It’s back to the drawing board for the historic Paramount Theatre. Again.
Last month the Palm Beach Town Council rejected the latest redevelopment proposal for the landmarked theater, located at 139 N. County Road. A major sticking point this time around was a proposed 475-member private club. The latest proposal also lacked a retail component, which was cause for concern among members of the town’s Landmarks Preservation Commission, who voted unanimously to reject the project until more revisions are made.
In a separate vote, council members approved the developer’s special exception request for a 200-person church space in the building. The theater’s previous owner was a church that held services there for almost three decades.
Back in April, the Town Council rejected a previous iteration of the proposal, which was to transform the surface parking lot south of the building into four three-story houses with retail space totaling around 30,000 square feet. The proposed houses would have two below-ground parking levels and retail space in the three homes that would face North County Road.
While the theater’s neighbors support the redevelopment efforts, a few condo and townhome residents who live near the property say the parking lot redevelopment is too large and out of scale and will cause them to lose privacy and be cast in constant shade if the development is approved. Council members also expressed concerns about the proposed development’s impact on traffic and density in the area.
This latest proposal scrapped the houses and added a 475-member private club on the property. The council voted 3-2 against the proposal, citing concerns about traffic, parking, and site intensification.
The theater’s owner, longtime Palm Beach resident Lester Woerner, was upset by the ruling, telling the Palm Beach Daily News he feels that town was done a disservice by the council, who he feels must give an accounting to the town for the ruling. Woerner also doubled down on his effort to revitalize the venerable old theater. According to Woerner, it has always been his passion to restore and rehabilitate the Paramount, turning it into a place for Palm Beach residents to hold public events.
The 56,000 square-foot structure was built in 1926 and was designed by noted architect Joseph Urban, who also designed Mar-a-Lago and the Palm Beach Bath and Tennis Club. More than a theater, it was a “complete cultural center” with residences, shops, offices, and a restaurant.
The Paramount has been an iconic fixture for going on eight decades. With its distinct look and old Hollywood charm, the theater building adds a touch of Golden Age Hollywood (LINK to other Paramount article) to the city of Palm Beach.
The building currently has 16 tenants, including the Palm Beach Police & Fire Foundation and the Palm Beach Civic Association. Storefronts include Palm Beach Pilates, The French Wine Merchant, and Chik Monk Coffee. Landmark status was granted to the building in 1982, which protects its exterior, street-view walls from being altered without permission from the Landmarks Preservation Commission.
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