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Article Courtesy of The Sun
Sentinel
By Luis F. Perez
Published January 3, 2008
Boca Raton - The
much-troubled and partly built Boca Raton Eden condo project, once billed
as a luxury development, may turn into homes for seniors and an assisted
living facility.
Ceebraid-Signal Corp. teamed with Atlanta-based Parc Senior Communities to
finish the project that's years behind schedule and has faced financial
difficulties. They submitted a plan to City Hall on Dec. 21 showing that
they want to change the four-building, 248-unit condo project into 193
senior residences and 82 assisted living units.
That has the residents who moved into the project's one finished building
fuming.
"This is not what I
spent a half-million dollars for," said Seid Bernard, who attended a
city meeting Wednesday to review the developer's latest plans.
Adam Schlesinger, vice president of Ceebraid in West Palm Beach, declined
to comment Wednesday.
Angry residents have turned to City Hall for help even though the city
can't control what the builders do with the project as long as they follow
city rules.
For the developers to build the assisted living facility, they need city
approval for a rule change since it's not allowed under current zoning
regulations. That may give the city some leverage in wringing added
concessions from the developers.
In September, skeptical City Council members granted a two-year extension
on Eden's building permits. They agreed to a third extension as long as
the developers stick to a stringent schedule. So far Ceebraid and Parc
have complied with the city's requests.
Bernard lives in the five-story building that stands next to three
hulking, gray building skeletons that the developers boarded up on city
orders. He said he would move if Ceebraid paid him today's market price
for a downtown Boca Raton condo. The developers have offered those who
closed on their units what they paid plus some money for closing costs.
Eden condo project may morph into senior
living facility
Owner
of failed condo conversion files plans
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