After six years in planning, the Atlantic Village Hotel & Marina complex is set to begin construction, bringing a new resort-style waterfront luxury hotel to Broward County.
Encompassing nearly one million square feet overall, the Atlantic Village complex is planned to also include a 12-story, 130,000-square-foot Class 'A' office tower, and incorporate an existing 80-boat-slip marina. The 10-acre site is located on the Dania Waterway, at the crossroads of Interstate 95 and Griffin Road, just south of Fort Lauderdale International Airport.
The 12-story luxury hotel is designed for 419 suites, a 3,000-square-foot European spa, restaurants, night club, 18,000 square feet of ballroom, meeting and pre-function space, and a parking garage. An Island Pavilion in the middle of the Marina, surrounded by water, will be a highlight.
Award-winning architect Charles Sieger of the Sieger Suarez Architectural Partnership of Miami, the firm largely responsible for the architectural rebirth of South Beach and Sunny Isles, designed the Atlantic Village complex.
Atlantic Village Vice President Peter Gustafson said agreements with the hotel's operator are to be announced within the next few weeks. Suffolk Construction, whose notable South Florida projects include Fort Lauderdale's Las Olas Riverhouse, Met 2 Office and Hotel, the Miami Airport Marriott, and Esplanade Grande in downtown West Palm Beach, has been awarded the construction contract.
The Atlantic Village Marina was subject to a complex approval process, due to its location at the southwest tip of Fort Lauderdale International Airport's runway 9R and adjacent 80-boat slip marina. It required 17 different FAA and FDOT permits and aeronautical and environmental studies prior to issuance of the building permits.
'We view this as an opportunity to create an exceptional destination, designed to take advantage of a tropical waterfront setting and this unique urban location,' said architect Sieger.
Dania Beach Mayor Anne Castro said the City is pleased that the project is moving into the development phase. 'Atlantic Village Marina will bring numerous economic benefits, including high skilled, high paying jobs, and is in alignment with the City's plans to increase the marine industry presence within our City. In addition, this project will ensure the City receives recognition as a location for high quality development. With a hotel of this stature, an office tower that can draw new businesses to Dania, and the reopening of the marina, it will put Dania Beach in the spotlight,' she said.
With the passenger growth at Fort Lauderdale's international airport, Atlantic Village aims to cater to upscale business travelers and at build-out, is projected to generate millions in annual tax revenues for the City of Dania Beach. The existing marina, which can accommodate boats up to 50-feet, has been entirely rebuilt in anticipation of the new development, and will reopen with completion of the hotel. The improvements include new teak docks, engineered corrugated aluminum seawalls and state-of-the-art boat pedestals. The City recently voted to increase the height of the U.S. I/Old Griffin Road bridge from 14 to 22 feet, which will allow larger boats to access the Marina.
The Sieger Suarez firm has garnered over 500 awards for architectural excellence. Its noteworthy accomplishments include the new St. Regis in Bal Harbor and South Beach projects including Icon, Murano Grande, Apogee, Continuum Two, and the Portifino Tower opposite Joe's Stone Crab. In Sunny Isles and Aventura, Sieger also designed the Pinnacle, Trump Grand Resort, Ocean 1-4 Towers, Hidden Bay and Mystic Pointe.
Suffolk Construction, whose Southeast Region is led by President and General Manager, Rex B. Kirby, is ranked on Forbes magazine's list of America's largest private companies. It is the largest commercial construction management firm headquartered in Palm Beach County, fourth biggest in South Florida and eighth overall in Florida. The company provides high-level preconstruction, construction management, design/build and general contracting services, employs more than 200 experienced construction professionals, and has a substantial project portfolio in a diverse range of sectors, including biomedical, education, retail, residential, healthcare, hospitality, commercial, and public works. The company has regional offices in Miami, Sarasota and Orlando.