The twin towers will be the tallest in downtown Hollywood
ByJitenJuly 22, 2022
HOLLYWOOD – When the gleaming twin apartment towers go up on the east side of Young Circle, they’ll have bragging rights as the tallest downtown.
The luxury towers, currently called B57 North and B57 South, will soar into the sky nearly 400 feet tall, transforming the east side of Young Circle from dormant to dazzling, developers say.
The towers, an ambitious $555 million project calling for 856 apartments, will dress up a blighted corner currently home to a long-shuttered Walgreens and Publix. The project’s restaurants, shops and high-end office space are also expected to draw a crowd, bringing more people to a downtown that has struggled in years past.
A pedestrian bridge will connect the two towers on the second level, allowing cars from Hollywood Boulevard to drive under the footbridge, providing direct access to Young Circle for the first time in decades.
Hollywood commissioners gave unanimous approval to developer BTI Partners’ plan in early July. Another vote to give final approval is expected on August 31.
“I want to thank BTI for making this investment,” said Deputy Mayor Caryl Shuham. “It’s exciting to see. When all this happens, we’ll have a lot of people walking downtown. And that’s the goal. Walk, shop. Live, love, work, play.”
Two 35-story towers would rise on the east side of Young Circle in downtown Hollywood as part of a project planned by BTI Partners of Fort Lauderdale. The $555 million project envisions 856 luxury apartments in addition to retail, restaurants and office space. (BTI Partners/Courtesy)
The south tower will go up first, with an opening planned for June 2023 and construction expected to take two years, said Keith Poliakoff, an attorney for the developer.
The north tower would begin construction in mid-2024 and open in mid-2026.
The two towers will have 35 stories, with a height of 390 feet.
The south tower will have 455 apartments, with 72,600 square feet set aside for restaurants, bars and shops.
The north tower will have 401 apartments, with 70,000 square feet of retail space and 40,000 square feet of office space.
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The apartments may be converted to condominiums in the future depending on market demand, Poliakoff told commissioners.
Each building will have its own garage on levels 1 to 9, with a total project of 1,636 parking spaces.
For 20 years, Hollywood officials have been exploring the possibility of recreating this 3.5-acre corner to allow for better traffic flow from the beach to Young Circle.
It all started when Poliakoff met with Noah Breakstone, CEO of BTI Partners, and suggested he look at downtown Hollywood.
When the bill came up for commission approval on July 6, there was one thing noticeably missing from the room: critics.
Poliakoff told commissioners the reason they “don’t have 1,000 people here today” ready to break ground on the project was because the developer held several meetings over the past two years, vetting its plans with the community.
BTI Partners is also redeveloping another parcel on Young Circle that was home to the Bread Building, an 11-story landmark built in 1969.
BTI has already demolished the building and hopes to break ground soon on a 25-story tower with 362 luxury apartments and shops and cafes on the ground floor. In a nod to history, the old bread building sign will be saved and used in the new building.
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Hollywood founder Joseph W. Young would have approved of what’s happening downtown, Poliakoff said.
“He envisioned downtown as a vibrant place for people to walk, live and work and never leave Hollywood,” he said. “I wanted people to congregate downtown.”
ByJitenJuly 22, 2022
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