A view of the proposed two-story clubhouse from State Road A1A. Rendering provided
By Jane Musgrave
For the first time in its 64-year history, the Ocean Club of Florida is getting a new clubhouse.
In a unanimous decision on June 1, Ocean Ridge town commissioners gave the club the go-ahead to tear down its existing clubhouse and build another one in its place.
The estimated $35 million clubhouse will be slightly larger than the one that was built in 1962 when town pioneers decided residents needed a private club for dining, swimming and other activities. But it will seat fewer people.
To comply with parking requirements, the new two-story, 22,500-square-foot clubhouse will seat 180 people, 12 fewer than it does today. The existing clubhouse, which was renovated in 2006 at a cost of $4 million, is 17,240 square feet, according to the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser.
Town commissioners lauded the club for designing a building, described by its architect as a mix of “island classical and Bermuda colonial,” that captures the town’s character.
“It doesn’t look futuristic. It fits in with the town’s image and fits in with the image of the Ocean Club,” Vice Mayor Steve Coz said.
Commissioner Carolyn Cassidy agreed. “I think it’s clearly going to be an enhancement to the community and to the club itself,” she said.
Resident Terry Brown wasn’t so certain. Born and raised in Florida, he graduated from high school the year the original Ocean Cub was built. “I take a neutral position because I have nostalgia for the old Florida; this is the new Florida,” he said.
The project has been in the works for about three years, said Bryan Donahue, a principal with Insite, a Palm Beach Gardens firm that handled the site and landscaping plans. In 2023, a team was hired to look into the feasibility of a new clubhouse, he said.
Earlier this year, the recommendation to replace the aging clubhouse was put to a vote of club members. With the vast majority of members casting ballots, 88% backed the plan.
Some of those voting are on the planning and zoning and town commissions. Four of the five planning board members who approved the plans for the new clubhouse said they were members of the club.
One was Ken Kaleel, vice chair of the planning board. He said the town attorney advised him that club members could vote as long as they weren’t on the governing body of the club.
At the Town Commission meeting, Commissioner Ainar Aijala Jr. abstained from voting because he’s on the club’s governing board.
The commission’s decision is just the latest step in what is expected to be a months-long process. The club next must get its building plans approved. Construction isn’t expected to begin until next spring, with completion anticipated in October 2028.
There are no plans to close the club while the new clubhouse is built, Donahue said. The oceanfront kiddie and adult pools, deckside bar and cabanas will remain open and a tent will be erected temporarily for dining.
While the Ocean Club is a storied club in Ocean Ridge, it is far from the oldest along the county’s southern coast. That distinction belongs to the Gulf Stream Golf Club. It officially opened for play in 1924, featuring a course designed by legendary designer Donald Ross and a clubhouse by the famed architect Addison Mizner.
— Sephora Charles contributed to this story.
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