Dozens of Hollywood Beach neighbors packed into a Broward County Planning Council meeting Thursday, turning a routine land-use item into a full-throated protest over a proposed condo tower of more than 20 stories on a slice of public beachfront along South Ocean Drive. The parcel, which now holds the community center and a small park, should stay public, opponents argued, warning that a high rise would crank up crowding and flood risk on the barrier island.
During the meeting, county staff pulled historical land-use maps from 1977 and 1989 and told the panel that the site is designated "community," a category that would block high-rise housing. City officials pushed back, saying the property is effectively treated as residential and that the redevelopment should move ahead, according to WPLG Local 10.
City already has a public-private deal
The fight is unfolding on top of a deal the city approved in 2022. That year, the City of Hollywood signed a comprehensive agreement with PRH 1301 S Ocean Drive LLC, a subsidiary of The Related Group, to redevelop the parcel at 1301 S. Ocean Drive under a long-term ground lease, according to city meeting records. The Legistar file for the resolution and its attached agreements detail the ground lease, easements and the developer's commitments to a new community center and park upgrades as part of the public‑private partnership; see City of Hollywood meeting documents.
What residents and officials are saying
Opponents say the tradeoff, a developer-built community center and park improvements in exchange for a long-term lease of public land, is not worth a tall tower. Reporting by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel notes that the developer has revised renderings and unit counts in recent months, but critics still warn of rising density, evacuation‑zone risk and the loss of public beachfront. "I just hate this project," activist Ann Ralston told the commission, per the Sun-Sentinel.
Where the decision goes next
The Broward County Planning Council's review of the land-use maps is advisory, so any county-level change would still have to go before the Broward County Commission. The city's land‑use amendment for the 1301 S. Ocean Drive parcel has already appeared on City Commission agendas, according to the council's materials and city meeting listings, which means additional votes and hearings could follow before any construction begins. Broward County Planning Council and City of Hollywood meeting listings.
Why neighbors say they'll keep fighting
For many opponents, the issue goes beyond zoning details. Previous reporting described ballot confusion over a past measure and political fallout that left residents skeptical of how the city handles public land. That history, along with the fact the redevelopment would rise where Harry Berry Park and the Hollywood Beach Culture & Community Center now sit, has helped galvanize an ongoing campaign to block the tower. Florida Bulldog.
