FORT LAUDERDALE | Icon Las Olas | 460 FT | 45 FLOORS

[mr jones]

Icon Las Olas
Residential (retail shops at street level)
42 Stories, ~455ft
272 units (1-4 bedrooms)
500 E Las Olas Blvd, 33301
http://www.iconlasolas.com/










Lobby


Kitchen

By Brittany Wallman | South Florida Sun-Sentinel
October 3, 2007

FORT LAUDERDALE Under threat of multimillion-dollar lawsuits, city commissioners voted 3-2 late Tuesday night to allow the controversial Icon Las Olas condo to be built next to the historic Stranahan House.

A previous City Commission had approved the Icon condo on the Hyde Park Market site, but that was threatened by a court decision. Commissioners were ordered by the courts to consider whether the tower should receive a "certificate of appropriateness" to build on land that has been declared historic and is next to a historic property.

Stranahan House supporters hoped the historic angle would help them achieve what multiple lawsuits and years of passionate fighting have failed to bring so far — a denial of the 42-story tower they don't want next door.

Commissioner Christine Teel, a longtime supporter of Stranahan House, nevertheless said the "die was cast" when a previous City Commission voted to allow it.

"I don't see us backing out of it now," she said.

Teel joined Commissioner Cindi Hutchinson and Vice Mayor Carlton Moore in voting that the permit should indeed be granted.

Commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom and Mayor Jim Naugle disagreed, saying the condo is too large next to the city's most historic site, the 1901 Stranahan House, former home of city pioneers Frank and Ivy Stranahan.

"I feel the developer and the owner of the property have a right to build something on this property," said Naugle. "… But certainly not something that ignores all our laws."

The vote came after advice from City Attorney Harry Stewart that legally, commissioners were obliged to vote in favor of Icon, and that to vote against it could expose the city to huge financial damages.

The developer, Related Group, and landowner, Coolidge South Markets Equities, warned the city last week that if commissioners voted no Tuesday night, the city would be sued again, and $120 million in damages would be sought.

"Too much to risk. Too much to lose," read a flier mailed to some city residents in recent days. Printed atop a gambler's roulette wheel and mailed to some city taxpayers was a two-page flier warning that "the city of Fort Lauderdale can't risk a $120 million bet!"

Voters had agreed years ago to buy the Icon site for a park, but the city's eminent domain effort failed. The developer and owner filed a counter-lawsuit against the city for damages. The Icon tower was part of the resulting lawsuit settlement.

Stranahan lawyers argued commissioners wouldn't be made to pay for a decision the courts required.

"The $120 million threat by the developers made against you as individuals, against this city and against my clients is hollow," Stranahan House attorney William Scherer told commissioners.

The 1 ½ acre of asphalt on the New River was home for years to the small Hyde Park Market grocery store. But decades ago, before the city incorporated, the land was a camping ground for Seminole Indians who canoed to do business with Frank Stranahan's trading post next door, historians say.

Stranahan attorney Tucker Gibbs said he wasn't sure what his side would do next, but the case appeared headed back to the courts.

The vote was another disappointment for Barbara Keith, the quiet, 63-year-old, white-haired director of Stranahan House.

Preventing the tower next door and protecting the historic, two-story house from a hulking neighbor has been her cause for eight years.

She was back Tuesday.

The Stranahan House and its neighboring land is a connection not just to the past of the city, she said, but to everyone's history here. For Keith, this is where her children grew up, where she has lived for 43 years, where she, like Ivy Stranahan, taught school.

"I could never walk away," she said.

"What do we say?" she added. "Never, never, never, never, never give up."

The Icon Las Olas will become Fort Lauderdale's tallest building. The Las Olas Riverhouse is our current at 42 stories, 417ft.

Photo credits: www.iconlasolas.com

[atl2phx]

Originally Posted by mr jones

Icon Las Olas
Residential (retail shops at street level)
42 Stories, ~455ft
272 units (1-3 bedrooms)
500 E Las Olas Blvd, 33301
http://www.iconlasolas.com/





The Icon Las Olas will become Fort Lauderdale's tallest building. The Las Olas Riverhouse is our current at 42 stories, 417ft.

has icon even broken ground yet?

[mr jones]

As far as I know, it hasn't. They do have their sales trailer up and fencing around the property.

[mr jones]

BTW- This should be the in Proposal section. If somene would be kind enough to move it. Thanks!

[SFUVancouver]

Based on the article I'm quite shocked by the lack of historic preservation controls. If the land adjacent the historic site was viewed as equally historically significant then it should have been purchased by the city or the historic preservation society a long time ago. I do think the developer is not pursuing a building that is sensitive to the historic context of the site, but Related Group is a massive national developer and you can't expect them to care about such details of the project. This is just one of dozens of projects for them and all they probably see is some unwanted local NIMBYism that they need to quash with the threat of a massive lawsuit. That's unfortunately quite an effective bullying tactic. Thus, all the more reason why the city should have bought it to protect it long before it ever came to this.

[kensmith]

does anyone know what these are going for?

[mr jones]

Originally Posted by kensmith

does anyone know what these are going for?

I believe they start at either $500 or $600,000.

[Jonny722]

Now that they have the go-ahead, when is the project expected to be completed?

[mr jones]

No idea. I've heard they'll start construction soon, whatever that means, but after they fight off a few more lawsuits...

[mr jones]

Here we go again...

By Brittany Wallman | South Florida Sun-Sentinel
November 15, 2007

FORT LAUDERDALE - Still riding high after a favorable court ruling two weeks ago, Stranahan House advocates were knocked back to earth Wednesday when the same appeals court torpedoed a key part of their case against a proposed condo tower next door.

The 4th District Court of Appeal in West Palm Beach ruled Wednesday that there had been no "miscarriage of justice" in Broward Circuit Court when Judge Robert Lance Andrews rejected two Stranahan House challenges to the proposed Icon high-rise.

The ruling moved the city, the Stranahan House and the hopeful developers of Icon one step closer to resolving a construction conflict that's spanned nine years.

Stranahan House had appealed the City Commission's 2004 legal settlement that would allow the tower to rise on the old Hyde Park Market site, as well as the City Commission's subsequent site plan approval of Icon.

Both appeals by Stranahan House and Friends of the Park at Stranahan House were denied by Andrews, and the higher court agreed.

All parties concede that something will be built at 500 E. Las Olas Blvd., on the New River downtown, next to the former home of city pioneers Frank and Ivy Stranahan. But the litigation will determine whether what's built is the proposed tallest-tower-in-the-city Icon, or a tower re-designed to give more space and deference to the tiny Stranahan House, the oldest structure in Broward County.

"What we're looking for is something that is compatible with Stranahan House," said the nonprofit group's appellate attorney, Tucker Gibbs. "Does that mean it has to be a two-story, frame, Florida vernacular cracker house? No." But, he said, it shouldn't "loom over" the old museum.

An Oct. 31 ruling had given new life to Stranahan advocates. The appeals court ruled that Judge Andrews should not have dismissed one of Stranahan House's lawsuits, which asked that the city's approval of Icon be revoked and no construction permits issued. The appeals court sent the case back to Andrews for a trial on the tower's compliance with the city's comprehensive land use plan policies about protecting historic resources and neighborhood compatibility.

Wednesday's decision, though, brought a reversal in emotional reaction. This time the developer and city reacted with glee and predicted ultimate victory.

"It's final. It's over. We win. They lose," said attorney Don Hall, who represents Related Group and Coolidge South Markets Equities, the developer and the landowner.

"I think it's very important," said city attorney Harry Stewart. "This is basically the foundation of their case, and it's been taken away."

Originally, the city and the historic Stranahan House were on the same team, trying to buy the Hyde Park Market site for a park, to prevent Related Group from building on it. When the city's land-acquisition effort bombed and the developer sued the city, things changed. The city and developer became a team, after settling in court. And the Stranahan House was left on its own.

Gibbs said it was too early to say whether Wednesday's ruling could be appealed to the state Supreme Court. But this is "absolutely not" the end, he said.

"The Stranahan House is committed to protecting the Stranahan House," he said, "... and that's what we're doing."

Hall said he's not surprised his opponents vow to continue the legal challenges.

"I don't expect them to give in," he said. "I just expect them to continue to lose."

[skylife]

It's cool - very Vancouveresque, imo. At least the tower part.

[UrbanImpact]

Please help me fight the NIMBYS by commenting on this article about this project on the local newspaper's website: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/loc...,7906057.story

[mr jones]

Those forums are joke. The people there make ridiculous claims and are just closed minded. ...most of the time anyways.

[mr jones]

I kind of agree that the Icon is a little too close to the Stranahan House. I don't think it would be all that bad if they'd just shave off that area of the building hanging over the walk way (pillars)....give the SH a little more room. But the Icon is sure as hell looks better than that wall to the east (Riverside Hotel) regardless who close or far away it is.

[Complex01]

Hmm intresting design. Looks very jungley at the base...

[UrbanImpact]

Originally Posted by Complex01

Hmm intresting design. Looks very jungley at the base...

Very true....but i'm glad they are going with the "jungley" theme rather than the fake mediteranean theme that is repeated all too much in South Florida. It is a semi tropical climate after all down here.

[Urbannizer]

Update..

Originally Posted by The Real Deal

Related’s Icon Las Olas finally moves forward

The Related Group is confident its 15-year battle with the City of Fort Lauderdale and historic Stranahan House over the 42-story Icon Las Olas project is in the past.

Related vice president Patrick Campbell told the Sun-Sentinel the company expects to advance the 272-unit, $250 million complex this year. The project in the 500 block of East Las Olas Boulevard would include a public plaza connecting the Las Olas entertainment district with the Riverwalk along the New River. Even Stranahan House representatives are on board with the development these days.

Full Article: http://therealdeal.com/miami/blog/20...moves-forward/

[chris08876]

Note: Will be the tallest in Fort Lauderdale. Also, this is an old project that is coming back. Should of started construction in 2009 but it was derailed for the meantime. Most likely the recession.

Renderings:

[...]

The 272 units will be at the site of the former Hyde Park Market, ready for its first residents in late 2016 or early 2017.

Of course, for a project that had its original roots in 1999, there have been changes along the way. While originally intended to open as a condo, it may ultimately become high-end rental apartments. Depending on market conditions, Related Group may convert them to condos at a future point.

Fort Lauderdale had approved the project way back in December 2005, even when the housing boom was ending. The next door historical Stranahan House supporters weren't ready to accept the project as a neighbor, pursuing contrarian legal action to convert the site to a national park. But they didn't get to cover much ground; the case to convert was dismissed by an appeals court in 2011, and the project stalled during the housing market collapse.

When prices bottomed out in 2012, the market took a turn back toward increased construction. And Icon is now benefitting from the latest building boom. And from the conditions in Miami.

[...]

Property Info:

PROPERTY FEATURES:

* Tallest building in downtown Ft. Lauderdale
* Located on the New River and the Riverwalk
* Amenities on the 8th floor
* Oval swimming pool
* Club and party room
* Fitness center
* Bamboo garden and water fountain on pool deck
* Jacuzzi on the roof
* 15,000 sq. ft. of retail and restaurant space
* 7-story secured parking garage
* Pet-friendly building


SPECIAL FEATURES:

* Beautiful plaza with a musical fountain
* World-class spa with private Pilates studio and massage room
* Large oval infinity edge pool
* Wine cellar with lockers
* 24 hour valet and concierge
* Special views of the New River, Ft. Lauderdale and the Atlantic
* Ocean from impact resistant glass windows and spacious balconies
* Top-of-the-line appliances
* Imported Italian cabinets
* Granite counter tops
* Spa tub and separate shower with seamless glass door
* Elegant smooth 9 ft or 10 ft ceilings
* Smart building technology
* Two walk-in closets in most plans

==================================
http://www.hotpreconstruction.com/?a...nav=4&region=2
http://miami.curbed.com/archives/201...egin-again.php

[Busy Bee]

Great news!

[UrbanImpact]

It's about time! Hopefully one day we can get something taller than 500ft in Fort Lauderdale. Broward County alone has over 1.5 million people.