Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Margate to start again on its downtown plans
Margate has rejected an effort from a developer to turn a vacant plot of land into a downtown of nearly 1,000 apartments and a shopping district.
City commissioners, acting as members of the Community Redevelopment Agency, directed their attorney in May to kill the contract with New Urban Communities. On Wednesday night, they rejected the site plan that called for 922 units.
“We own the property, we’re in great shape,” Mayor Tommy Ruzzano said Thursday. The city’s plan now is to start all over from scratch, with a scaleddown version that will bring less traffic to State Road 7.
The downtown has been a conversation piece since 2004. The city has spent more than $30 million for 36 acres since then in preparation for a bustling destination place.
Last year, the commission had signed off on a plan to build its first downtown, a city center of 968 apartments, 100,000 square feet of retail and restaurants, a hotel and an amphitheater — all along or within walking distance of State Road 7.
After the November election, newly elected commissioners feared the project was too dense for the roadway. So earlier this year they agreed — and the developers consented — to go forward with 750 residential units.
That meant 316 of the units would be built on the east side of State Road 7, and the remaining units west of the highway.
“We agreed to 750, the [city] changed its mind a week later,” said Michael Moskowitz, attorney for New Urban Communities, who took the first steps for a legal battle Wednesday night. Moskowitz went to Wednesday’s meeting with a letter giving notice of its intent to sue.
Ruzzano said he envisioned a plan without residential entirely on the east side of the street.
“We heard from residents — they want more open space, shopping, dining, a promenade where you can park, a nice downtown,” Ruzzano said.
But Commissioner Lesa “Le” Peerman said the project as planned would have been good for Margate.
“Our residents want a place to go. They want a place to go eat, a place to go hang out,” she said. “Working in partnership we could have gotten that. Who [a developer] is going to want to come into our city now? Would you sign an agreement with them?”