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Vol. VIII No. 7 • MARCH 2009 • www.hollywoodgazette.com
IN THIS ISSUE Brazil hits the beach Mar. 20 ‘Brazil on the Beach’ is a three-day celebration of Brazilian music and sports on Hollywood Beach from March 20-22.
City gives green light to move forward with ‘Block 55’ project
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bald is beautiful Why are Downtown CRA Deputy Director Lisa Liotta and other brave souls shaving their heads in public at Mickey Byrne’s on March 14?
FIND OUT ON PAGE 10
no more excuses - IT’S FREE! Synergize! is offering a FREE 12-week program replete with exercise and education to shape up Hollywood and benefit a local charity.
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free subscriptions If you enjoy this newspaper and would like a FREE subscription mailed to your home or office, subscribe online at www. hollywoodgazette. com or call us at 954-926-6662.
The Block 55, LLC project will include 424 residential units, 70,000 square feet of retail space, green building features, a 300 foot setback from 17th Avenue for the Tower, demolition and replacement of the rental apartment property known as the Town House, a state-of-the-art grocery store, and onsite parking for and in excess of 1,000 residential and retail vehicles. The plan also includes a 25-story height on 9% of the property, a mixed use design, and proposed amenity deck on the 8th floor including a retail shopping and a covered pedestrian walkway rounding the entire block acting as a pedestrian link between the ArtsPark and the City’s golf course on 17th Avenue.
Supporters have high hopes for new hi-rise to clean up blight on the circle by Laura Burdick-Sherman Senior Correspondent
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money-saving offers inside!
IN EVERY ISSUE PET OF THE MONTH................6 Baby of the Month.............18 dining review......................22 Hollywood crossword......24 Calendar of Events ......23,25
Despite a room replete with red-shirted protestors, in a 5 to 2 vote, City Commissioners recently gave local developer Charles (Chip) R. Abele of Southern Facilities, LLC, the green light to develop downtown parcel known as ‘Block 55.’ And that’s good news to the project’s supporters. “As a 32 year resident, I feel like it’s a great project. It might be too high, but that corner looks like the past,” said Audrey Joynt, past and founding president of the
The Miami-based architect firm Cohen Freedman Encinosa and Associates, PA are preparing the designs for the Block 55 Project. Plans include putting in a new state-of-the-art Publix and tearing down the existing Publix at the adjacent block.
in the creation of construction from city-hired Miami-based Hollywood Beach Business jobs for local workers. consultant Bernard Zyscovich Association. Joynt also serves on the Hollywood “In view if the present Architects. economic situation, and the Mayor Peter Bober Beach Slum and Blight non-existence of employment and Commissioner Heidi Removal Committee. “We’re getting a lot in Hollywood and the O’Sheehan voted against it surrounding cities, the Liberia at the recent city commission accomplished on the Beach meeting. and to see this project get rid Civic Association supports the initiative,” said Graham. “Why wouldn’t the city of the slum and blight on the Dissenters had hoped the of Hollywood wait until the circle would be a great way for the city to move forward.” project would not be heard at $200,000 guidelines from the February 18th meeting, Zyscovich are completed The Block 55, LLC contending that any project before approving any more Project is a proposed mixed use development on the on the unsightly property projects?” said Hollywood should wait for guidelines blighted site of the former ‘Block 55’ cont. on pg. 26 Greyhound Bus Station and Town House Apartments in Postmaster: Time sensitive material. Please deliver by march 1. downtown Hollywood. 3363 sheridan st. suite 209 Henry Graham, president Hollywood, FL 33021 of the Liberia Civic and Homeowner’s Association joins in the chorus of support for moving ahead quickly with the development of the site. In weighing the pros and cons of the project, the tipping point for Graham lies