Wednesday, April 22, 2015

The Bristol Will Rise: construction at former Chapel by the Lake site begins

No surprise here. Remember this was a 5–0 vote at the West Palm Beach city commission and the project had broad support from the city. There were even voices from the Town of Palm Beach concerned that their municipal neighbor, West Palm, was acting irresponsibly. The Citizens for Thoughtful Growth who opposed the project had their web page and Facebook page, got a lot of friendly press and TV interviews, there must be a manual out there, it has become all so predictable. Act 1, scene 2. . .

Anyhow, the show is over and here is the final act, from The Palm Beach Post's Alexandra Clough and Tony Doris is this report titled, "Citizens group drops suit against Chapel by Lake condo, in settlement":
     The developer of proposed 25-story condo on the former Chapel by the Lake site has settled the lawsuit by opponents Citizens for Thoughtful Growth and plans to start construction by the end of the year.     According to the developer, Flagler investors, the settlement clears the way for design and construction of the tower, to be called the Bristol, just south of downtown West Palm Beach along the Intracoastal Waterway, at 1112 S. Flagler Drive.     Neither side would disclose how much the developer paid the group to dismiss the suit and end all legal sparring between the group, the developer and the city, which approved the development plans. A spokesman for West Palm Beach, Elliot Cohen, said the city did not participate in the negotiations or contribute to the settlement.     “We were looking at a year-and-a-half to two years of litigation, and in development, time is money,” Flagler attorney Michael Burman said Tuesday. “Now we get to build our building. Right now.”