice new construction and redevelopment WEST of Dixie to help spur development of like kind in some of our poorest neighborhoods is just the boost we need.
Your picture shows the dissimilar architectural styles of the SFR next to the new loft building, but if you had turned your camera around, you'd have taken a shot of the very similar building on the corner of E St.... also right next to the new loft building.
Single family homes on Lucerne do not belong there and have been low-rent rentals for a s long as I can remember.
God knows we don't want moderate income, credit qualified artistic families or individuals to get a break and be able to live and work in their own home along with other OWNERS in safe, new, affordable housing. Oh ya, helping to bring up the area replacing blight and slum.
Don't you just hate all that messy construction going on up and down the alphabet streets bringing in more of those "low income" types? They should not be able to live in nice clean new houses that they own. Even if they are credit worthy, they should have to continue to rent in those sub-standard houses we love to criticize because some absentee landlord won't maintain them.
Please tell us what you would have preferred go in this area. Be specific please. How would you suggest we pay for it? NSP could only be used for housing.
I have to agree with Bo Allen in some ways--raze the city. LOL. My biggest objection, and one that no one is talking about other than bragging about, is the "con" on the Federal government and spending all of this money for crap. These units are costing $400k each plus and being sold for $100k. Aren't you liberals tired of taking from those who do work to support all of those who don't?
Rumor has it that the Venus Cafe has now been leased to a gentleman that is going to turn it into a Cantina, and you should see the Bar that has already been built..
By your calcs, this project is worth $4.8 million dollars. Instead of being pleased to see $4.8 million worth of development West of the tracks, replacing slum and blight and being a catalyst for future development, you seem to concentrate on the negative.
As a resident and tax payer in Lake Worth, at least someone had the foresight to apply for, receive and implement the Federal con-money to use here instead of other less deserving cities.
How anyone can look at that project and nit-pick it is beyond belief. Even if it's not perfect, it's a good thing for Lake Worth!! Drink it in.
Thank Loretta Sharpe for this.
the townhouses suck but then I don't live in the crappiest neighborhood in lake worth.
The con ON the Federal government continues. We like to kid ourselves, and cities like to con the government into believing that we are doing something wonderful for poor folks. By the time you blow through the $23 mil, the city won't look any different. Developers will be wealthier--that's about it.
It may be $4.8 million worth of inflated development costs but those buying into it bring down the value to about 75% less. Everyone screws the government--just look at the national debt.
I'm looking a the national debt what I see is a whole lot of people who do not want to pay for what almost everyone does not want to cut.
Dems And Rinos do not want to cut Social Security,Medicare,the Military,Gas Subsidies and other Pork. Just look at what happened in the Fiscal Crisis 70 million for Nascar,Millions for the Film Industry.
If we want to get real lets do Tax Reform, Get rid of the Pork and all other free gift to corporations.Lets give tax breaks to companies who give employment to Americans.
andy amoroso stated before they started this to me--the lofts are for artist with a credit score starting at 550-----nothing else needs to be said about what is going to happen
Someone asked what would be better to have built in this location.
Small mom/pop businesses occupying existing buildings. Not single family residences built in the middle of a commercial core!
695 is considered by most to be a fairly good credit score, but not great. Any score below 700 could probably use some improvement. If your goal is to obtain a loan/mortgage with the absolute best interest rates lenders have to offer, then you will want to work on raising your credit score to at least 725, that’s where the “very good” to “excellent” range typically begins.
I'm lost, what are we thanking Ms. Sharpe for now?????
Sharpe's appeal to the commission for her friend who owned the Venus Cafe to get a waiver to be able to sell beer/wine. As this is an open door establishment, beer and wine could easily have been walked off the premises in paper cups--against the law. Once the owner got the waiver from the commission, the owner installed a sign saying the place was under renovation and temporarily closed. She never re-opened it.
The last time I drove down Lake, I did not notice any construction going on but anonymous above says there will be an impressive bar there. Just what that neighborhood needs.
There is a large bar at the Venus Cafe, It will be reopening as a Cantina, and it is not the ONLY Bar in Lake Worth that allows Beer, Wine, or something Stronger to walk off the premises Just rake a look at Brouges, Dave's, and Igot they all allow it, but you complain about NONE of them
It is, however, the only bar in that area and in a location where ALL the immigrants and illegals hang out. We have enough problems under ordinary circumstances with them getting drunk by buying bottles from the convenience store on Lucerne. I can envision it all now. Great stuff, Loretta. They never should have gotten a waiver but then, EVERYONE WHO APPLIES FOR ONE GETS ONE.
I think instead of thanking Loretta you should be thanking Cara for making it so easy for landlords to be renting to one family, and having 15 or 20 people living in one of our Quaint little low rise cottages. If we had kept code working instead of almost getting rid of the Department we would have a lot less problems west of Dixie
That is the biggest bunch of crap I have ever read. I almost did not post it because this lie continues to grow out of all reason and sanity.
The biggest problem with it is that you BELIEVE IT. One little person and some groupies did not bring down the economy of Lake Worth or America.
P.S. Code IS working. With 1400 abandoned homes, there is not much we can do. With 60% rental properties, it is extra tough. All the code officers in the world would not turn this problem around.
Take off the blinders Lynn, Cara was the one who bitched about code being at one property, and siting another next door after seeing problems from the front door of the one they were siting. If it were not for Cara the Blight would not be as bad as it is...
I know, I know..you are probably one of those people still blaming everything on Bush too. Get out of your wool clothing.
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