Back to the primary issue of the day: the selection of the architectural team that will prepare the design and construction documents to rehab the building.
To really appreciate the nitty-gritty related to the firms, their qualifications and approaches, you have to suspend consideration of the following factors:
- The city is being sued for breach of contract related to a previous public/private partnership to redevelop the beach. The court has not dismissed the suit, even when asked to do so by the city. The lawsuit could result in damages being paid by the city in the range of $40 million. The city's annual general fund budget is about $33 million.
- No permanent funding source for the rehabilitation of the casino building has been identified. According to the city manager, funding of architectural services will come from the beach reserve fund. That fund may have about $1.2 million in it, but some of it is already encumbered through commitments to Kimley-Horn, the civil engineer for the beach property redevelopment.
- Current tenant leases are way below market; how much so is yet to be determined. A market analysis is underway, but I am suspicious about the objectivity of the report expected out in about three weeks. Don't ask me why I am suspicious specifically. All I can tell you is that I have been around long enough to know what to expect. The degree to which tenants' lease rates will be raised by this commission is in question. Will they ultimately be high enough to support payment of a revenue bond, or at least a substantial portion?
- There is still the perception that this is the tenants' building and not a building owned by the taxpaying citizens of Lake Worth - this paradigm shift has to take place before the previous issue is resolved.
- All of the respondents talked about the requirement that the building be brought up to current code, or the soon to be revised building code, standards. One of those is related to accessibility and ADA requirements. No one has done an analysis of how much space will lost by expanding or creating new ADA accessible bathrooms in particular. The minimum "clear area" radius requirements eat up a lot of space that may be currently being used for restaurant seating or retail floor space. Some of the improvements may render some tenant spaces difficult to fully utilize. This should be a consideration during the market study.
- Other sources of funding for a bond issue include the possibility of pay parking lots in our existing downtown. Think of the policy implications of this. The city would be using revenue from downtown parking lots, which their very existence may deter people from visiting downtown businesses. Those businesses lease space from private sector property owners at market rates. Money from these pay parking lots would then go to support a bond to improve a public building with private tenants that may or may not have a market rate structure. Anyone else see the problem with this?
- This process will be used as window dressing for the incumbents running for re-election this November. As to how much tangible progress this represents is left for debate.
- The city has a thirty-five year record of inaction as it relates to beach redevelopment. That record does not inspire confidence.
- We should understand that the estimates of construction/project costs by any of the teams are VERY preliminary and will have little relation to the final figure.
- Regardless of who does the project or when it's done, it remains a very challenging one. Municipalities that have their collective "poop in a group" would find it difficult. How our city, which can't claim any prize of bureaucratic efficiency, will actually be able to pull this one off is a question worthy of asking.
All that being said, we can acknowledge that this 19 acre property is the city's flagship public property. Given its status, it deserves an ICONIC statement about what the city of Lake Worth represents as its highest ideals. It was clear during the presentations on this past Saturday that there are three paths the city can choose in creating a building worthy of icon status. One would emphasize green building techniques, one would stress historic preservation and the other could combine elements of both.
Of the six, there are three architectural teams that I believe are capable of delivering the sort of iconic statement that needs to be made at this property, in no order of importance: Beilinson/Gomez, Living Designs Group and REG.
Beilinson/Gomez comes with a lot of historic preservation experience and presented a very literal approach that melds the 1949 design we see today with a recreation of the original 1922 design. Linking the two is a modern element from the current day which symbolically says we did this on purpose. It clearly demonstrates the progression of design and building philosophies over the span of the 20th Century. They were also the only ones to secure documentation from the State Historic Preservation Office regarding which period would be deserving of a potential designation as a national historic landmark - the current 1949 design. (I am expecting a copy of that letter and will post it when it comes through.)
It was funny. On Saturday, after the presentations, I was talking to someone who came later in the day and she asked me which one or ones that I was leaning towards. When I identified this approach, she said that she didn't like it, that it "makes the city look schizophrenic." And I responded, "You don't think this city is schizophrenic?" Both of us had a nice laugh acknowledging that pretty much represents Lake Worth. 'Nuf said.
The other iconic path the city would pursue would be a cutting-edge example in environmentally sustainable development. That would be best achieved by Living Designs Group. This is a complete break from the past and would say that the city of Lake Worth is all about the future. That future is making sure that the built environment will better co-exist with the larger biosphere that supports life on earth. It could serve as a redevelopment model for Lake Worth and lead the way for other communities as well. A significant amount of grant dollars could be brought forth to help fund the project and, in the process, bring other national and international stakeholders into support of the building's ultimate success.
My bet for the best hybrid version - a mix of the two - would be REG. Rick Gonzalez would also have the potential to orchestrate and bring private money into the project. This is something that really has not been considered to date and its importance shouldn't be discounted.
But, a caveat, since we are doing this a little backwards, with the public input coming after the selection of the architect, what ultimately will be built may be completely different than what is represented in renderings. That's why Mayor Varela pointed out that the skill that will be most important in who the city selects will be the ability to be flexible. So whoever our elected officials can guess would bring this trait to the project will probably get the contract. That is something that you usually learn about after you get started, so good luck to y'all in making that determination.
Reminder: The meeting is scheduled for tomorrow morning, April 13, at 8:30 a.m. Internet audio should be available for the meeting.
Of the six, there are three architectural teams that I believe are capable of delivering the sort of iconic statement that needs to be made at this property, in no order of importance: Beilinson/Gomez, Living Designs Group and REG.
Beilinson/Gomez comes with a lot of historic preservation experience and presented a very literal approach that melds the 1949 design we see today with a recreation of the original 1922 design. Linking the two is a modern element from the current day which symbolically says we did this on purpose. It clearly demonstrates the progression of design and building philosophies over the span of the 20th Century. They were also the only ones to secure documentation from the State Historic Preservation Office regarding which period would be deserving of a potential designation as a national historic landmark - the current 1949 design. (I am expecting a copy of that letter and will post it when it comes through.)
It was funny. On Saturday, after the presentations, I was talking to someone who came later in the day and she asked me which one or ones that I was leaning towards. When I identified this approach, she said that she didn't like it, that it "makes the city look schizophrenic." And I responded, "You don't think this city is schizophrenic?" Both of us had a nice laugh acknowledging that pretty much represents Lake Worth. 'Nuf said.
The other iconic path the city would pursue would be a cutting-edge example in environmentally sustainable development. That would be best achieved by Living Designs Group. This is a complete break from the past and would say that the city of Lake Worth is all about the future. That future is making sure that the built environment will better co-exist with the larger biosphere that supports life on earth. It could serve as a redevelopment model for Lake Worth and lead the way for other communities as well. A significant amount of grant dollars could be brought forth to help fund the project and, in the process, bring other national and international stakeholders into support of the building's ultimate success.
My bet for the best hybrid version - a mix of the two - would be REG. Rick Gonzalez would also have the potential to orchestrate and bring private money into the project. This is something that really has not been considered to date and its importance shouldn't be discounted.
But, a caveat, since we are doing this a little backwards, with the public input coming after the selection of the architect, what ultimately will be built may be completely different than what is represented in renderings. That's why Mayor Varela pointed out that the skill that will be most important in who the city selects will be the ability to be flexible. So whoever our elected officials can guess would bring this trait to the project will probably get the contract. That is something that you usually learn about after you get started, so good luck to y'all in making that determination.
Reminder: The meeting is scheduled for tomorrow morning, April 13, at 8:30 a.m. Internet audio should be available for the meeting.
![Dr. W. H. Cotton’s ode: “Oh, My Lake Worth, Florida!” [circa 1920].](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yhHyCn84ZIQ/WezjlEL-0tI/AAAAAAAAPZ4/CzkhriK6zpEJJ3d9Je1495d49gIhnMlxACK4BGAYYCw/s1600/LakeWorthPioneers.JPG)
