Courtesy of The Shiny Sheet

An Art Moderne architectural style Palm Beach apartment building, the first co-operative apartment building in Florida, was unanimously recommended by the Landmarks Preservation Commission to the Town Council for landmark protection.  This style was also called Streamline Moderne. Modern construction techniques and materials were used.  

It created a clear-cut distinction between old and new Palm Beach.

The four-story Lake Drive Apartments building was designed by midcentury architect Howard Chilton, a native Floridian, and is said to be his best and most effective building, and was completed in 1949. He built 15+ buildings and 700 single family houses in Palm Beach County. 

The style is a late type of Art Deco architecture sometimes emphasizing curving forms, long horizontal lines, low-relief stylized graphics, and nautical elements.  Nautical elements are featured in the balcony railings, porthole windows and sundeck design of this apartment building.  The building’s west façade directly overlooks the Lake Worth Lagoon and Town Docks. It is located at the corner of Lake Drive and Australian Avenue.

Constructed of concrete block surfaced with smooth stucco, it was built with two dozen apartments on three upper floors and a lobby, storage space and parking on the ground floor.

This style flourished in the 1930’s and 1940’s and was highlighted at the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago. Technology that arose after World War I was influential in this style developing.  Simple geometric forms and decorative details created a “less is more” standard.  A zoning law change in 1947 allowed hotels and apartments to be built in the Royal Park and Floral Park subdivisions. Previously only single family homes had been allowed.

One Commissioner said, “It just has a sort of rightness of place and time that I think is very appealing… a great deal of architectural integrity.  Another said, “To me, it’s perfection.”

One Royal Palm Way Condominiums was also built by Chilton and is pictured below.  His 300 South Ocean Boulevard apartment building is landmarked.  He participated in building the Palm Beach County Courthouse.

     Courtesy of newyorksocialdiary.com

HISTORIC AREA CHANGES ARE CHALLENGING!

We are watching these issues, with the knowledge that you cannot stop progress, though you can amend and change it somewhat.

Have you driven by the area and wished for changes?  Once a proposal to redevelop and build out the area has been confirmed, this will be the start of a renaissance in the area just east of I-95 and the areas to the west.  Delray Beach’s under-developed West Atlantic Avenue will see, sooner or later, many new projects. 

For the past four years, Hudson Holdings has proposed to redevelop and build out this important corner in Delray Beach that has aged.  The sixth revision to keep the residents who focus on historic preservation happy, has been proposed, was rejected by the Delray Beach city commission, and is under appeal.

The proposal prepares the way for some historic structures being demolished and rehabilitated, a few being relocated but remaining on the same block, and condominiums, stores, and an underground garage being created.  The city’s Historic Preservation Board does support a resurgence but says the proposal is too grandiose for the subtle historic district. Some of the city’s oldest structures are tucked behind lush landscaping.  One board member stated that “It’s losing that whole ambiance of a historic neighborhood”.  Others are pushing for a “moderning up” [editor’s words] of the area.  Nearby are the Public Library and Tennis Center stadium.

City leaders say that this redevelopment could bring “the most important renaissance of the next ten years in Delray Beach”. Everyone agrees that changes are due.  Many refer to the area as “blighted”.

Big changes are hard to come by and sometimes it is not possible to please everyone 100%, but Hudson Holdings has made many changes to please the objectors.