Fort Lauderdale Realtor

Palazzo Las Olas

Check out nearby Icon Las Olas , where pre-construction prices in an attractive landmark tower are available.

April 14, 2006 Has the final shot been fired in the Palazzo Las Olas war? According to Sun-Sentinel news reports, Broward Circuit Judge Vicor Tobin has dismissed most counts of the developer's $40 million lawsuit, brought to recover profits he would have made if  the city held to their promises and honored the contract they had with him to develop a blighted piece of prime real estate in 2003. The judge still might consider whether the city commission violated the state's Sunshine Law , but for now our guess is that the Palazzo project is not happening, and it will be quite a while before anybody talks about developing all that prime land at the east end of the Las Olas Bridge.

Fort Lauderdale's City Commission caved in to the small and entirely too vocal anti-development crowd opposed  to Palazzo Las Olas, and rejected the project in a 4 to 1 vote on November 5, 2003.    This was in spite of:  - having selected the project nearly three years earlier to occupy, beautify and bring life to public land that is now considered a blighted area.   - the fact that the developer has already spent more than $5 million on the early phases of refining and negotiating details of the proposed development.    - the developer and all the people who have contracted to buy condominium homes at Palazzo believed the city was acting in good faith when it agreed to the project.  The developer has filed a $40 million lawsuit against the city for damages and asked the court to reverse the city's decision to scuttle the project.  This is a lawsuit the city can ill-afford, and this story will continue to unfold in the coming months.

Following information is provided only as background.  It was written in September 2003 and is now useful only as historic reference.  

Palazzo Las Olas is is a $120 million project planned to bring life to an area along the Intracoastal Waterway at the east end of the Las Olas Bridge now occupied by parking lots.  It is proposed to be a low density mixed use development providing a waterfront promenade, over 1000 public parking spaces, 25,000 square feet of retail space and lots more (see below).  Palazzo's 173 luxury residences are spread over four buildings on nine acres.  It is a model of intelligent urban planning and the perfect backdrop to Fort Lauderdale's marina and a magnificent gateway to the beach.  

Palazzo Villas, north of the bridge, is a set of six story buildings in a Mediterranean style reminiscent of Italy's Portofino and Sorrento.   

This is what progressive urban planners have talked about for years, low-density, mixed use development.  Ninety eight condominium residences will be on upper floors and retail space along a ground level pedestrian walkway.  

That walkway will be a public esplanade comparable to Riverwalk, but with views of the mega-yachts at the adjacent city marina, the glittering downtown and glorious sunsets.  

It will include sidewalk cafes as well as fine dining.  A supermarket, drug store, banks and a post office are also part of the plan to make this a real neighborhood as well as an attractive public space for everyone to enjoy just a short walk from the beach.  Palazzo Las Olas will also include over 1000 public parking spaces in easy walking distance to the beach.  

Residents of Palazzo Villas will enjoy Club Palazzo with a full service fitness center, a rooftop swimming pool with poolside lounge. and other luxury amenities.   

Proposed residences range from 1160 interior square foot, one bedroom units to 2500 interior square foot, three bedroom units with three and a half baths.  Every unit has at least one terrace.  Some even have sweeping wrap-terraces of over 1600 square feet.   

Palazzo Tower, will be a mid-rise, triangular 16 story building on the south side of the bridge, also in a Mediterranean style.   It will include its own third floor Club Palazzo overlooking the Intracoastal.  There residents will be pampered with a pool, spa, poolside cabanas as well as a fully featured fitness center, conference rooms, party rooms, catering kitchen and more.  All of the luxury residences in Palazzo Tower are three bedrooms or larger, and range from just over 2400  to an opulent 4240 air conditioned square feet, with some terraces of over 1000 square feet.   Again the luxury features and amenities are too numerous to list here, but what is proposed is what most buyers expect with prices starting in the high six figures. 

The entire complex will provide 173 residences and 25,000 square feet of retail space as well as over 1000 public parking spaces (in addition to resident's private parking).  

All of this in what is proposed to be what the Central Beach Alliance vision called for, a "village that includes a balanced mix of quality retail, entertainment and residential that incorporates well designed open spaces, public facilities"  and a pedestrian friendly environment.   

The award winning architect, Adache Group Architects was established here in 1969 and is headed by Fort Lauderdale resident Daniel E. Adache.  The company was ranked in the top 20 design firms in 2002 by Hotel Motel Management and has a portfolio of noteworthy residential, hotel and resort achievements throughout Florida and the Caribbean.   

Palazzo Las Olas' location should be a showcase of the best of Fort Lauderdale but is now occupied by not much more than open parking lots that the city has regarded as "blighted" for over 15 years.  

Beginning at the Museum of Art, in the middle of downtown East Las Olas Boulevard is Fort Lauderdale's Park Avenue and Rodeo Drive, all rolled into one.  It runs through downtown's glittering new office towers as well as fabulous new luxury hi-rise condominiums like 350 Las Olas.  The Boulevard continues through a beautiful streetscape with a lushly planted median and luxury shopping, galleries, fine dining, sidewalk cafes and more.