Thank you to Commissioner Caryl Shuham for writing a letter to city manager Wazir Ishmael, pointing out that this 30 story condo proposal is not in the best interests of the city. Here is her letter:  

City Manager (Wishmael@hollywoodfl.org),

My job as a City Commissioner is to thoroughly understand proposals that come before the Commission, ask informed and tough questions, listen carefully to community input, and then make decisions that I believe are in the best interests of District 1 and the City of Hollywood, now and for the future. Related’s P3 proposal is of unique importance to District 1 residents. Accordingly, I have spent countless hours talking and corresponding with hundreds of residents. Based on these constituent discussions, it is evident that this proposal lacks any significant public support.

Further, after listening to the presentation on 8/25/21, I’ve concluded that the Related proposal is not in the best interests of District 1 or of the City as a whole. District 1 residents are unwilling to exchange a 99-year lease and 30-story condominium on valuable, beach front property for the revenues offered by the developer.

What has become abundantly clear throughout this process is that the Hollywood Beach Culture & Community Center is in need of prompt replacement. As indicated in staff’s email of 8/23/21 and as stated by you on 8/25/21, the facility is “at the end of its useful life.” Before Covid, this was an extremely busy center with onsite Broward County Library facilities. It is a lifeline for District 1’s many seniors and the meeting place for the City’s largest, most engaged civic associations.

Though I understand Related’s P3 proposal is one way to get a new community center, I cannot agree that it is the best way for Hollywood. From the first discussion of this proposal, I asked Related and staff to bring back to the Commission a redesign with building heights lower than the neighboring structures. It was my hope that we might find a plan that would fit better within the surrounding neighborhood.

At our 3/17/21 Commission meeting, Related expressly committed to provide an analysis to the Commission showing the financial impact of every floor if eliminated in a revised design. Unfortunately, despite my repeated requests since that meeting, that information has not been presented. If it had been, we might have seen that a 5-story boutique condo building fronting A1A would allow for a fantastic community center to be provided to the residents at no additional expense to the City.

While I do not oppose P3 proposals as means to obtain important public benefits, the Related proposal is simply too intense for the site in question. I request staff immediately consider other ways to fund this urgently needed replacement community center through grants (possibly with matching CRA funds) and other means.

Let’s work together to create a magnificent, updated, state of the art community center without an excessively large residential tower that in no way belongs on this property.

Thanks,

Caryl

Caryl S. Shuham
Commissioner, District 1
City of Hollywood

CShuham@hollywoodfl.org 

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER CARYL SHUHAM. 

PLEASE JOIN US AT CITY HALL ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 FROM 4:30 PM UNTIL 6:30 PM, OUTSIDE, EAST SIDE. WE WILL HAVE A PEACEFUL, FAMILY-FRIENDLY DEMONSTRATION. SIGNS ARE HELPFUL, BUT NOT NECESSARY. IT'S OK TO SHOW UP LATE ON YOUR WAY HOME FROM WORK. 

THERE WILL ALSO BE CITIZEN COMMENTS AT 5 PM INSIDE CITY HALL, 2ND FLOOR, FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO SPEAK DIRECTLY TO THE CITY COMMISSION. YOU WILL HAVE TO PRE-REGISTER AT HOLLYWOODFL.ORG TO GET INTO CITY HALL TO MAKE IN-PERSON COMMENTS AT 5 PM. YOU ARE ALLOWED A MAXIMUM OF 3 MINUTES TO SPEAK. 

City commission: 954.921.3321

EMAILS TO STATE YOUR OPPOSITION TO THIS 347 FOOT CONDO (99 year lease) ON OUR PUBLIC LAND: 

AGruber@hollywoodfl.org, JLevy@hollywoodfl.org, CShuham@hollywoodfl.org, Wishmael@hollywoodfl.org, TCallari@hollywoodfl.org, LSherwood@hollywoodfl.org, LAnderson@hollywoodfl.org, KBiederman@hollywoodfl.org

You can make your statement short and sweet, if you like, and say that despite the "enhancements," "amenities," "benefits," and "improvements," you oppose the Related Group's proposal for a 99 year lease and 30 story condo on our beach property. Thank you!