Hollywood commission approves 30-story Related Group tower on public beach land, 6-1, despite lawsuit

Hollywood commissioners gave final approval this week to a 30-story Related Group project on taxpayer-owned land at 1301 South Ocean Drive, ending a six-year dispute over a contested beachfront site.

The commission voted 6-1 early Thursday morning after a session that began at 1 p.m. Wednesday and ended after 3:30 a.m. Commissioner Caryl Shuham cast the sole dissenting vote, citing the building’s height. The tower is expected to rise 375.4 feet.

The project, called Portofino Hollywood, will include 126 luxury condominiums and 84 workforce housing apartments. Related Group originally proposed a 27-story tower with 111 luxury condos but revised the plan earlier this year to add workforce housing under the Live Local Act, a state law intended to encourage denser development near transit and employment centers.

An amendment to the Live Local Act that took effect in July allows developers to build workforce housing on government-owned land. Hollywood commissioners approved the change in May, allowing the project to bypass local density and height restrictions.

The site currently includes Harry Berry Park and a community center. Four years ago, commissioners approved a 99-year ground lease for the property, a decision that drew repeated protests from residents who argued the public land should remain open space.

Opponents came to City Hall this week to repeat those concerns.

“This is not a good deal for this city. It’s a good deal for the developer,” said longtime resident Cat Uden, who has fought the project since its inception. “You’re adding a 30-story condo tower in a spot that currently has no condos. This is a 99-year lease and one day it will be an island.”

Vice Mayor Traci Callari acknowledged the disagreement before casting her yes vote.

“This has been years of division,” Callari said. “And yet here we are at 3:40 a.m. in the morning, and common ground has still not been reached. Today I’m making the decision to vote yes and move forward because six years has been a long challenging time. It’s time to just move forward. And I guess the courts will make the final decision.”

A lawsuit filed in Broward Circuit Court in June alleges the development violates the city charter and requires voter approval through a referendum. The suit names the city of Hollywood and Miami-based Related Group as defendants.

Sydney Satz, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said the legal challenge remains unresolved.

“The issues pending in that lawsuit are yet to be adjudicated,” Satz said. “This is something that will ultimately have to be decided by a judge.”

A hearing is scheduled for Oct. 28.

Keith Poliakoff, an attorney for Related Group, said he does not expect the lawsuit to block construction.

“It has been fully approved by a 6-1 vote of the commission,” Poliakoff said. “While anyone has a right to challenge any approval, the courts almost always side with the municipality.”

Related Group hopes to break ground within 18 months, once the litigation is resolved, according to Poliakoff.