The groundbreaking for a new, dual-branded 323-key hotel in downtown Fort Lauderdale has been set for January following a site demolition and clearing.
Toronto-based DesignAgency will handle the interiors, while Sol-Arch Inc., led by Primi and Dulce Conde, is the architect, according to Jake Wurzak, principal of the Wurzak Hotel Group.
Wurzak, along with investor DoveHill will develop the Starwood property. It will feature Starwood’s recently launched Tribute Portfolio and the eco-friendly Element brands. The Tribute side of the property will have a name unveiling soon, Wurzak said.
“On the retail side we are actively speaking to a few high-end New York City-based fitness concepts and a few local restaurant groups for the restaurant space,” he told The Real Deal.
The 24-story hotel, at 299 North Federal Highway, will be in the heart of Fort Lauderdale‘s Flagler Village district. Wurzak Hotel Group will manage the 209-room Tribute and the 114-room Element. The property will include a shared street-level entrance, a sky lobby on the seventh floor with a bar, a gym, and an indoor and outdoor pool deck on the 24th floor pool deck.
A Wurzak, DoveHill partnership acquired the property for $12 million in June, according to Broward County property records. It was the site of the Fairchild Funeral Home & Cremation Center.
Tutor Perini Building Corporation is the general contractor for the property.