GulfStream Hotel Public Comment August 19 2021

Please keep this important project moving forward. Our city has the opportunity to become a more dynamic and successful town, in the heart of booming Palm Beach County. It’s very important that we keep moving forward and do not get stuck or frozen in time. Development, growth and jobs will ONLY come to municipalities that welcome and encourage them. Please do not let bureaucracy or fear of growth get in the way of a more dynamic and wealthier Lake Worth Beach. Thank you, Joseph Patton, South Palm Park resident and Professor at the FAU College of Business.

The residents of Lake Worth Beach voted for this project to move forward under the presented height parameters, and only for this specific site, and it passed by a margin of 80%. Since that time the city commission has ratified tax and impact fee incentives paving the way forward to groundbreaking. The developer has continued to listen to neighborhood concerns and has modified their site plans. We, the 80% of the voters, want this project to move forward and we want all the benefits associated with the re-opening of the Gulfstream, both the economic ones for town and neighboring business and the intrinsic ones, like being able to meet neighbors and friends for dinner and enjoy the venue once again. Please don’t waiver on the direction that your constituents told they wanted you to move in and allow a small vocal group spoil what the majority clearly wants.

As an investor in the city of Lake Worth, I am in full support of the Gulfstream Hotel development. It is vital for the health of the city to preserve the architectural treasures it has as well as making them once again integral to a living, breathing downtown. The Gils have convinced me with their vision and their responsiveness to the community that they will be responsible developers. I am excited to see the jobs, prosperity, and strengthening of the Lake Worth community that this historic redevelopment will provide.

The Gulfstream project is long over due and glad to see this moving forward in a positive direction. It is unfortunate that miss-information in the way of "guessing" what the building will look like before the presentation and actual drawings are presented to the public.

As a resident in this great city we call Lake Worth Beach for 26 years, I fully support this project that brings much needed hotel space to our downtown area. We have a great city and this will be a major anchor to the downtown area and the over all success to our future growth.

The massing of the new structure is too large for the town of Lake Worth and it’s location. When a developer makes a deal they need to be made to follow it. Otherwise developers will run rampant everywhere.
I am a former partner in a Philadelpjia architectural firm that specialized in inserting new buildings into historic communities.

As a long-standing owner of units in the Hampshire Gulfstream Condominiums, I've long hoped for the restoration of the once-excellent Gulfstream Hotel. I'm glad to see restoration efforts underway and expect they will notably contribute to the increasing vitality of Lake Worth.

However, of primary concern is the health and safety of the condo owners, and their families, in the adjacent and neighboring Gulfstream Condominiums. In particular, given the existing proposal and related documentation it is clear that there will be substantial adverse impacts to parking available for Condominium owners. The current Gulfstream Hotel/Apartment plan and strategy eliminates or threatens existing available parking and will require property/condominium owners to often park at greater distances. Increased success of the Hotel/Apartment Complex will equate to even fewer nearby parking options for existing owners.

Many owners are advanced in their years, and some are dealing with acute or chronic compromised health. All owners will be periodically—maybe frequently?—finding themselves having to park and then walk greater distance than normal. At times they will also have packages, groceries, etc. Increased distances, possibly combined with considerable heat, absolutely increases the risk of sudden-onset heart and/or respiratory complications. Although preserving reliable nearby parking for existing owners may seem like a trivial issue, for the Lake Worth demographic it is a central consideration for avoiding increased threats to the health and safety of an aging population. Please take steps to protect and ensure reliable, safe, and nearby parking for existing residents neighboring the proposed Gulfstream Hotel/Apartment Complex.

After a false start at being resurrected, the Gulf Stream Hotel now has a real chance of regaining the glory of its former self. Restoration St. Louis has been designing Gulf Stream Hotel 2.0 and they have been diligent in listening and reacting to the public's concerns and comments. There will always be something in the new design that someone does not like. But I believe that once the Gulf Stream Hotel is open for business, those disagreements will fade away. Restoration St. Louis has been willing to listen to (and in many cases incorporate) suggestions made by Lake Worthians. Now we need stop the grandstanding and support Restoration St. Louis as they breathe life into this Grande Dame.

There’s no doubt the Gulfstream renovation will add much needed hotel rooms, commerce and activity to Lake Worth Beach. But The Gulfstream Hotel now plans to include the building of up to 102 rental units. At the onset we were told to expect about 160 hotel rooms, an annex and a parking garage. Imagine the increase of people and cars on this small city block with the inclusion of so many apartments. What are the standards that must be abided by to provide for deliveries and emergency vehicles? Is there enough room for the trash collectors, service providers and moving trucks needed for apartment dwellers? While all this is going on the day to day traffic must surely be considered. This residential area boasts a public park, provides for boat launching and parking on the street for community activities and residents who live near by. Studies have shown that when traffic volumes increase, a sense of community and safety are diminished. Protecting the livability of an area requires serious awareness to factor in our current population in order to protect our children, sports advocates, runners, walkers, children, soccer players, bicycle riders, and other activities in Bryant Park. I look forward to having The Gulfstream Hotel regain its landmark status in this city while preserving the intricate balance of community we have worked on for so many years and to keep it under control. Thank you to the people I have met, who have given much time trying to do the right thing and do it well.
Thank you

The historic Gulfstream Hotel should be restored. The extra height that was granted for an annex has now been turned into a very large, very bulky tail that is wagging the dog. Mr Gill stated that the historic hotel is now just 30% of the development volume and instead of adding all hotel rooms, as originally used as a justification for the referendum, it is now largely apartments. Size matters, as all of us know who live in the cottage districts. A building this large makes the overall development overscaled and more like a superblock than a beautiful compliment to our fragile cottage district. Please reduce the size of your project, if it is built as proposed, it will seriously imperil the charm and ambiance that currently sets us apart from all of the other overdeveloped cities in Florida.

The Developer came and said they would respect what we have here. I have no comments on the design, other than the size, as I'm submitting comments in advance. The community urges you to respect the historic aspect of our built environment and hope that your design will not be incongruent.

Thank you to the hard working City staff and City Commissioners for your review and creful consideration of this project. Please do not approve it without scrutinizing it very carefully.

I encourage the Mayor and Commissioners to stay focused on the task at hand here this evening and I ask you to not get distracted by the white noise of a minority of people who do not represent the viewpoint of the majority. A mandate was rendered to the Mayor and Commissioners by the residents of Lake Worth Beach for this project to move forward. To continue to pander to a fringe group of individuals, some of whom do not even own property in the city and some of whom do not reside in the city, and to give their opinions a greater weight than the 80% of people who came to polls in support of allowing a taller structure IN JUST THIS BLOCK will ultimately be a lose-lose for the city. These developers have listened to the objections of these people and revised their plans based on those objections. Now they want to object to that. The tail is wagging the dog. This has got to stop for the long-term economic health of the city. You will NEVER make everyone 100% happy. And none of us will be 100% happy with any plan. But we need a plan and we need to execute the plan. This hotel has sat empty for 15 years. At some point this structure will be so degraded it will not be able to be saved. Is that what people want, to see it razed, reduced to rubble, its history and connection to the city erased? Change is hard but necessary. I want to see this project completed and see it become a beacon of progress and hope for our city and its future.

It is understood and accepted that every City needs to earn revenues and every developer needs to make a profit. That said, there are major questions of accountability for every project undertaken. If the proposed annex to the Gulf Stream is built it will dominate the neighborhood in a severely negative aspect without the possibility of remediation. Decisions made without foresight regarding basic tenets of design as it pertains to our urbanscape and quality of life for residents & working members of the community both now and in the future must be made now!
We need respect to scale and functionality in order to encourage quality growth and prosperity. Is it now true that there are more condos being added as opposed to the original number of hotel rooms? This project appears to be too much mass for the location. Politely put: ten pounds of sugar in a 5 pound bag of what? Where will people park? Where will employees park? Has a traffic study been done? The Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties’ must be strictly observed to conserve the charm and flow of Lake Worth Beach.

I support the Gulfstream Hotel rehabilitation project. Restoration St Louis and the rest of their team stand ready to move forward with us to preserve the historic centerpiece of Lake Worth. I hope the city commission and the Gills will continue to listen to concerns from residents to find ways to lesson the hotel impact on the adjacent neighborhood of low rise condos and single family homes. I hope we get something in the new construction that we can all live with and be proud of.

I have a question. I supported the 2020 height increase for the hotel to provide larger rooms and 21st century amenities. If I understand correctly the apartment/condos in the new construction will not be run by the Marriott Hotel. When and why did that become a separate development, not part of the hotel? I hope this workshop format lets you answer now.

Thank you
Maryellen Healy

From what I see you are completely changing the facade of the building to a modern look. I feel that the Gulf Stream was a great hotel in the past and the elegance of the building should remain. We don't need to go all modern in Lake Worth. The store fronts should remain the same. That is what attracts people to downtown Lake Worth Beach. If they wanted modern architecture they go to Palm Beach which many find cold.

Hi All,
I am Dave Palombo, owner of Dave’s Last Resort & Raw Bar and Igot’s Martiki Bar, both located on Lake Avenue. (I am asking this to be read for me tonight due to our overwhelming staff shortage and our ability to attend.) Dave’s has been a staple and currently the longest run restaurant on Lake Avenue. We have been in business for over 22 years. Before that I ran a multi-unit restaurant that’s primary unit was also located in downtown. I cannot stress to you enough the importance of the Gulf stream renovation and reopening. We lost a lot of business when the Gulf Stream closed. We supported them and they supported the downtown. We stayed at the hotel on numerous occasions throughout our beginning years before it closed. We encouraged family members to have multiple wedding receptions there and they had their wedding party and relatives stay at the same time. As well, we sent customers there and the staff at the Gulfstream sent their patrons to the downtown.
In a small town like Lake Worth, you need a draw besides restaurants and bars. We need retail space and YES we need hotels. When Howard Johnsons was bought out by Marriot and closed for several years for a complete restoration it greatly impacted our business. The same is true with The Four Seasons closing on the island for a major renovation and then the closure was further extended due to Covid. All businesses in the hospitality industry depend on one another and thus the community is impacted as well! We need them and they need us!
I get that there are residents who don’t want to see the city turn into a Delray or West Palm Beach. Trust me, that will never happen. People have worried about this for the 32 years that I have been working in and/or running my business in Lake Worth. I think it’s time for all to realize the importance of progress needed to keep the city sustainable and moving forward. When you don’t move forward you become stagnant and die! Moving backwards will kill this city! This small beach community does need to attract more people who are willing to work and help contribute to the financial success of this city. Our businesses are having a hard enough time staying afloat through the real struggles that exist now during Covid but there has been a multitude of problems way before this last 18 months. (A much larger conversation for another time) I have heard some ridiculous comments that others have made “that the businesses don’t need to be making any more money and they are just fine.” This is not only 100% completely inaccurate but comes from the viewpoint of people who are completely out of touch with the business world and honestly the real world. All our downtown businesses are facing real struggles! Now more than ever!
I don’t really understand why this is even coming back in front of the commission or the public. The height issue was already voted upon and passed with a majority result. Restoration St Louis even further accommodated the residents by revamping their already great plan in good will. They did not have to do this. They are making a long-term commitment that will not only be a huge win for this community, but they are committing to becoming permanent members of the community personally! Do your research and open your minds. Look at all the restorations and improvements that their company has made in St Louis. It is very impressive!
I am not sure why the public or some of its residents feel they have a say so in anymore of their future planning when all has been approved already. They are spending millions of dollars to restore the historical building and to add more in ways of hospitality such as spa, rooftop restaurant and pool, etc. A win-win for all!
Let’s stop the anarchy and allow the construction to begin so that we can bring more jobs and people to the city that will add more to the economy and improvement to the city. There are those opposed and getting involved in the politics that don’t even live in the city any longer. Being in the restaurant business, you hear all viewpoints from customers daily and it is frustrating to see big topic items such as this sit dormant and fought over for so long because people can’t handle change. They complain about the road conditions and many other problems in the city. Its time to realize that the progress they are fighting is also fighting the ability to increase revenue to keep those improvements moving forward!
Enough is enough! Everyone needs to come together and make this realization!

I’m very much in favor of the restoration of the Gulfstream Hotel. To do so would touch on many notes that are vital for Lake Worth Beach to grow as a town and a community...
the preservation of a local landmark, economic opportunities for local citizens, retailers, business owners and a gathering spot to create meaningful memories as the Gulfstream Hotel has done in the past.
I feel we have a distinct opportunity for Lake Worth Beach to be a model for urban planning and design. To maintain all that is unique while opening the door to progressive elements necessary for the town to grow and flourish.
We are fortunate to have development company such as Restoration St. Louis that is able to sensitively strike a balance between preservation and progress. The quality of their portfolio of projects speaks for itself and provides evidence that they make a commitment to the communities they engage with and not just to their own personal gain.
I welcome the Gils as partner stakeholders in our town and as new neighbors.
Restoring the Gulf Stream Hotel is key to the vitality of Lake Worth Beach.

Hello,
My name is Joey Ortiz.
I am in support of the
Gulf Stream revitalization project.
The history of Gulf Stream is a jewel
Of our town Lake Worth Beach.
The possibilities are endless for Gulf Stream. What better LOCATION.
For families and vacationers to
Stay with us. To say the least
This Jewel 💎 can bring in new revenues to strengthen the growth of Down town Lake worth and increase property values.

Please strongly consider The revitalization of the Historic
Gulf stream hotels 🙏

Please, I urge you to listen and consider the preservation of the gulf stream hotel. This building is one of historical significance and is an asset to the city. Buildings of this significance should be treasured and preserved, not demolished and replaced with another generic development. Generally speaking, there are not many historically significant buildings in south Florida.. let’s not allow that number to continue to reduce. I appreciate your time. Thank you.

We want the hotel opened as soon as possible. Give them whatever they need to get it started now.

Dear Mayor and Commission,

As a resident of Lake Worth Beach, I am disheartened by the level of vitriol surrounding the Gulfstream Hotel project. It is not a question of whether or not we want the Gulfstream reopened. Of course we do and should do everything possible to meet that goal.

However, it is the responsibility of the public and the mayor and Commissioners to ask the developer why:

1. The projected annex seems to be so overwhelming and not compatible with
present historic guidelines.

2. Why, if you have already been subsidized 1 Million dollars by the city, you are also
requesting a property tax abatement?

3. Why, if you already are requesting a property tax abatement and a million dollars, would you now be adding 100 plus rental units who also don’t pay property taxes?

As a former developer myself, who never received such accessions and gratuities from a municipality. I think most reasonable people would find those above questions worth asking.

Sincerely,

Don Rosenshine
131 N. Golfview Rd. No. 3
LWB, FL

I write in support of the redevelopment plan for the Gulfstream Hotel. Its time to move forward and stop being stymied by the quagmire of retaining the status quo under the guise of community input and transparency. What is crystal clear is that if we do nothing all those who purport to want to save the historic downtown and character of LWB and this historic landmark in particular will doom it to continued deterioration and ultimately its destruction. Instead of a beacon lighting up the downtown it will be an anchor dragging on the bottom.

Money does not grow on trees nor do developers who recognize and celebrate the historic nature of this hotel and have put in the work necessary to make it happen. They have stuck with it even during the challenges of the past year.

Will the development of this historic landmark create disruption, noise, cars, people yes but this is exactly what we need to support and sustain the efforts of so many to revitalize our downtown. Will people who have benefited from water views over a vacant lot they do not own by unhappy perhaps but we all love benefits we don’t pay for. The majority of the residents spoke resoundingly by approving the change in height authorized in last year’s referendum.

Unfortunately the voices of a disgruntled minority are loud and hard to comprehend sometimes. They throw rocks but no viable solutions. This is a well designed well thought out proposal. Let’s recognize that to be viable no one gets everything on their wish list. Stand up and be the BEACON not the anchor.

Re the Gulfstream project, something needs to be done with the location before it deteriorates even further. The visibility of the renovated property will greatly work to the city’s benefit. Finally someone wants to develop it and I hope the city supports them in doing so!

Re the Gulfstream project, something needs to be done with the location before it deteriorates even further. The visibility of the renovated property will greatly work to the city’s benefit. Finally someone wants to develop it and I hope the city supports them in doing so!

First, a disclaimer. I’m not a member of any group nor does any group speak for me. I am a resident, homeowner, taxpayer and voter who voiced her wish to allow the Gulfstream to have increased heights when I voted.

As we debate the Gulfstream’s purity of design and how it could compromise Lake Worth Beach’s historic heritage, I suggest you stand on the corner of Lakeside and Lake and look around. What do you see? There’s a field overgrown with weeds, the boarded-up Gulfstream - a once viable hotel that has been abandoned for years. Finally, we have the Dollar Store.

Now, take a stroll down Lake and Lucerne to count empty storefronts and speak to current business owners. Many are scrambling to pay the rent. Covid isn’t the only pandemic…..there is death by debate happening here.

Let’s have a reality check…the Gulfstream has been abandoned for years and will be a crumbling monument to our inability to understand Economics 101 if we don’t move to approve the project. The property must generate sufficient revenue to show a profit!

The choice is ours….death by debate or stop talking and start the work.

Time to stop posturing and put a shovel in the ground. Everyone says they want this landmark preserved. Let’s persevere it. We have a well thought out sustainable redevelopment plan on the table. As the saying goes if you keep doing the same thing over and over again you will never obtain a new outcome. Let’s not screw it up this time. Put that shovel in the ground.

My comment is neither for or against this project since I don't know much about it. However, I'm excited to see an empty building being re-energized for the benefit of our communities. I just want to ensure this is benefiting ALL communities, not just the ones who own property or businesses. In order to be inclusive of all residents, I am requesting the developer conduct a third party survey to mitigate any bias or influence on community feedback. I also ask our commission to leverage any special provisions to secure priority on local hiring, traffic surveys to ensure streets will remain accessible to local residents, and an allocation of funds towards a neighborhood trust so our community can fund local projects and amenities residents deem necessary. Most important, funds must be allocated to provide housing solutions and subsidized housing for our unhoused neighbors who also call this area home. We all know what happens to these vulnerable communities when developers come in, so please make sure you are looking out for their interest just as much as you look out for business and property owners. Don't end up in the news for being the commission who's kicking poor people out to make room for the wealthy.