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Carefree Development Project Update Overview
Carefree Development Project Update Overview
Through input from our neighbors, surrounding businesses, and City staff, the redesigned Carefree Theater now includes significantly smaller versions of the El Flamingo and El Cordova buildings. The Carefree Theater’s design style draws inspiration from Mizner and surrounding historic neighborhood buildings rich in Mediterranean revival architectural vocabulary, with arched openings at street level and a variety of balconies, pergolas, and towers on the upper levels.
The project meets setbacks, height, and scale of the surrounding buildings along U.S. Highway 1. The ground floor activities and the movie theater will help to activate the U.S. 1 corridor and create a focal point between Downtown, the new Norton Museum, and the Southern Boulevard district specialized shopping area. The Northern building, El Flamingo, is now a 5-story building including an arthouse multiplex with 6 screens and a total of 600 seats, two 4,500 SF restaurants, five two- story townhouses and 27 apartments on the upper three floors. The roof top provides for a clubhouse, pool and terrace surrounded by pergolas offering views to the intercoastal and city. All necessary parking is accommodated within the Carefree property in a 2-story underground garage.
The Southern building, El Cordova, now a four-story building, provides 12,000 SF of retail space on the ground floor and 26 apartments on the upper three floors with a small clubhouse and pool terrace on the 4th floor. This building parking is also provided by a 2-story underground garage.
The Carefree will once again become a true gem to the neighborhood as it will create new jobs, attract international renowned textile designers, adding to the flavor and success of antique row, and the arthouse theaters will expand the cultural options and amenities for residents and the surrounding communities.
We have submitted our application to the City for approval. It will go before the planning and zoning board on November 17th. It is then scheduled to go before the City Commission for approval on January 11th, 2021 or shortly thereafter. Please email questions and comments to thecarefreetheatre@gmail.com.
Interested in showing your support for the Carefree Theater Project? Register Your Support
Project Highlights
Compatible with S. Dixie Corridor uses
Compatible with S. Dixie Corridor uses
Positive contribution to streetscape
Enhances local cultural arts district
Provides uses for walkable neighborhood
Project Concessions After Community Input
- Reduced height from 97’ to 71.8’
- Decreased side interior setback from 129 feet to 83.6 feet.
- Increased open space from 25% to 33%.
- Decreased Lot Coverage from 82% to 67%.
- Decreased Theater seats from 800 to 600.
- Eliminated decorative feature height exception waiver
- Eliminated Side Setback waiver
- Eliminated Maximum FAR waiver
- Eliminated waiver for screening and landscaping vehicular use areas
- Reduced the FAR from 2.5 to 1.5
- Reduced density from 97 units to 58 units
- Agreed to 8’ privacy wall for neighbors, with additional landscaping
- Decreased commercial development from 57,355 SF to 37,799 SF
- Decreased overall development from 191,253 SF to 117,836 SF
- Decreased daily traffic trips from 2,977 to 2,120
- Exceed required parking on site without shared parking allowance
- Increased buffer material along east property line at neighborhood request
- Match streetscape on Flamingo Dr at neighborhood request
- Demolished old blighted Carefree Theater building
- Cleaned up adjacent crime ridden single family structure
Next Steps
Tuesday, November 17th | 6:00 PM
Planning and Zoning Board Public Hearing
City of West Palm Beach City Hall
401 Clematis Street | West Palm Beach, FL 33401
(Virtual Attendance is an Option)
Monday, January 11th, 2021 | 5:00 PM
City Commission Public Hearing
City of West Palm Beach City Hall
401 Clematis Street | West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Please email questions and comments to thecarefreetheatre@gmail.com.
Contact
Email: thecarefreetheatre@gmail.com.
Call: Ann Marie Sorrell, The Mosaic Group, 561-651-9565
