Focusing on new site in Oakland Park

By BOB KECSKEMETY

G Resort, the first ever all-gay resort that was planned for Wilton Manors, has withdrawn its proposal to build in the Island City, and will instead sets their sights on a new location in Oakland Park.

G Worldwide, parent company of G Resorts, had planned to build their $60 million resort on a four-acre plot of land currently occupied by the Church of Religious Sciences on the corner of NE 26th Street and NE 15 Avenue in the eastern part of the city. However, many residents in that neighborhood became very vocal in their opposition to the hotel being located in their area.

The plans have been scrapped in favor of a new location, in Oakland Park, just south of Oakland Park Boulevard on NE 12th Terrace at the former site of Gibby’s Restaurant, across the canal from Wilton Manors.

This will be the third location for the proposed resort hotel, which estimates to employ as many as 350 people once it’s open. The first location, also in Wilton Manors, was off NE 24th Street in the old Middle River Trailer Park. Legal squabbling between the owners of the nearly abandoned property caused G Worldwide to seek a new location.

As soon as the church location was announced in June of this year, members of the East Side Neighborhood Association of the city put out signs in their yards criticizing the plans and making it clear that G was not welcome there.

“We’re saying goodbye to Wilton Manors,” said attorney Dean Trantalis, legal representative of G Resorts. “My clients have come to realize that the geographic layout of Wilton Manors is not adequate to accommodate a resort like this.” He went on to say that they are close to penning a deal in Oakland Park. “Officials in the city of Oakland Park have embraced the idea and it’s a completely different environment than what we experienced in Wilton Manors, which was very abusive and disrespectful,” added Trantalis.

Trantalis claimed that he had the opportunity to directly speak to only one of the five members of the city commission and that he felt that the city does not provide an inviting atmosphere to those looking to invest in Wilton Manors — and that the city is not in a very good position to do that.

“First of all,” said Trantalis, “the economy is very weak and second, if you look up and down Wilton Drive, storefront after storefront is either vacant or emptying out and the city should try to do whatever it takes to invite investment in the city.”

“Whereas in Oakland Park, I’ve received encouraging messages from members of the city commission, city staff and adjacent property owners. Everyone is holding their arms out and welcoming this opportunity.”

Trantalis believes that history in Wilton Manors is repeating itself and that during the days when John Fiore was the city’s mayor, he discouraged development in the city. However, in 2002 when businessman Jim Stork, who was pro-development, ran for mayor against Fiore, Stork won overwhelmingly. Fiore was also one of the community leaders against building the G Resort on the church property.

Leonard Wright of the Church of Religious Sciences, said that he approached G Resort concerning looking at purchasing the church property while G was still in negotiations for the aging trailer park.

“I heard the [original] deal was iffy,” said Wright. “So I approached G Resort to consider the church property. They turned us down, but when the deal for the trailer park fell through, they then contacted us. I’m obviously not happy with what has now happened.”

Both Trantalis and Wright mentioned that being a church property, no property taxes are collected. However, if the resort was built on the four-acre site, upwards of $350,000 a year would be collected by the city and added to the treasury. “That would have provided the money to make their main street improvements and other improvements throughout the city year after year,” they said.

Wright added that most cities have a hotel bed tax that is paid on a per night basis and this too would provide additional income for Wilton Manors.

Trantalis is particularly bitter that G Resort was never given a chance to make its case for locating on the church property. “The neighborhood never really heard the proposal. We went to the meeting and started to make the presentation and were shouted down, shouted out of the room and nobody was interested in hearing the details,” Trantalis said. “There was only one opinion, and that was to say ‘no,’ and now politics has won out in Wilton Manors.”

According to Trantalis, discussions are already underway with property owners in the area of the new site to create an entertainment zone featuring restaurants and shops.