A June 24 vote by the Architectural Commission means the South End of Palm Beach could see a sizable new condominium development rise south of Sloan’s Curve. The last major project to be built in that area was Bellaria, which opened in 2006.
By granting final approval for mechanical screening and vehicular gates — with conditions — the commission has given developers the green light to start construction at the former site of The Ambassador Palm Beach Hotel & Residences.
The board’s tough scrutiny of the project over months of deliberations makes it clear that town officials are determined to ensure that redevelopment projects meet local standards and complement the architectural fabric of the island.
That’s good news for Palm Beach in an era where the South Florida coast is seeing a wave of new development that in some communities is adding soaring towers to an already crowded skyline.
In November, the Town Council unanimously voted to approve the site plan for the as yet unnamed project, which will replace the old hotel building and an adjacent lakeside building. Council members also approved a special exception to the zoning code that will allow the developer to build the trio of five-story, ultra-luxury buildings at 2720 S. Ocean Blvd. and 2730 S. Ocean Blvd., along with 20 variances to the zoning code.
A joint venture between developer and owner Vlad Doronin’s Miami-based OKO Group and London-based private-equity firm Cain International in October 2022 paid a recorded $147.6 million for The Ambassador and The Edgewater House, a longtime co-operative building on the other side of the coastal road.
Success for the project hasn’t come without hiccups.
In 2024, during the early days of public discussions about the project with town officials, the developers abandoned a controversial proposal that would have entailed a sweeping change to zoning rules. That proposal would have allowed the development team to building the three midrise condo buildings without requesting any variances to the zoning code. Officials pushed back — hard — and the proposal died.
Last year, town officials ordered the property owners to make emergency repairs to the hotel building, noting that it had deteriorated to the point that its condition had become a “life-safety issue.”
Even so, the developers from the early days of the project sought to build community consensus for the development by meeting with neighbors and winning their wholehearted support.
The developers also worked to satisfy architectural commissioners during months of reviews, accepting their feedback and adapting the design as needed.
But as the commission’s 4-3 vote over the final details shows, it can be hard to win over officials who are determined to protect the town’s architectural character.
Indeed, Architectural Commission Chair Jeff Smith and Vice Chair Richard Sammons did not hesitate to voice their dislike of the development’s contemporary design.
Commissioners at times pushed for a completely different design, arguing at one point that multiple, smaller townhouse-style buildings would be a better fit tor the two sites, which straddle South Ocean Bouelvard.
But the developers countered that their design had garnered support from the property’s neighbors, and the South End community at large.
Even members of the design board conceded that large projects like this one rarely, if ever, receive the sort of support from the community that this one earned.
Although Architectural Commission is often taken to task for being too critical, its deliberations — and the developers’ appropriate response — regarding this prominent project could set the bar for other redevelopments on the South End. Commissioners did the right thing by giving the project tough reviews. The development, and the town, emerged the better for it.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Architectural Commission gave proper scrutiny to new condo | Editorial
Reporting by Palm Beach Daily News Editorial Board, Palm Beach Daily News / Palm Beach Daily News
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By Palm Beach Daily News Editorial Board, Palm Beach Daily News | USA TODAY Network
