Historic Gulfstream Hotel takes big step closer to re-opening in Lake Worth Beach
"Commissioner Christopher McVoy said he's been told by city staff the giveaways will cost the city $2.6 to $3.6 million.And just like the Lucerne, the commission also signed off on a 10-year tax abatement for the historic building. The tax abatement was part of the letter of understanding, which detailed a list of requests made by Restoration St. Louis owners Amrit and Amy Gill to the city."
The commission has inferred that their hands were tied with this huge give-away because this was negotiated by the last commission.
Read about it... and see the rendering of the new building that will be built adjacent to the hotel.
27 comments:
I'll believe it when I see it. This hotel has been in limbo for how long now?
you didn think we were going to get out of this scott free did you
@1:08 Developers are used to draining Lake Worth to the max. I never thought we would be giving this much away...not in a million years.
The place is a Fire Trap! Anyone that tackles a rehab of that building will quickly figure that out.
It should come down, and leave just the first and second floor.
Would you stay up there?
@3:18---they should have figured that out a long time ago. Demolish and start from scratch and design in the exact same style of what we have there now.
Agreed that this building needs to be demolished. The entire town needs to weigh in on this, and the Historical Society needs to realize that the shell of what once was....is ruining the future of Lake Worth. We absolutely should have a great Hotel at that location - this would be great for the desired tourism economy of lake Worth, and the positive effects on the downtown.
We need a "Demolish the Old Gulstream and Make a New One" movement, banners, Town Hall Meetings and more. Lynn, get busy :-)
Anyone that has been inside the rooms of the old Gulfstream knows they are closet sized, as back in it's hey day Hotels had tiny rooms and Grand Ballrooms and Lobbies....Today it is good for nothing but cockroaches.
That pretty much sums it up Dan!
wonder how much off street parking they are doing if they have a parking garage is it open to the public or just the hotel
This hotel will fail without beach access and view. Look for development to demand a piece of our beach. Location failed before for this reason. Nothing has changed except Bryant Park has worsened.
The Hotel was built in 1923. It did not fail in all those years because it was not on the beach. It failed because someone bought the property at an astronomical price due to the fact the entire hotel had to be renovated to accommodate larger rooms and baths. It really needs to be demolished.
It failed before because developers like Hudson Holdings tried to grab our beach. Before that it was the snake oil salesman, Peter Willard with Greater Bay.
Giving the developers a piece of our beach is totally out of the question.
Staff...forget about it. You too, Herman. We do NOT buy your argumet.
There are many examples of successful hotels "near" a beach, but without beach views. Drive over to Delray and Atlantic where it hits A1A, and see what used to be a Marriot, now is an Opal Grand....this has been successful as you'd expect by location, but as equally successful there is the SeaGate a few blocks West of it with no beachfront view or direct access... https://theseagatehotel.com/about-the-seagate/photo-gallery/ I was in the old Gulfstream back in the late 1970's - it had a spectacular Grand BallRoom, even by today's standards this place could have rocked for special events. If a new developer today, could capture the Roaring 20's spendor and make this a reason to stay in the Entertainment district of Lake Worth Beach downtown -- and then to "visit" the beach at your whim, maybe even with some sort of Beach Club, then this would be the "Home Run" our town needs!
That's nice Dan, but what does our town need it for. Is Lake Avenue failing for want of a Grand Hotel?
I don't understand this perceived need to fill this place up with tourists.
Is Wellington Trace full of tourists? They seem to be doing fine. The key, as I see it, is to make the city appeal to those of us who already live here, and put in some actually useful stores. The Malls are failing, and your competition is Walmart and Target.
Let's develop that idea.
I'm not a tourist, and I would love to go to what the Gulfstream used to be. Why try to put in a classy hotel for tourists, when the tourists have no class at all.
Sit over at the Starbucks at 150 Worth Avenue, and you will see that class is a thing of the past. Watch the procession of 85 year old men with the latest prostitute on his arm.
Observe the real population of Lake Worth, in Common Grounds. A good product, nice mostly younger people and their pets. This is the future, not some glitzy hotel.
Tourism is our number one industry in Florida. It is a huge help in our downtown. Just ask our merchants.
CLASS is not a thing of the past... We need more class actually.
Don't know who you are watching at Starbucks...I guess that's just a metaphor you're using to make a false point. I just see people who think they are "woke" drinking lousy coffee.
Not this Starbucks, the Palm Beach Starbucks, outside of Saks!
Why Lake Worth Beach needs tourism is actually something the Commissioners should bring as a Presentation, to the people of Lake Worth Beach. They could get a great deal of help from County Agencies like the TDC and CVB, and they have impressive statistics on what Tourism would bring to keep Lake Worth Restaurants and shops at a high profitability, as opposed to the long list of shops that have FAILEd in the downtown, due to high lease rates, and in-sufficient local business.
I think this SHOULD BE a major discussion, and all Lake Worth residents have the right to know all the pros and cons of our becoming a significant tourism destination....and why this would be expected to have so much economic significant to our town. Prior to this...just scratching the surface of what a real Hotel could do for our town, is the issue with the Bed tax that would be raised by the Hotel, that the County would then use to direct important advertising to our town. Without the bed tax, we get little of any support. With it, we get the large county budget for bringing tourist here. If you don't like tourists, the issue is largely what kind of businesses can exist without tourism--and how much better could they be with significant tourism...and how could the standard of living change for the better for Lake Worth Beach residents if we became a real Tourism Destination. You do have the right to ask this, and have it answered.
It seems to me that for shops to do well, they have to sell a product that people want or need.
Think about the shops on Lake Avenue, and assess that situation. The restaurants and bars do well. Paws does a fantastic business. Andy's old store used to do well. If the right stores are there, they will prosper.
If opening a store is your hobby, you can't expect it to do well just because you love it.
How many tourists do you think would be enough for Lake Avenue? Do you want it to look like Cairo? Like Rome? What is it that you want, that you feel you are not getting from Lake Worth?
I love one shop on Lake Avenue, Trinkets & Treasures. Halsey & Griffith was run out of town years ago--high rents. I like Andy's new store and the one next to it...can't remember the name. Don't like most of the food at any of the restaurants...TooJays is ok. Like Roxie's Place corner of J and Lucerne and a few on Lucerne. But frankly, if it were not for the bars/nightclubs, downtown would be dead. Get some chain stores. Get Rotelli's back.
People are addicted to that cheap Chinese junk. We had that great shoe store next to where Andy's new shop is, but I guess it was too expensive for Lake Worth.
Show me a town that doesn't exist on Bars and Restaurants, and I'll show you an Amish Community.
Plenty of them...perhaps you need to get out of Lake Worth
@6:46...Birkenstock and they were not attractive as far as I am concerned.
They also had Naot, and they are attractive.
Nobody would have gone to Rotelli's if they didn't sell alcohol.
Bars and Restaurants are the anchor businesses of an Avenue. Clematis Street, Northwood, Delray, Federal, who goes to an Avenue without bars and restaurants. It's unheard of.
First of all, I loved Rotelli's and I don't drink. So, saying "nobody" would have gone there unless they could order a drink is flat wrong. It was a family place. Businesses feel they have to sell alcohol for additional revenue...pathetic. Even the Lake Worth Playhouse does it now.
We have way too many bars and need some good businesses where people want to spend their money. I like the old days when we actually had a department store where men and women could shop. They had Morrison's Cafeteria where you could get really good food and no alcohol at an affordable price.
Perhaps frequenting a downtown because of bars and restaurants is your shtick,it's not everyone's. Get some good shops!
NAOT SHOES? Now that's rich.
I don't drink either Lynn; I face reality.
And to the ignoramus who made the comment about Naot shoes, I wonder what you are wearing on your feet!
@9:15...Your "reality" is not mine.
You don't have to travel too far to see how a main street has NO nightclubs, no vape joints or consists of predominantly watering holes.
And to your "ignoramus" comment, I don't think they called you ignorant.
This is the most logical input so far. Thank you!
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