News

By Tim Pallesen

    Construction for Atlantic Crossing starts this month after a lawsuit by neighbors who sought to alter its design was dismissed by a judge on Jan. 20.
    “We’re ready to get demolition and construction underway,” said Edwards Companies President Jeff Edwards, the partner with Ocean Ridge resident Carl DeSantis to build the $200 million mixed-use project on East Atlantic Avenue.
    “Our group is not giving up,” said Harbour House condo president Bruce Leiner, who still believes the developer should pay the city for the street right-of-way that the city abandoned in 2009.
    Neighbors at the Harbour House condo had sued last year to force an access road from Federal Highway to relieve traffic congestion.
    But Circuit Judge Jamie Goodman dismissed that lawsuit against Atlantic Crossing and the city without explanation on Jan. 20.
    Atlantic Crossing still wants city commissioners to sign a development agreement that specifies what the developer is obligated to do.
    Commissioners delayed the agreement last October pending the outcome of the lawsuit.
    “We’re asking the city to work with us to finalize the development agreement without further delay,” Edwards said.
    As incentive, Edwards said that the $500,000 the developer pledged for improvements to city-owned Veterans Park immediately east of the project hinges on whether the agreement is signed.
    But demolition of two vacant buildings on Atlantic Avenue — the former Delray Beach Antique Mall at the Gillis & Sons building and the Rinceaux Jewelry and Antiques building — is scheduled this month with or without the agreement.
    Demolition of the Carroll Financial Center at the corner of Northeast Sixth Avenue and Northeast First Street, the final building on the site’s western block, is projected by late April.
    Once the western block is cleared, construction will begin on a 440-space underground garage to be beneath apartments slated to open in 2016.
    The existing Atlantic Plaza commercial center will remain open on the eastern block until demolition and new construction there is due in 2017-18.
    Once completed, the city’s largest mixed-use development will have 356 luxury condos and apartments, 80,000 square feet of restaurants and shops, plus 79,000 square feet of office space.
    Atlantic Crossing estimates the project will bring 1,000 construction jobs and 600 permanent jobs to the city.