Florida residents are in court over a cemetery’s future
Every morning, Elijah Wooten walks through the Westview Community Cemetery. On this particular morning, he’s wearing a loose polo shirt, slacks and a Korean War Veteran cap pulled down over his gray hair. The hair spills out from underneath the hat and runs down as sideburns. He walks across the unkempt field of the cemetery, […]
Live Local Act Changes ‘Favorable To Developers’ Approved, But Battles Likely To Rage On
The Florida Legislature passed broad changes to its year-old affordable housing law, closing what many developers and land use attorneys saw as loopholes that allowed local governments to block projects while adding more rules that municipalities could potentially leverage to hold back projects. The Florida House of Representatives passed the changes by a 112-1 vote […]
“Beneficial to developers”: Florida Legislature approves tweaks to Live Local Act
Amendments loosen floor area ratio restrictions for projects with affordable rentals Florida lawmakers approved changes to the Live Local Act that are expected to benefit developers planning affordable housing projects. The state House on Wednesday passed a slew of tweaks with a 112-1 vote, three weeks after the Senate first approved the changes. The legislation won’t […]
Newly amended Live Local Act bill heads to state Senate for a vote
Among the proposed amendments are tax abatements for landlords and parking breaks for projects near train stations. Tax abatements for landlords and parking breaks for projects near train stations are among the provisions of an amended Live Local Act bill headed to the Florida Senate for a vote. The SB 328 bill was proposed by […]
Florida’s Live Local Act Has People Picking Sides
Developers love the affordable housing law — the first of its kind in the nation — for the same reasons that local officials are starting to loathe it. Even its critics think Florida’s Live Local Act is working. In fact, they think it’s working too well. Local politicians are concerned that the new state law […]
Tall Tower Tussles
Florida’s new law promotes affordable housing. Local leaders hate it. South Florida’s got an affordable housing shortage. And why wouldn’t it? An unprecedented migration of wealth and business has flowed into the state, sending demand for homes and rentals soaring — as well as prices. Developers are exuberant, building ever more lavish and pricey units […]
A Texas Win In Takings Dispute ‘Could Have A Chilling Effect’
While U.S. Supreme Court justices may very well overturn a lower court ruling in a Texas takings dispute, a decision in favor of the state could open the floodgates for states across the country to avoid making payments in alleged takings disputes, experts say. Justices earlier this week heard oral arguments in Devillier v. Texas, […]
Developers Clamor to Build Along South Florida’s Passenger Rail Lines
‘We’re still seeing a lot of demand to be close to a Brightline station.’ South Florida’s intercity passenger train service was barely two years old when the COVID-19 pandemic suspended operations for 20 months. That pause in Brightline service hasn’t derailed developers determined to build projects near train stations. “We’ve sold several sites that are […]
Proposed Live Local Act amendments would remove industrial, restrict height bonuses
The Live Local Act has been hailed by some developers and economists as a means of encouraging the development of more affordable housing. A Miami-Dade state senator has proposed a series of amendments, some of which will limit or restrict developers’ ability to utilize the zoning benefits of the Live Local Act. State Senator Alexis […]
Workforce housing units coming to Delray Beach
Flo will have 116 units with 23 designated to workforce housing A new multi-family development is in the works in Delray Beach that will provide workforce housing units. It’s called the Flo and will have a total of 116 units with 23 designated to workforce housing. DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — A new multi-family development is […]
What They’re Saying About South Florida Real Estate
Law360 (December 21, 2023, 5:58 PM EST) — As the year closes, Law360 Real Estate Authority checked in with attorneys, developers, brokers and other professionals for their views on what 2023 meant for the South Florida market and what they are anticipating for 2024. The region was not spared economic headwinds that swept the nation, […]
Self Storage Facing Multiple Headwinds Including Softening Demand
Declines in mobility and existing home sales leading to more normalized metrics. Softening demand that is mirroring migration and home sales trends has led to continued negative rent growth for the self storage sector, according to Yardi Matrix’s National Self Storage Report for October 2023. Street rates fell month-over-month in September and year-over-year. That Minneapolis […]
Out with the Old
Coming in 2027: The St. Regis Residences, Sunny Isles Beach, Miami, a two-tower luxury condominium on Collins Avenue. Under development by Fortune International Group and Chateau Group, the project will rise just 5.4 miles from the Surfside site where Champlain Towers collapsed. With prices starting at $5.1 million, the St. Regis is situated on 4.7 […]
18-story Live Local Act project planned in Hollywood Beach. Here are the plans.
A block and a half of low-rise hotels along the beach in Hollywood could be redeveloped into an 18-story mixed-use project through the state’s new Live Local Act. The city’s Technical Advisory Committee will consider the proposal from New York-based Condra Property Group, led by Allen Konstam, on Sept. 18. It concerns 3.33 acres at […]
Developer proposes apartments in Boca Raton through Live Local Act
The apartments would be developed on an office site. The owner of a Boca Raton office building wants to build apartments in the parking lot through Florida’s new Live Local Act. MPF Vanderbilt Boca Property II LLC, an affiliate of Macquarie Capital in New York, filed plans for the 11.8-acre Boca Center site at 1800 […]
Land near Orlando Executive Airport eyed for new apartments inspired by Live Local Act
Florida’s still-new Live Local Act incentivizes developers to build workforce and affordable housing through zoning bypasses and tax benefits. Newly filed plans reveal a Nashville developer is eyeing a project inspired by Florida’s still-new Live Local Act near Orlando Executive Airport. Elmington, a commercial real estate investment, development, construction and property management firm, is behind […]
City to consider company’s plan to build marina with tiki bar in Broward County
A new tiki bar and marina is being proposed at the site of the former Wilshire Marina in Hollywood. Hollywood’s technical review committee is scheduled to review Oceanside Marine, LLC’s plans to redevelop the 1.32-acre property on Sept. 5. The site is located at 2308 N. Ocean Drive along the Intracoastal Waterway. The project, called […]
Florida’s Live Local Act inspires new UCF-area development in east Orlando. Here’s what to know.
A new project proposed near the University of Central Florida appears to be the first Orlando-area development directly inspired by Florida’s new Live Local Act. An application filed July 7 on behalf of Palm Beach Gardens-based Eastwind Development seeks to discuss developing the 14.1-acre property at 10850 E. Colonial Drive as a multifamily project. The […]
Condo safety law sparked by Surfside collapse may force owners out
Following the Surfside collapse, condominium owners across Florida feared their building could be next, so state lawmakers passed new building restrictions last year. But some experts worry that the new law could force owners out of their homes if they can’t pay for multimillion renovations. Why it matters: Florida’s Building Safety Act, which Surfside victims’ families lobbied […]
A petty, costly tale of two Broward cities
By Francisco Alvarado, FloridaBulldog.org After nearly a decade, a petty feud between Pembroke Pines and Southwest Ranches involving a metal gate blocking a street near Griffin Road appears to be over. During that time, only first responders and some Pembroke Pines residents could pass through Southwest 207th Terrace and 54th Place without impediment. Townsfolk and […]