Showing posts with label Johnson Street. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Johnson Street. Show all posts

Monday, December 5, 2011

Tuesday morning's meeting in Hollywood on the Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort Project on Johnson Street & The Broadwalk

WPLG-TV/Channel 10 (Miami, FL) reporter Roger Lohse talks to Hollywood developer Lon Tabatchnick and Weston businessman Joseph Sloboda about the practical effects of the U.S. government's EB-5 Visa program, and how it allows American business projects to get critical financial backing from foreign investors. Tabatchnick credits this program for allowing his proposal for the Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort on Hollywood Beach to move forward.

I feel the need to publicly preface this news about a Tuesday morning meeting regarding the Margaritaville Resort/Johnson Street CRA project on Hollywood Beach with a few words about something that dozens of my friends and I are in complete agreement on, having seen this sort of episode be repeated FAR TOO MANY TIMES this past year with the City of Hollywood's announcement email list, which we are all on.
Think of it as constructive criticism.

Like me, my friends in SE Broward are NOT real crazy about receiving meeting announcements that are sent out -for the first time- 18 hours before the meeting starts.

It's just like the Miami Herald's own well-known penchant for writing about morning government meetings taking place that day in THAT morning's Herald, instead of days in advance, if not the day before.

I won't be able to attend this meeting, otherwise, I'd film it and place some of the more interesting excerpts here on the blog and on my YouTube Channel, which, I hasten to add, will see a huge change in focus in the coming new year.
Positive tangible changes.

-----
City of Hollywood, Florida

Office of the City Manager



REVISED

PUBLIC NOTIFICATION FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 5, 2011

Contact: Raelin Storey
Director Public Affairs & Marketing

Phone: 954. 921.3098
954.812.0975 (cell)

Fax: 954.921.3314
E-mail: rstorey@hollywoodfl.org

Upcoming Meeting on Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort Project

December 6 at 10 a.m.

HOLLYWOOD, FL - On Tuesday, December 6 at 10 a.m. members of the Hollywood Beach Community Development District 1 will meet at Garfield Community Center, 300 Connecticut Street (2nd floor of City Parking Garage). In addition to other business items, the members will review the proposed assessment for the Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort development needed to fund the public parking component.

(This assessment will not apply to other properties in or near the redevelopment site.)

Due to a scheduling conflict, the Wednesday, December 14 update by Lon Tabatchnick to the City Commission will be held at a later date to be determined.

For more information, contact the Office of the City Manager at 954.921.3201.
For media inquiries, please contact Raelin Storey, Public Affairs Director at 954.921.3098.
# # #
-----
Official City of Hollywood website for the Johnson Street RFP/Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort Project:


Friday, October 15, 2010

Next step in Hollywood Beach's Margaritaville Resort project on Johnson Street is Special Mtg. of Technical Advisory Board on Monday at 10 a.m.



I received an e-mail reminder about this important meeting on Monday about Hollywood Beach's Margaritaville Resort project on Johnson Street from the City of Hollywood a few days ago, and had meant to post this earlier so those of you who are late to this issue can make arrangement to see and hear what's what for yourself.

That includes 95% of the South Florida news media, but who's counting?



A larger version of the photo I snapped at one of the Hollywood City Commission meetings of the projected look of the complex, above, is here:

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_WnxiSuPkz2c/S70qe0l7leI/AAAAAAAACeA/pp62zzikPXE/s1600/032.JPG


That photo accompanied my April 7, 2010 post: Margaritaville unanimous choice of Hollywood City Commission for Johnson Street project over Planet Hollywood
http://hallandalebeachblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/margaritaville-unanimous-choice-of.html



This particular photo, which would feature the plane near The Broadwalk, can be seen in larger format at:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WnxiSuPkz2c/S70quGo9l9I/AAAAAAAACeI/8R76YCLnCYA/s1600/034.JPG


To catch up on what's been going on thus far, officially, go here:

http://www.hollywoodfl.org/html/johnsonstbeachrfp.htm



My own version of the past on the Johnson Street project is here:

http://hallandalebeachblog.blogspot.com/search/label/Margaritaville%20Resort
and here http://hallandalebeachblog.blogspot.com/search/label/Margaritaville%20Resort

-----

http://www.hollywoodfl.org/wkcalendar/calendar_city.htm

TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE SPECIAL MEETING


Monday, October 18, 2010 10:00-11:00 a.m.

Hollywood City Hall

2ND FLOOR – ROOM 215,

2600 HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD

HOLLYWOOD, FLORIDA

AGENDA

A. TAC MEMBER INTRODUCTION,


B. FINAL SITE PLAN REVIEW,


1.FILE NO.10-DP-59

APPLICANT: City of Hollywood/ Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort, LLC.,


LOCATION: 300 Johnson Street/1112 N. Ocean Drive
(Generally located north of Michigan Street, south of Johnson Street, east of the Intracoastal Waterway and west of the Atlantic Ocean)

REQUEST: Final Site Plan Review for a 349 room hotel including restaurant, retail, banquet hall, swimming pools, and associated public/private parking garage

C. OLD BUSINESS None,
D: NEW BUSINESS None


Legal description for each of the above petitions is on file in the Department of Planning
and Development Services.
Two or more members of any other City board, commission,
or committee, who are not members of this committee, may attend this meeting and may, at that time, discuss matters on which foreseeable action may later be taken by their board, commission, or committee.
Persons with disabilities who require reasonable accommodation to participate in city programs and/or services may call the Office of the City Manager five business days in advance at
(954) 921-3582 (voice).

If an individual is hearing or speech impaired, please call 1-800-955-8771 (V-TDD).

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Margaritaville unanimous choice of Hollywood City Commission for Johnson Street project over Planet Hollywood

Tonight, around 7:20 p.m., following a two-hour meeting featuring lots of discourse about remaining true to founder Joseph Young's ideals as well as concern over aspects of financing for both bidders, the Hollywood City Commission voted 7-0 for Margaritaville Resort's proposal at Johnson Street on Hollywood Beach, leaving Planet Hollywood second in a two-horse race.

The city will now begin a 90-day period of exclusive negotiations with Margaritaville's principals aimed at creating a dynamic presence at the Central Beach area that has seen so many failed proposals over the past few decades.

If negotiations reach a deadlock in 90 days, the city will contact the group that was more formally known as the Ocean Resort and Village by Planet Hollywood and begin negotiations with them aimed at getting something up as soon as possible.

I should have photos and video of tonight's meeting here Thursday morning.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Community Forum on Johnson Street Redevelopment Monday, March 15 at 6 p.m. at Hollywood City Hall

I will be writing and opining about the Johnson Street RFP
at Hollywood Beach over the weekend,

http://www.hollywoodfl.org/purchasing/pdf/RFP-4212-09-IS.pdf

along with
some photos and video, having put it off since
last week's
formal pitches to the Evaluation Committee,
but wanted
to post this now as a reminder of this very
important event on
Monday, since I received this email
this afternoon from
Hollywood City Hall.

See the city's excellent website for the
Johnson Street RFP
at
http://www.hollywoodfl.org/html/johnsonstbeachrfp.htm

I also encourage you to read
Sara Case's comments at her
excellent
Balance Sheet Online website,
http://www.balancesheetonline.com/ and click the Bigger Not
Better
link on the left to see her comments from October 18th.

Sara and I both attended last week's presentation and
much- preferred the Planet Hollywood presentation
to the Margaritaville one, even though there were
some aspects of it that we wish would be modified.


City of Hollywood, Florida

Office of the City Manager

PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 12, 2010

Contact: Raelin Storey

Public Affairs and Marketing Director

Phone: 954.921.3098

Cell: 954.812.0975 Fax: 954.921.3314

E-mail: rstorey@hollywoodfl.org


Community Forum on Johnson Street Redevelopment

Monday, March 15, 2010 at 6:00 p.m. at Hollywood City Hall


HOLLYWOOD, FL – The City of Hollywood will host a Community Forum on the redevelopment proposals under consideration for the Johnson Street site on Hollywood Beach on Monday, March 15th at 6:00 p.m. in Room 219 at Hollywood City Hall, 2600 Hollywood Boulevard. Residents will hear presentations on two different redevelopment proposals: Margaritaville at Hollywood Beach and Ocean Resort and Village by Planet Hollywood.


Last summer the City of Hollywood issued a two-stage Request for Proposals (RFP) for the redevelopment of the nearly 6 acres of city-owned land located at Johnson Street and A1A on Hollywood Beach. This RFP was developed after numerous community meetings to gather input from Hollywood residents and business owners about their ideas and priorities for this important beachfront site.


The stage II proposals were due on February 18, 2010. Two development teams submitted proposals: Margaritaville at Hollywood Beach, LLC and Hollywood Beach Partners, LLC for Ocean Resort and Village by Planet Hollywood. These proposals, along with the video of the Stage II Evaluation Committee proceedings, can be viewed on the City’s website, www.hollywoodfl.org, by clicking on “Johnson Street/Beach RFP” under Hot Information.


The Community Forum will provide an opportunity for the public to hear from both development teams and ask questions about each team’s project plans. These public comments, along with the evaluation committee’s recommendation and consultant reports will be forwarded to the City Commission members for their review and consideration in preparation for the April 7th regular City Commission meeting. At that time, the City Commission will discuss the proposals, take additional public comments and be asked to authorize staff to begin negotiations with one or both development groups.


For additional information, please contact Raelin Storey, Public Affairs Director at 954.921.3098.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Hollywood's Johnson Street Beach Project Evaluation Comm. to hear Developer Presentation and Consultant Findings on Thursday morning at City Hall

I'll have more comments here later tonight about this
matter but wanted to post this basic info before 6 p.m.
just in case it caught someone's attention who had
forgotten it was scheduled for Thursday.

My comments follow the press release about Thursday's
very interesting foray into planning, economic development
and public policy, Hollywood-style.

It's the next step in a process of getting something in place
over at Johnson Street and State Road A1A that is appealing
and captures the imagination of both tourists and Hollywood
residents alike, creates jobs, is aesthetically attractive if not
iconic -and F-U-N!

FYI: The Margaritaville Casino Resort project in Biloxi,
Mississippi, backed by Harrah's Entertainment, is currently
on hold

http://www.grandcasinobiloxi.com/casinos/grand-biloxi/casino-misc/margaritaville.html

See what their Orlando complex looks like:
http://www.universalorlando.com/Citywalk/Restaurants/jimmy_buffett_margaritaville.aspx
-----

The Evaluation Committee meeting for Johnson Street Beach Stage II Detailed Development Proposals has been scheduled for Thursday, March 4, 2010 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Hollywood City Hall, Room 219. The public is invited to attend, but not speak at this meeting.

The meeting will be taped and later aired on the Government Channel 78 and also on the City's website at www.hollywoodfl.org. RSVP's are not required to attend either meeting.

A Community Forum has been set for Monday, March 15, 2010 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Hollywood City Hall, Room 219. Developer presentations to the public followed by a
Questions/Answer session. Refreshments will be served.

Please be advised the "Cone of Silence" remains in effect preventing Developers from communicating with Members of the City Commission and most City Staff.

The March 4, 2010 Evaluation Committee Meeting sequence was determined as follows:

Margaritaville Resort at Hollywood Beach, LLC
Presentation from 9:15 a.m. - 10:15 a.m.
Consultant Reports and Question/Answer session from 10:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
Lunch Break 12:15 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.
Hollywood Beach Partners, LLC
Presentation from 12:45 p.m. - 1:45 p.m.
Consultant Reports and Question/Answer session from 1:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.
Evaluation Committee will begin deliberations and rankings at 3:45 p.m.

The March 15, 2010 Community Forum Agenda:
1. Introduction and Opening Comments
2. Oral Presentations from Proposers:
Hollywood Beach Partners, LLC
20 minute presentation
20 minute question and answer session with the Public
Margaritaville Resort at Hollywood Beach, LLC
20 minute presentation
20 question and answer session with the Public
3. Adjournment
We look forward to seeing you at these very important meetings!

----------
And this related bit of news from Terry Cantrell, President
of the Hollywood Lakes Section Civic Association


http://www.hollywoodlakes.com/

NEXT HLSCA MEETING:
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010.
Time 7:30 p.m. at the Hollywood Beach Community Center,
1301 S. Ocean Drive.

Guest speaker: Asst. City Manager Cathy Swanson-Rivenbark
on the Johnson Street Beach project and other important issues.
Refreshments will be served.
For info, call 954-923-1940.

Free parking.

ALL RESIDENTS are always WELCOME!

----------
I hasten to add that Terry Cantrell has been a great friend
to the concerned citizen taxpayers of Hallandale Beach even
while we have been sold-out by our own mayor and
Commissioners Ross and Sanders and most of the
Hallandale Beach business establishment, such as it is,
led by HB Chamber of Commerce head Patricia Genetti,
a woman who has continually spoken publicly in favor of the
Diplomat's absurd and incompatible proposals for turning
this small ocean-side city into a pinball machine, with multiple
towers towering over residential neighborhoods and plunging
them into near-permanent darkness
, while their thousands
of additional cars make the current gridlock even worse.

As if that was possible.
But we all know it is.

Here's the statement put out by HLSCA

-
Lakes Residents:

The Broward County Planning Council heard the Diplomat Golf and Country and City of Hallandale Beach request for a land use change to Local Activity Center (LAC) on Thursday and voted 12 to 4 to approve the plan despite the Council's Staff recommendation of denial. The plan consists of 950 new condo units in a number of high rise buildings (from 20 to 27 stories) spread out along the perimeter of the existing golf course. The golf course would remain as is. In addition, a new hotel would be built for approximately 500 rooms. The HLSCA as well as many Hallandale Beach residents and condo associations urged the Planning Council to deny the application due to incompatibility with the surrounding neighborhoods as well as a potential increase in traffic and congestion. The Planning Council vote of approval is based upon the applicant working with the City of Hallandale Beach to further refine the plan by lowering the building heights and creating a workable traffic plan. The plan will ultimately come before the Broward County Commission for final approval in late March.

It should be noted that the City of Hollywood Dept. of Planning and Development also supported the Planning Council's Staff recommendation of denial. The HLSCA thanks our City's Staff for their support. They recognize that this project, if and when if ever gets built, will, indeed, increase traffic through the Lakes neighborhood. Currently, many Hallandale Beach residents use the Lakes streets to cut through to the north as no one wants to drive on the very congested Hallandale Beach Blvd.

The HLSCA would like to recognize the well organized United Condo Association of Hallandale Beach led by Luis Paredes for all their hard work on this issue. They are truly a force in Hallandale Beach and deserve respect and admiration for strongly advocating on behalf of their membership and all the residents of Hallandale Beach.

We will continue to monitor this project as it, hopefully, morphs into an acceptable development that will not negatively impact the surrounding residential neighborhoods. Stay tuned....

www.hollywoodlakes.com

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Johnson Street RFP Developer Interviews at Hollywood City Hall

Meanwhile in Hollywood...
Wednesday morning at 9 a.m.,
I'll be at Hollywood City Hall,
Room 219, for the public
evaluation and presentation
of the four submitted proposals
for the Johnson Street
redevelopment project.
http://www.hollywoodfl.org/html/JohnsonStBeachRFP.htm

Though it's open to the public,
this meeting won't have a public
Q&A component.

As it was explained to me recently,
each team will have 40 minutes to
make their presentation, 15 minutes
for Q&A from the Hollywood
Evaluation Committee, who were
all 'coned,' and with 5 minutes for
breaks/other, so that the morning
can pass in an organized fashion
that's fair for all involved and
understood by everyone in advance.
The deliberations will begin at 1:00 p.m.

(Were that we had some of this sort of
fair and common sense logic in the
Duchy of Hallandale Beach!)

The proceedings will be taped for later
broadcast on Channel 78 to ensure
maximum awareness of the various proposals.
on Thursday, October 15 at 6:00 p.m.
and Monday, October 19 at 9:00 a.m.

You will also be able to view the meeting
beginning on Thursday, October 15 on
the City of Hollywood website
www.hollywoodfl.org on the Johnson
Street RFP webpage.

The proposals will be judged on a
pass/fail basis, and all four could pass
or none of them or some number under
four.
The more the merrier.

Like your sense of anticipation of
a really successful first date at a nice
upscale restaurant you enjoy being at
but don't go to very often, I hope
to be pleasantly surprised and maybe,
dare I say it, even "Wowed."

But I'm also prepared to have to later
chalk it all up as just a valuable
"learning experience' if not so great,
and start all over again.

The competitors that pass tomorrow
will then move on to the meeting with
the Hollywood City Commission on
Wednesday October 21st to confirm
their status. since in the end, it's the
Commission's decision.

A 'coned' status will remain on the
Evaluation Comm. and the Hollywood
City Commission after Stage 2 until
the City Manager executes a signed
agreement with the winning bidder.

At which point, no doubt, a day of
national Thanksgiving will likely
be held to commemorate this feat!
And there will be much rejoicing!

Greetings from Hollywood
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/destinations/florida/orl-travel-greetings-from-florida-postcards,0,785440.photogallery

Monday, July 13, 2009

Tuesday's Johnson Street Redevelopment Mtg. in Hollywood; a dynamic 'change agent' named Swanson-Rivenbark

Received this email below last week from the
City of Hollywood about a new location for the
meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Bastille Day.

Just so you know, there will be no waiters or
waitresses with serving trays running through
a block-long obstacle course on the Broadwalk
or over at The ArtsPark, with musical
accompaniment, à la D.C.
But there ought to be!
Plus de la pitié!

I attended the first public outreach meeting
at Hollywood City Hall on June 16th, following
the regularly-scheduled City Commission
meeting on whether or not the City Commission
should authorize City Manager Cameron
Benson to file an application for a City Of
Hollywood Charter School, which they did.
(More on that issue here soon.)

See the Proposed Redevelopment Process

For those of you who live in the Hallandale
Beach, South Broward or NE Miami-Dade
area with some time that day, I urge you
to attend and watch the city's new Assistant
City Manager, Cathy Swanson-Rivenbark,
in action.

She's a flat-out dynamo!

She's also a Big Ten grad, from Badgerville,
up in Wisconsin's capitol and public policy
incubator of Madison, a fabulous campus
and city with a social/cultural life that,
for its size and location -and weather-
makes Fort Lauderdale and most of Miami
look quite lame by contrast, and for good
reason.
People there are good-looking AND smart,
not just, well, you know.... like here?


<span class=

For more on Bucky:

Coincidence that she's dynamic and a
Big Ten grad?
I think not!

Hollywood City Manager Cameron Benson
is also a member of the Big Ten club,
via his years in Champaign-Urbana.,
a.k.a. U of I as it's known in the Midwest
to distinguish it from IU.and Iowa.

<span class=

Yes, that's why there used to be a minor
league baseball league sometimes called
the -wait for it- yes, Three-Eye League.

As it happens, Champaign-Urbana is also
where my wonderful friend from IU and
Briscoe Quad, the lovely, witty and oh-so
talented Lolita Zwettler was from.
Her folks were U of I professors, but fortunately
for me, she saw the light and came to
Bloomington, a wise decision I will always
be very grateful for, due to her friendship,
thoughfulness and incandescent smile.

Well, I'm not exactly breaking news here,
per se, but as has been said repeatedly of late
all around Hollywood City Hall and everywhere
else she's been in person since coming up from
the City of Coralk Gables, new Assistant City
Manager Cathy Swanson-Rivenbark, is like,
yes, "a breath of fresh air."

And people all over Hollywood and environs
are noticing how she manages to be several
positive things all at once: analytical and
professional but genuinely folksy, great at
making knowing references to public policy
successes and failures elsewhere and
far-sighted in vision for what this area needs
more of and less of, but also keenly aware
of the current economic malaise that's this
area's daily reality, especially in Downtown
Hollywood.

Every time I've been in Downtown Hollywood
for the past 18 months, one of two things
inevitably happen.

I either hear people kibbitzing or speculating
about when the bottom of the local real
estate market is "REALLY going to hit
bottom" and start rebounding, while I'm
either eating, reading or writing bearby,
or, I'm being asked directly by some small
business owner whose store or restaurant
I've been patronizing, who knows me casually,
by face or even from reading the blog,
about what I think of what's happening in
Hollywood these days, and whether I believe
local residents and businesses can really
be as patient as they may need to be,
patience never being something in great
supply around here even in the best of times,
after all.

To the latter question, I can now say truthfully
that with the addition of someone of Cathy's
self-evident talent and ability, someone who
can rather effortlessly but charmingly synthesize
information and public policy in an interesting
but understandable fashion, the City of
Hollywood has one very large and dynamic
change agent in its deck of cards that the
majority of South Florida communities simply
can't beat, not least, Hallandale Beach.

When she walks into a corporate office and
is 'on message' about Hollywood's core
strengths and opportunities, she can close
the deal for Hollywood and get them coming
back for more.

That Cathy is tremendously likable, personally,
on top of her innate talent and abilities, is
something that simply can't be ignored either.
Obviously, she can use that to the city's great
benefit in the future while trying to create some
positive opportunities, even as regular South
Florida bureaucrats fumble-and-stumble
when they make their pitch about why their
own city ought to be considered for a project.

Recently at Balance Sheet Online,
co-editor Sara Case wrote about Johnson
Street's great unrealized recent potential and
mused on what ought to go up there for the
short-term.

In a sidebar on the same page, after having
seeing her dynamic, bravura first appearance
before the bedazzled City Commission,
which I watched via streaming video, Sara wrote
"Having tried and failed three times to
get a up-market hotel resort built on the
property, the city is ripe for a major
reassessment and Ms. Swanson-Rivenbark
seems up to the task of guiding us through
it successfully."

Yes, a 'breath of fresh air" is a wonderful thing,
and can almost make you wonder how you made
do without it for so very, very long.
Having finally had it, how can you ever go back to
what you had before?

Having now seen Cathy in action first-hand a few
times myself, and also having seen far too many
woeful and forgettable presentations elsewhere
around South Florida's public policy world,
I can't help but think that if there were a few more
people this sharp and professional, taxpayers
and citizens could actually sleep a little more
soundly at night, and not be quite so anxious
about everything always getting worse around
here.



----------
From last month, before the brainstorming began
in earnest...

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Hollywood seeks residents' input on beach site

What to do about Johnson Street will be the subject of two meetings

By Ihosvani Rodriguez

June 11, 2009


HOLLYWOOD

City officials are asking residents to put on their thinking caps and come up with ideas on what to do with a city-owned property on the beach.

The first of two informal public meetings will be held next week to gather input on the long-awaited redevelopment of the city-owned Johnson Street property at A1A on Hollywood beach.

The first meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall.

A second meeting will be at the Hollywood Beach Culture and Community Center on June 18.

The city has also established an e-mail address to gather comments: johnsonstreetrfp@hollywoodfl.org.

The meetings come after a developer walked away from a plan

to build a $100 million hotel and beach resort on the property

now occupied by an aging garage and a parking lot.

--------------------

See also:City seeks community input for Johnson Street property

http://www.hollywoodgazette.com/2009/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=379:city-seeks-community-input-for-johnson-street-property&catid=42:beach-news&Itemid=600077

-------------
A message for the public policy guys and gals
of Hollywood who were at that first Johnson
Street brainstorming meeting last month:

PLEASE don't say -for like the millionth time-
that "there really ought to be a Hard Rock
Casino over there..."

Please, I'm begging you.
No more!!!

It's just NOT going to happen, so please limit
your ideas and suggestions to ones actually
possible in this version of Hollywood in the
year 2009, not the one in your alternative
universe.

Tack så mycket!