Dania Beach developer’s vision upbeat

Dania Beach developer Hank Thomas has high expectations for his massive, mixed-use project on five acres in the city’s downtown area, despite the brutal economic climate, he said. His vision for Dania Beach’s $100 million city center that consists of a 130-room hotel, four buildings with about 180 rental apartments and approximately 20,000 square feet of retail space. Thomas, president and CEO of Green Hill Development, said the local focus of the plan and the development’s proximity to the seaport and airport make success more likely. Green Hill owns one-fifth of the site and is leasing the rest from the city for $1 per year. The company has also been awarded a $6 million contract to build a library branch for the country, along with a garage and a city hall. Broward County is putting in $3.1 million for the project, while the city is kicking in $3 million through a bond approved by voters three years ago. Green Hill has already broken ground on the library and garage and expects to finish them by the end of the year. Construction on the hotel and some of the retail and residential buildings will begin early next year and will take two to three years to complete; the project in its entirety is expected to take five to six years. [GlobeSt]