#SoFL - Two chances to help #Haiti this weekend in #HollywoodFL: Saturday April 22nd: 5K walk/run - Hollywood Runs for Haiti at Charnow Park, #HollywoodBeach; Sunday April 23rd: Hollywood Healing Haiti, ARTPARK, #HollywoodFL; Project Papillon; HollywoodCares.net

#SoFL - Two chances to help #Haiti  this weekend in #HollywoodFL: 

Saturday April 22nd: 5k walk/run Hollywood Runs for Haiti 7:3O-10 AM at Charnow Park, Hollywood Beach Broadwalk - 300 Garfield Street, Hollywood Beach; 

Sunday April 23rd: Hollywood Healing Haiti, 1:00-5:00 PM, ARTPARK, Downtown Hollywood.

Saturday April 22nd: 5K walk/run - Hollywood Runs for #Haiti 🇭🇹 7:3O-10 AM, Charnow Park, #HollywoodBeach Broadwalk - 300 Garfield Street pic.twitter.com/mz3MCxVQ6Q

— HallandaleBeachBlog (@hbbtruth) April 17, 2017

Sunday April 23rd: Hollywood Healing #Haiti 🇭🇹 1-5:00 PM, #ArtsPark, #HollywoodFL - Music/Food/Activities for Kids https://t.co/X6uLxlgx7l pic.twitter.com/8OVsILAVda

— HallandaleBeachBlog (@hbbtruth) April 17, 2017

For more information see 
https://runsignup.com/Race/FL/Hollywood/HollywoodRunsForHaiti5K and
http://hollywoodcares.net/

Think of it as a good excuse for you to get out of the house and take a break from creating your final 2017 NFL Mock Draft, or, from strategizing to ensure that this year's Memorial Day barbecue picnic goes a lot better than last year's.

Please share this info w/friends and on Social Media!

Dave

HallandaleBeachBlog@gmail.com

http://www.hallandalebeachblog.blogspot.com/

Twitter: @hbbtruth, https://twitter.com/hbbtruth

https://twitter.com/hbbtruth/with_replies

https://www.youtube.com/user/HallandaleBeachBlog

Hollywood developer Chip Abele's years-long effort to launch #YoungCircleCommons project in Downtown Hollywood, across from The ArtsPark, w/a #HiltonHotel, clears hurdle as Hollywood City Comm. unanimously approves requested changes

Above, my photo from this afternoon of Hollywood developer ​Chip Abele, with a rendering in the Commission Chambers of his proposed tower on U.S.-1/Federal Highway in downtown Hollywood, opposite the SW corner of Young Circle and The ArtsPark, just as the project's changes were unanimously approved by the Hollywood City Commission.

Wednesday September 21, 2016

After the Hollywood City Commission meeting this afternoon I was able to speak with Mr. Abele, above, for a minute in conjunction with getting some better quality copies of the renderings of his tower that are on the city's website, 

https://hollywoodfl.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=2839606&GUID=BE6F5DFF-43DB-4FDB-B0E2-6D3AF3674A37

for a future blog post about the project and its tangled path to success, some of which I've chronicled in the past on the blog, as well as his many efforts to re-develop the NE corner of Young Circle over the years, all of which have led me to being at meetings at Hollywood City Hall at 2 AM in the past.

On July 24, 2008, I first wrote abiout Mr. Abele and his efforts to develop or re-devlop areas near Young Circle, The WSG/Young Circle ArtsPark Project

http://hallandalebeachblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/wsgyoung-circle-artspark-project.html

I can't help but think of the positive changes that could take place in Hollywood when they eventually get a brand new Publix on the northeast corner of Young Circle, Block 55.

To see more on that redevelopment project, Hollywood Circle, and what developer Chip Abele had once hoped to build then, see my February 19th, 2009 post labeled,

In Hollywood, blighted Block 55 gets a new lease on life as "Hollywood Circle"

http://hallandalebeachblog.blogspot.com/2009/02/draft-in-hollywood-blighted-block-55.html

On November 1st, 2011, I penned this post about his efforts, 

Wednesday's Hollywood CRA mtg. features Chip Abele's Block 55 LLC/1740 Polk Street project -inc. the new Publix- getting units from RAC for hotel

http://hallandalebeachblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/wednesdays-hollywood-cra-mtg-features.html

In my quick discussion with Mr. Abele this afternoon, he says that they aren't planning any sort of formal signing announcement about the Hilton Hotels deal they've made, but reiterated to me that the paperwork had "already been signed."

An upscale hotel in and above downtown Hollywood.

With a swimming pool on top, like the proverbial cherry!

And that pool looked very, very inviting with its amazing views. 

Now, if we could only get some quality Indian and Ethiopian restaurants in downtown 

Hollywood or hereabouts like I'd gotten used to in D.C., and have done without for so long here.

I can't be the only one who notices their absence from the South Florida food scene.

Tonight I'll be attending the Hollywood Mayoral Forum at David Park Community Center at 7 PM, sponsored by the Hollywood Hills Civic Association, not the Hallandale Beach City Comm. meeting.

By the way, I've got some more news to share soon about Comm. Bill Julian and his inability

to NOT continue to engage in questionable ethical behavior that calls into question his basic fitness for office, given his many ethical lapses and misdeeds in the past.

What reasonable people might call a hard-to-ignore "fact pattern."

----

In reverse chron order are my tweets about this news:

#Hollywood #FL developer Chip Abele's years-long effort to launch #YoungCircleCommons project in Downtown, w/a #HiltonHotel, clears hurdle.

— HallandaleBeachBlog (@hbbtruth) September 21, 2016

@SFBJRealEstate Chip Abele's Downtown #Hollywood project on US-1 to feat @HiltonWorldwide boutique hotel w/103 units https://t.co/8nLApHItr2

— HallandaleBeachBlog (@hbbtruth) September 21, 2016

@SFBJRealEstate .@cohgov CityComm. unanimously approves requested changes for #YoungCircleCommons across fm ArtsPark https://t.co/OQwOXjtNMM

— HallandaleBeachBlog (@hbbtruth) September 21, 2016

Chip Abele scores success w/his #YoungCircleCommons project in DWNTWN #Hollywood, complete w/a #HiltonHotel. #SoFL https://t.co/S4SYMPT0Mg

— HallandaleBeachBlog (@hbbtruth) September 21, 2016

Wednesday's Hollywood CRA mtg. features Chip Abele's Block 55 LLC/1740 Polk Street project -inc. the new Publix- getting units from RAC for hotel

Above, looking west at Hollywood City Hall. November 1, 2011 photo by South Beach Hoosier.

Chip Abele's Block 55 LLC/1740 Polk Street project -including a new Publix- looks to be getting an additional 25 units from the RAC for a hotel component.

Wednesday's 10 a.m. Special/Joint Hollywood City Commission/CRA meeting features the return of our old controversial friend, Block 55, who has been the subject of so many posts here, and LONG meetings at Hollywood City Hall for yours truly the past few years.

Like actually running out of memory cards and rechargeable batteries after well over two hours of video-recording LONG.

And, of course, the city will likely be pulling the financial plug on the Holocaust Documentation Center.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/11/01/2482484/hollywood-holocaust-center-may.html

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/09/07/2395576/hollywood-tells-holocaust-center.html

I had planned on being at this meeting but won't be able to attend after all.

Here's the two agenda items for Block 55:

http://agenda.hollywoodfl.org/cache/00001/115/PO-2010-46.pdf

and http://agenda.hollywoodfl.org/cache/00001/115/R-2011-227.pdf

from http://agenda.hollywoodfl.org/cache/00001/115/AGEN%2011-2-11%20Joint-Special.pdf

Proposed modifications will result in the following thresholds:

397 residential units

104 hotel rooms (52 residential units)

15,000 sq ft (approx.) ground floor retail/office

46,031 sq ft (approx.) regional grocery chain (Publix)

941 car parking garage including grocery chain

Proposed building height are as follows:

Publix- 24’ (2 stories)

Parking garage- 94’ (8 stories)

Hotel- 114’ (10 stories)

Residential buildings range from - 224’ (22 stories) to 266’ (25 stories)

Looking northwest on Tyler Street -north of the Publix. At left is the two condo towers comprising Hollywood's former #1 condo-mania case study, The Radius, off of U.S.-1 -with Starbucks on the ground floor. On the right is the much-older Town House Apt. complex and the advertising billboard on the Abele property, both of which which will be knocked down. November 1, 2011 photo by South Beach Hoosier.

A much closer view of the shot above looking northwest from Tyler Street. November 1, 2011 photo by South Beach Hoosier.

Even closer, peeking over the fence, looking northwest from Tyler Street. November 1, 2011 photo by South Beach Hoosier.

Looking due north over the fence towards Polk Street. November 1, 2011 photo by South Beach Hoosier.

Looking northeast over the fence on Tyler, with the Hollywood Beach Country Club & Golf Resort two blocks north in the distance. November 1, 2011 photo by South Beach Hoosier.

Looking due south on Tyler Street towards Equity One's Young Circle Shopping Center retail complex, which includes a Publix, Walgreens, Subways and a news stand among other things. (The latter being where I used to buy the Daily Business Review.) November 1, 2011 photo by South Beach Hoosier.

Looking northeast from the south side of Tyler Street towards N. 17th Street. November 1, 2011 photo by South Beach Hoosier.

View Larger Map

The Street View on Google Maps looking northwest from the intersection of Tyler Street and N. 17th Street, Hollywood, FL.

The regular Hollywood City Commission meeting is at 1 p.m.

http://agenda.hollywoodfl.org/cache/00001/114/AGEN%2011-2-11.pdf

FYI: In case you have had this problem in the past, too, I was at Hollywood City Hall Tuesday afternoon and happened to have the chance to talk to City Clerk Patricia Cerny about some problems this past summer with the online agendas and video archives NOT activating unless you use Internet Explorer -a problem I've previously mentioned here at the blog- which she didn't know anything about but has promised she'd investigate.

It's not unlike the problem the Broward County Commission used to have a few years ago with streaming of their meetings.

You could only do it using Internet Explorer, but there wasn't anything on the website saying so. Now you can watch them at home or work using other browsers.

Good news! To better serve and inform, the Hollywood-based "Balance Sheet Online" has morphed into a blog - "Balance Sheet Blog"

The Hollywood-based Balance Sheet Online, always a source of well-reasoned logic and sense of purpose for the well-informed South Florida citizen who wants to know more about what's REALLY going on there, has changed its format from that of a website to a blog, and will now bear the nom de plume, Balance Sheet Blog.

Below, an excerpt from an email I received from Hollywood civic activists and co-editors Sara Case and Laurie Schecter on Saturday the 26th:

Based on reader request, we have moved the Balance Sheet to a blog format. One advantage of the new format is that you will be able to post your own comments.

If you wish to continue receiving email updates, you must sign up ON THE BLOG to receive them. Click the link below to get started.

If you have bookmarked the Balance Sheet Online website, you will need to change your bookmark to reflect the new location (link below), http://balancesheetblog.wordpress.com/

PS If you discover any bugs in the new format, please let us know so we can work them out.

Rally for Haitian Earthquake Victims in Hollywood Sunday at 1:30 p.m.

January 14, 2010

My friends,

This is probably one of the most important emails I have written since I was elected Mayor of Hollywood. I do not need to tell you that Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, was rocked by a horrific earthquake. The Red Cross estimates at least 50,000 innocent people have been killed. As you have surely seen on television, the island nation has been virtually destroyed.

I, along with community leaders and city staff, have organized a rally in the downtown Hollywood ArtsPark (a/k/a Hollywood Young Circle) on Sunday, January 17, 2010 at 1:30 p.m.

The purpose of this rally is to show that people in the tri-county area are united in their effort to assist the victims of this tragedy, and that the need to raise funds is greater than ever.

This is the only rally currently scheduled to occur in South Florida, and the victims of this earthquake need our help, now. This is South Florida's opportunity to show that we stand united with the victims and their families. Thank you for your time. I look forward to seeing you this Sunday.

Peter Bober
Mayor
City of Hollywood

St. Patrick's Day Concert tonight at 7 p.m., ArtsPark in Hollywood

Glen Road with Connie Dover at 7 p.m.

For more on them, see http://glenroadmusic.com/  and http://www.conniedover.com/

Zyscovich Plan for Downtown Hollywood to be Unveiled March 10

Having attended all of Bernard Zyscovich's previous preliminary forums, meetings, workshops in Hollywood, now we will finally see  what Zyscovich's ridiculously creative brain has been working on for so long, and see whether having tasked one of the nation's great urban planners to design a cure for what, in part, ails Hollywood -a sense of disconnectedness and lack of 'place'- as well as whether or not the South Florida business community actually has the sense to take advantage of his prescient, dynamic vision and simple  common sense and knowledge of human behavior. Common sense which in my opinion will seem even more obvious and self-evident if approved, once there's a commuter train running on the FEC line in downtown Hollywood connecting it to downtown Miami and to downtown Fort Lauderdale and points north. I urge you NOT to miss the chance to see for yourself someone who really can connect the dots in interesting and unusual ways that few people can. Zyscovich's vision, if properly applied, with any luck will be the accepted norm for South Florida years from now.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Lisa Liotta, Deputy Director
City of Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency-Downtown District
Office: (954) 921-3016
lliotta@hollywoodfl.org

PUBLIC MEETING ON PROPOSED DOWNTOWN HOLLYWOOD
MASTER PLAN – TUES., MARCH 10

Hollywood, FL - The Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA)-Downtown District invites the public to attend a public forum for the presentation of a proposed Downtown Hollywood Master Plan from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 10 in the City Commission Chambers (Room 219) in City Hall, 2600 Hollywood Boulevard.

Bernard Zyscovich of Zyscovich, Inc., urban planners and architects, will present the Downtown Master Plan and preliminary zoning recommendations for the area bounded by Monroe Street on the south, Fillmore Street on the north, 16th/17th avenues on the east and 22nd Avenue on the west. The presentation will include specific recommendations for the entire area including the properties around Young Circle and a proposed North Downtown Office/Mixed Use District. The meeting will be an opportunity for the public to review and provide input on the plan prior to its consideration by the City's Planning and Zoning Board and the City Commission.

This public meeting is the eighth public forum organized by the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA)-Downtown District regarding redevelopment in Downtown Hollywood and the Regional Activity Center east of Interstate 95 since April 2003. The process began when four panelists reviewed proposed developments for the Young Circle area. Mr. Zyscovich moderated that panel and has worked with the (CRA)-Downtown District to conduct additional forums to ensure public participation in zoning recommendations and design guidelines for the Young Circle/ArtsPark area. Subsequent forums provided public input into redevelopment objectives for the Federal Highway corridor and the Regional Activity Center, introduced the proposed North Downtown Office/Mixed Use District, and presented the scope of the proposed Downtown Master Plan.

For more information, call Neil Fritz, Executive Director, Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA)-Downtown District, at 954-921-3016.

The Hollywood Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) was created under the authority of Florida's Community Redevelopment Act of 1969. The CRA's mission is to encourage economic development through the use of tax increment financing by funding development, special projects and enhanced services that address areas of community concern. The Downtown District was established in 1979 to promote Hollywood's central business district including Historic Hollywood Boulevard, Young Circle and nearby residential neighborhoods. The Downtown District is approximately 580 acres and extends from 22nd Avenue on the west to generally 17th Avenue on the east, Johnson Street on the north and Washington Street on the south.

Miami Herald editorial re Hollywood Circle: "Lop the top off that tower, city says"

http://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/story/914424.html

Miami Herald

Editorial 

February 21, 2009

Local perspectives

HOLLYWOOD

LOP THE TOP OFF THAT TOWER, CITY SAYS

Civility and common sense have taken root among Hollywood officials -- a welcome development. For instance, the City Commission, with Mayor Peter Bober and Commissioner Heidi O'Sheehan dissenting, gave the green light to a condo tower and retail development project this week without the usual accompanying fireworks. But the commission added one condition with its preliminary approval: Reduce the height of the proposed 25-story condo.

Good call. Mr. Bober and Ms. O'Sheehan said they couldn't vote for the project unless it is reduced in size.

The project would be at the northeast corner of Young Circle and would have a new Publix -- long a fixture there -- along with 20,000 square feet of office and retail space. The tower would have 424 condos.

But that number should be reduced. The developers should comply with the commission's reasonable requirement. Downtown is the right place for highrises, but not too high or too crowded. Staff recommends that the tower be reduced to 22 stories, the height of the Arts Park Village project also located on Young Circle.

City Planning Director Jaye Epstein says that project should represent the city's height limit. This is a sensible way to allay residents' concerns that Young Circle could become a condo canyon. You wouldn't want to surround the county's ArtsPark with a wall of highrises.

"Zyscovich Plan" meeting in Hollywood on Thursday @ 5 p.m.

Looking south-east from the center of the ArtsPark at Young Circle, Hollywood, FL.
Pictured, left to right, the former HOME Bldg. and the Hollywood Bread Bldg.
June 1, 2008 photo by South Beach Hoosier


Looking due south from the center of the ArtsPark at Young Circle, Hollywood, FL.
June 1, 2008 photo by South Beach Hoosier.

This looks to be a very interesting meeting, given all the things pro and con that have been said over the past few months about the need to formally implement the Zyscovich Plan, as was noted more than a few times at the eight-hour Hollywood City Commission meeting in early April on the fate of the SE corner of Young Circle, pictured above.

Meanwhile, two weeks from now...

http://www.miamiherald.com/516/v-print/story/554624.html
Miami Herald
Downtown Hollywood plans up for discussion
June 2, 2008

Hollywood commissioners this month will once again tackle downtown development issues -- debating whether to adopt height limits and new architectural guidelines for a key portion of downtown.

But while many of Hollywood's new commissioners campaigned on promises to kick-start the city's struggling downtown and reform its besieged community redevelopment agencies, most efforts have stalled.

In May, commissioners rejected a plan to have the directors of Hollywood's downtown and beach CRAs report to City Manager Cameron Benson.

Mayor Peter Bober, Vice Mayor Dick Blattner and Commissioner Heidi O'Sheehan voted in favor of the proposal, saying it would increase financial oversight.

But others said Benson already has enough work and didn't think the change would help.

Next, commissioners will discuss downtown redevelopment guidelines proposed five years ago for Young Circle by architect Bernard Zyscovich.

The workshop is at 3 p.m. June 17 at Hollywood City Hall, 2600 Hollywood Blvd.

-- BREANNE GILPATRICK

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