Developers will take every square inch of undeveloped property if you allow it
"An investment group pitching a massive overhaul of Lake Worth Beach’s oceanfront and public golf course is conducting an outreach campaign this summer to drum up public support for the multimillion-dollar project. Hosting the Horizon presentations is a familiar face: former city lobbyist Richard Pinsky."Can't help but Remember him...now instead of representing the city and lobbying in Tallahassee for grants, he is representing developers for the almighty buck--much more lucrative than the small retainer he received from the City.
As a reminder, Richard Pinsky, our former lobbyist in Tallahassee, is considered a "super lobbyist" and one of his specialties--development project approvals before local governments. He is also the former husband of Kimberly Mitchell who was a West Palm Beach commissioner for 13 years.
"Pinsky stopped representing the city in May, after more than 10 years, when he quit his job with the Akerman law firm, one of the city’s two lobbying firms. He formed Pinsky and Associates with his wife, Jessica, and accepted an offer to represent the investment group: Copperline Partners, golf legend Jack Nicklaus, Hyatt World International, Fortress Investment and Stiles Construction.
Among the highlights of a development plan Copperline said will create a vibrant tourism-based economy for Lake Worth Beach:
- A $105 million, 250-room oceanfront Hyatt at the south end of the beach, just west of the existing traffic circle.
- An attraction (a seaquarium has been mentioned), a 5-acre park and a 900-space parking garage all at the beach.
- A public launch for kayaks and a water taxi on the west side of Ocean Boulevard just south of the Lake Worth Bridge, creating a dedicated water transportation link between the barrier island and the mainland.
- A $95 million, 150-room Hyatt on the south end of a newly designed Jack Nicklaus golf course. (Nicklaus toured the existing city course in November.)
- A new public swimming pool on the mainland, potentially at the city’s Northwest Park. The city’s municipal pool at the beach, shuttered since 2016, would be razed.
- No changes to the existing casino building and the Lake Worth Pier."
9 comments:
I really hate what they want to do. What does the commission think about it?
Where is that south end, in relation to the Fairfield Inn? I can't picture it.
When you go over the bridge, our beachpark is straight ahead and to the right. Fairfield Inn you would take a left on A1A...pretty close
It is all about $$$$
Lake Worth residents NEED to form an ANTI-DEVELOPMENT group and support the will of the people AGAINST the corrupting influence of a "class of people" that has, and is, destroying what was best about Florida. Lake Worth does not want more development--most of us moved here to escape development, and now we have to start worrying that some commissioners may believe that THEY have the RIGHT to sell of parts of the beach and DEVELOP it --as if they know better than the voters--and as if THEY have a right to do this----THEY DO NOT. This is an action worthy of the old historical practice of "Tar and Feathering"--and a 2020's version of this may need to be brought back!
It might end up as a Public Private Partnership that involves private capital financing up-front, and then drawing revenues from we, the taxpayers. I absolutely am against development of our beach as well as our golf course. This commission along with developers, come in and propose anything when they see land they want and dealing with a weak city covernment.
When Starbucks was at L and Lake, you could sit outside with your coffee and enjoy the experience. If you sat on that corner now, you would be trampled. When Commercial Interests clash with the wishes of the Towns People, there should be a moratorium on the former. As it turns out, however, the peoples' interests are just washed away with the tide.
@6:52...Residents here were against a high rise downtown when it was built in 2006. Still are.
I had just moved here then, and I vaguely remember that. If you had to have a Starbucks though, that certainly was better than the one on Dixie Hwy. At least that block is clean, and the stores across the street seem to be well established.
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