Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Hotel, condos, shops proposed for Delray
The project would open a 122-room Aloft brand hotel, 35 luxury condos and nearly 6,300 square feet of shops just blocks from Atlantic Avenue.
There soon may be a new destination to stay, live and shop in downtown Delray Beach.
The new project, known as Samar, would open a 122-room Aloft brand hotel, 35 luxury condos and nearly 6,300 square feet of shops just blocks from Atlantic Avenue.
On Tuesday, commissioners will consider plans for the fourstory project, which would be built on nearly 2 acres on the west side of southbound Federal Highway between Southeast Second and Southeast Third streets.
If approved, Samar’s proposed Aloft Hotel would join downtown Delray hotels, including the Seagate Hotel, Colony Hotel and the newly opened Fairfield Inn and Suites on West Atlantic Avenue. City records show Delray has at least 13 hotels.
According to Aloft Hotel’s website, the opening date is planned for November 2017. Aloft is owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., which is the group behind St. Regis, W Hotels and Sheraton Hotels & Resorts.
Currently, the site contains several homes, shops and offices. City officials said the properties were recently vacated and will be demolished to make way for the development.
The residential portion of the development will include a mixture of one-, two- and three-bedroom units, which will be located on top of the retail spaces. The development also plans to include public gathering spaces. For hotel guests and residents, there will be a pool and a two-story parking garage.
The developers also have agreed to provide a fleet of a bicycles for hotel guests; provide bicycle storage for condo
residents; and offer shuttle services to transport guests and residents to downtown establishments.
The group behind the proposed project is hotel developer Alan Mindel, the managing member of Long Island, N.Y.-based Samar Hospitality. Samar owns five hotels around New York and the name Samar stands for Sam and Mary, Mindel’s parents.
Samar has teamed up with its neighbors in the Osceola Park community and will showcase local artwork produced by local artists along the alley of the development.
The project already has received a site-plan approval from the city on its design. To make the project a reality, the developers need the city to make a few exceptions to its development rules.
Commissioners will consider granting the requests at 6 p.m. Tuesday in City Hall, 100 NW First Ave.