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Marathon Library

First New Library in Decades Opens in the Keys


Technology in the new $8.4 million Marathon Library not only addresses today’s internet demands but has a raised floor system around the building to allow for future advances in data and power capabilities. Moreover, with its moveable furniture and bookshelves, the library provides for unprecedented flexibility of space configurations.

For more, go to www.wlrn.org.

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Marathon Library

Monroe County celebrates opening of Marathon Branch Library and Adult Education Center


The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners and the Monroe County School District celebrated the new state-of-the-art Monroe County Library System Marathon Branch and Adult Education Center on Saturday with a ribbon-cutting, family activities, and library tours.

Monroe County Mayor Michelle Coldiron and Mayor Pro Tem David Rice attended the ceremony with Monroe County Administrator Roman Gastesi, County staff, and Monroe County School Board members.

After the ribbon-cutting, the public explored the new space, including the holds locker available for after-hours access to items requested, tablets and laptops available to borrow while in the library, a self-checkout system, small group study/meeting rooms, and a large community room.

The new library also has a Redbox-style media box for DVD selection and an upstairs light and airy children’s area. The upstairs also has a teen room for gaming, study room, homework center, and activity center with a 3-D printer, Cricut, sewing machines, watercolor painting, and more.

With simply a library card, check out a tablet or laptop to use in the library for up to two hours in one of the comfy new chairs found throughout the library.

Also notable are the solar panels outfitted at the location. Before opening, the library ran “off-grid” for a day. The panels will continue to supplement the electrical grid at the location now that it is fully open.

The library is also a little more colorful with the recent installation of eye-catching sculptures. The commissioned art installations are part of the County’s prestigious 1% Art in Public Places program. To learn more about Countywide public art installations, visit www.keysarts.com/publicart.

The Adult Education Center is slated to open in August with GED preparation classes, English classes, and other programs for adults.

The library will be offering interactive programs like storytime, art classes, and yoga for children, teens, and adults. Marathon branch library services are available Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The new branch is located at 3490 Overseas Highway, Marathon.

To learn more about Countywide library services, visit www.keyslibraries.org.

ABC Local News
Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center Ground Breaking

Fort Lauderdale aquatic center to undergo $27 million makeover


The aquatic center in Fort Lauderdale is making a splash, and the facility will soon receive millions of dollars in renovations. The groundbreaking was a major milestone for this landmark facility and the assurance that its legacy will live on to support the best and brightest of the swimming and diving community!

SRS is proud to have created, with the engagement of City Staff, CRA Staff, our team of consultants, and the community-at-large, the Design Criteria Package for the renovation/reinvention of the Fort Lauderdale Aquatic Center.

WLRN
WLRN

Florida Keys Building the First New Library in Decades (And Yes, It'll Be Hurricane-Proof)


Construction began in July 2019 on Marathon’s first new library in decades. At a cost of $7 million, the library is located across from the current branch and is planned to be completed in 2020. It is designed to be a “legacy building,” to endure for at least 50 years, according to Kimberly Matthews, senior director of strategic planning.

The library will withstand a Category 5 hurricane and will be two feet above water. It will include raised floors to allow for future changes in wiring and technology, and flexible, movable furniture and book shelving. In order to serve today’s community needs, libraries, traditionally storehouses for books, also must offer free Internet and computer accessibility for research and communication. This library will be “community-centric,” with adult education programming based on input from residents of the Keys.

 

Atlantic Village

Six restaurants are coming to Atlantic Village in Hallandale Beach, a new mixed-use complex at 801 N. Federal Highway near the Big Easy Casino. Four have opened as of mid-May 2019 and two more are on the way. The fast-rising restaurant and office complex offers Kosher sushi, Peruvian ceviche, Argentinian empanadas, arepas and burgers, diverse foods appealing to Broward’s influx of Latinos and large Jewish and Israeli communities, as well as area visitors.

The sprawling complex is planned to extend southward, adding apartments, shops, and more restaurants.

Ultimate Software

Weston-based Ultimate Software Company Recognized: Company Tops Fortune's 'Best Workplaces in Technology' List for 2019


For the fourth year in a row, Ultimate Software was named the number one technology employer in the nation by Fortune magazine. This top ranking is based on the feedback of 220,000 employees across the nation. The company was founded in 1990 by Scott Scherr, who remains as CEO, to create software for the human resources industry, and is driven by a "people first" culture.

The company has 5,200 employees worldwide, with more than 1,650 in Weston. Employee benefits include fully paid healthcare insurance for families, including same-sex couples; 45 percent match on 401(k) retirement savings; paid maternity, paternity, and adoption leave; unlimited paid time off; company stock on hiring; and paid volunteer service days.

SRS has shaped the company's workplaces since it began in 1990, as architect and designer for Ultimate Software's 13 buildings in South Florida.

Women In Distress

Domestic Violence Shelter Now Has a Place for Pets


Domestic violence victims in South Florida no longer have to leave their dogs and cats behind when seeking safe shelter. Women in Distress of Broward County recently opened the state's third domestic violence shelter for pets, following those in Orlando and Naples.

Mary Riedel, president and CEO of Women in Distress, said the new quarters has space for 20 pets to live in kennels at the nonprofit’s 132-bed campus. Riedel explained that, often, victims in dangerous situations will remain in their homes because they can't take their pets to a safe place, and worry about abandoning them. “One half [of domestic violence survivors] reported they delayed leaving because of concern about pets,” Riedel said. She cited national studies relating that 71 percent of domestic violence survivors report a pet has been maimed, killed, or threatened. “It’s a huge barrier,” she said. “Only three percent of domestic violence shelters are able to take pets.”

The shelter features a relocatable structure specially customized for pet care and residency, an enclosed yard for play and exercise, and a freshly painted white sidewalk with gray paw prints that leads to a colorful obstacle course and a mesh bag of fresh tennis balls. The $350,000 center was funded by Bank of America, the Tate Family Foundation, and the Community Foundation.

Atlantic Village

Hallandale's Atlantic Village Plans to Add Rental Apartments


Following up on Grupo Eco's goal to add a third phase to Hallandale Beach's two-phase Village at Atlantic Shores, initially announced in August 2018, the developer Daniel Chaberman said architectural plans are now in the making for a "lifestyle plaza." Phase 3 will encompass a two-story building of restaurants and food-related venues, 45,000 SF of office space, and an eight-to-ten-story apartment tower of 80 apartments. Known to the public as "Atlantic Village," the project's first phase, at 801 North Federal Highway, is now complete, with restaurants, retail, and office space, and Flippo's, an indoor children's playground. Construction of the $3.5 million second phase, at 701 North Federal Highway, is underway, with plans for restaurants and retail space within a two-story building as well as a six-story office building and one-story building to accommodate retail or restaurant operations. Phase 3 will be located at 601 North Federal Highway, which was purchased in October for $12 million and was the site of the former Kelley Chevrolet dealership. According to SRS principal Jose Saye, "The area is undergoing extensive changes and its character continues to evolve toward residential use with all the attendant retail, dining, and entertainment amenities that support a dynamic and sophisticated urban lifestyle."

Atlantic Village

Hallandale's Village at Atlantic Shores Continues to Grow, with More Restaurants and Office Space Planned


As new restaurants and more retail space are coming to Hallandale's Village at Atlantic Shores, new residential units could follow. The two-story first phase, at 801 N. Federal Highway, is completed, with restaurants, office and retail space, and an indoor playground. With tenants nearing move-in, the building may be open for business by year's end.

Site work has begun on the $3.5 million second phase, at 701 N. Federal Highway, which will comprise restaurants, retail, and office space in a two-story building; a six-story building; and a one-story building.

According to SRS principal Jose Saye, construction activity is scheduled to begin within three months.

Hallandale Beach director of development services Keven R. Klopp called the project "the heart of the whole redevelopment area." The Village at Atlantic Shores developer is considering purchase of an adjacent property at 601 N. Federal Highway for development as rental apartments.

Hallandale Beach Medical Tower

Hallandale Beach May Get 8-Story Medical Building


A plan for an eight-story, 91,000 SF medical tower at 400 SE Ninth Street is up for approval by City of Hallandale Beach staff, according to Jose Saye, principal, Synalovski Romanik Saye, architecture/planning firm. The developer, Care LG 2016 Holdings LLC, purchased 11 adjacent parcels for $6.45 million for the project. The site currently includes "a single-family house, a duplex, a triplex, and a two-story, nine-unit apartment building," reported City staff. Saye added that the plan, once approved, would entail demolition, and "construction could begin in September." A public meeting was mandated by City Hall as part of the approval process.

The medical tower would include an urgent care center, imaging diagnostic facility, and offices for physicians and therapeutic practitioners.

Ultimate Software

Ultimate Software Group: "Ultimate Software's New Digs: The Perfect Solution"


One of South Florida's biggest tech companies not only got bigger, it made their employees happier.

Ultimate Software executives gathered the company's developers on Monday and welcomed them into their new 100,000 SF "flagship" building in Parkland. The company's software developers are now enjoying a 60-gallon fish tank, game room, putting range, fitness room, massage room, "Mommy's Room" for breast-feeding mothers, cafeteria, and coffee stations.

The new building is just a five-minute drive from Ultimate's original campus in Weston, where it has operated since 1999. It brings to 11 the number of Weston buildings now occupied by the fast-growing human resources software developer. SRS has been architect for Ultimate since its inception in the 1990s.

Aloft Hotel

Aloft Hotel and Four Points Hotel: "Starwood Plans Nine Hotels in South Florida"


Starwood Hotels and Resorts is spreading rapidly across South Florida, with plans for nine hotels in the next three years. Three of the openings are slated for Fort Lauderdale - one Aloft hotel aimed at tech savvy travelers, one Four Points hotel for budget travelers and one Element hotel, the chain's extended-stay brand. SRS is architect for Aloft/Weston, and Four Points/Fort Lauderdale.

Holocaust Museum

Holocaust Documentation and Education Center: "Holocaust Museum to House a Legacy for Survivors"


A railroad boxcar, used to transport human cargo from the Warsaw Ghetto to the Treblinka death camp, has been kept in storage since arriving by freighter from Poland eight years ago. It is now on display in the Holocaust Documentation and Education Center in Dania Beach. Museum officials also expect to obtain a Sherman tank used by American troops to liberate death camps. The museum site is still under construction. SRS is the architect for administrative spaces.

Nautical Ventures

Nautical Ventures: "Forced to Move Out, Marine Firm Moved Up"


The Dania Beach outfit grew from two core units - QPS Marine, a yacht brokerage...and Nautical Ventures, a watersports superstore - into a marine powerhouse of sorts. Today, business now includes a full-service boat repair yard, a direct-to-dock fuel delivery outfit, and Nautical Ventures Marine, a new and used boat division.

When their previous location on Griffin Road was being taken by eminent domain for the new south runway at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, they needed to find another location - and fast.

"In ten months, we made it through planning, construction and move-in," said CEO Roger Moore. "I think it's the fastest building that's been constructed in Broward County. Everyone worked with us."

SRS is the architect.

The Miami Herald
The MIami Herald

Aventura Chabad: "Holds Groundbreaking for $12 Million, 44,000 Square Foot Building"


Members of the Aventura Chabad held a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday, Dec. 6, for a new $12 million, 44,000 SF building with two sanctuaries, one for the Chabad community and one for the Sephardic community.

The new building will have a ballroom that can host 600 guests, as well as a preschool and classrooms with the latest technologies, a library and multi-purpose rooms, and a rooftop with gardens for outdoor events.

Construction will take 12-18 months. SRS is the architect.

Frijoles con Kugel

Jewish Federation of Broward County: "Frijoles con Kugel"


Manny Synalovski, Latin Initiative Chair, leads the way for the Jewish Federation of Broward County to reach out to Latin Jews with a special social event, "Frijoles con Kugel," featuring a true Latin fiesta for the Jewish community with Latin music and cuisine.

Garzon

Garzon: "Garzon Brings a Bit of Uruguay to Brickell"


Garzon is a cozy oasis in the hubbub of chain restaurants, malls, glass-and-steel towers and traffic that is defining Brickell nowadays. It's a little bit of coastal Uruguay in the big city. SRS is the architect.

Four Points Hotel

Aloft Hotel and Four Points Hotel: "Hotel Chain Starwood Opening Eight Hotels in Florida by '19"


Three hotels are slated for Fort Lauderdale - one Aloft hotel, one Four Points hotel and one Element hotel, the hotel chain's extended-stay brand. The chain operates more than 300 hotels worldwide. SRS is the architect for Aloft and Four Points hotels.

South Florida Business Journal
South Florida Business Journal

Synalovski Romanik Saye: "Named among Top 25 Architecture Firms, 2018"


South Florida Business Journal

Synalovski Romanik Saye: "Named among Top 25 Architecture Firms, 2017"


Aventura Medical Tower

2801 Aventura Medical Tower: "Medical Office Building Breaks Ground in Aventura"


A medical office building is under construction in Aventura after the developer obtained a $22.97 million construction loan. Miami-based TotalBank awarded the mortgage to KVVS Investors, managed by Kevin Faith. The developer has started building a 12-story, 99,870 SF medical office building at 2801 NE 213 Street. It’s near Aventura Hospital & Medical Center. SRS is the architect.

Palms Convalescent Care

Palms Convalescent Care: "Nursing Home Proposed Near North Miami Beach by Galbut-Owned Firm"


Members of the Galbut family, owners of Palms Convalescent Care, received approval to expand the 25,974 SF unfinished shell to 47,276 SF on its 2.1-acre site at Northeast 16th Avenue and West Dixie Highway in Miami. The nursing home enlargement is needed to comply with new state regulations requiring larger rooms for double occupancy and wider hallways. The building would be two stories instead of one.

The developer also asked the county to waive requirements for 13 parking spaces, because it only has room to provide 51 of the 64 spaces that zoning rules call for. SRS is the architect.

Mirabela

Mirabella: "Five Retail Buildings to Be Constructed"


Five retail buildings will be constructed as part of Mirabella Commercial's second phase. The one- and two-story buildings will total 53,666 SF at Palm Avenue and Miramar Boulevard. The developer, Mirabella 26 LLC, is an affiliate of H&M Development. SRS is the architect.

South Florida Business Journal

Synalovski Romanik Saye: "Named among Top 25 Architecture Firms, 2016"


Aventura Medical Tower

2801 Aventura Medical Tower: "Aventura to Vote on Two Medical Office Building Projects"


KVVS Investors, managed by Kevin Faith, wants to build a 12-story, 114,164 SF medical office building at 2801 N.E. 213th Street. It would have 472 parking spaces, which is 33 percent more than required by zoning.

The company acquired the 1.6-acre site for $8.51 million in June. The project was designed by architecture firm Synalovski Romanik Saye.

Aloft Hotel

Aloft Hotel: "Developers Plan Aloft Hotel"


The Aloft Hotel will be located on a three-acre site at Dykes Road and Indian Trace in
Weston, just west of Interstate 75. The developer is Davie Hospitality. Aloft is part of Starwood
Hotels. SRS is the architect.

South Florida Business Journal

Synalovski Romanik Saye: "Named among Top 25 Architecture Firms, 2015"


South Florida Business Journal

Synalovski Romanik Saye: "Named among Top 25 Architecture Firms, 2014"


South Florida Business Journal

Synalovski Romanik Saye: "Named among Top 25 Architecture Firms, 2013"


The Real Deal
Atlantic Village Phase 2

Village at Atlantic Shores: "Developer to Launch Phase Two of Hallandale Project - Sans Residences"


Mexican developer Grupo Eco is going all commercial on its two-phased Hallandale Beach project.

Construction is slated to be completed on Atlantic Village I by the fall. The 32,000 SF retail and office development, at 801 Federal Highway, signed on new tenants La Estancia Argentina, Doggis Arepa Bar and Flippo’s Kids Playground.

Grupo Eco originally planned to have a residential component for the second phase, Atlantic Village II, but is instead focusing on more commercial space based on market conditions.

The developer will break ground on phase two by May. It will include about 35,000 square feet with commercial space on U.S. 1 and warehouse lofts on Seventh Avenue, and possibly a shared office concept. SRS is the architect.

Atlantic Village

Village at Atlantic Shores: "Atlantic Village Coming to Hallandale Beach"


A Mexican development group, Grupo Eco, has begun construction on Atlantic Village,
a new 32,000 SF retail and commercial center set to open in November 2017, developer Elias
Benaim told The Real Deal.

A second phase of the project will be a commercial and residential development, which
will break ground in 2018. SRS is the architect.

The development group owns a total of 8 acres in Hallandale Beach. Grupo Eco's first
project in Hallandale Beach was the 7th Avenue Village, a 25,000 SF commercial center. SRS
was also architect for that property.

The Real Deal
Posnack Middle School

Posnack Middle School: "Posnack School's New Building to House Kosher Culinary Institute"


"The David Posnack Jewish Day School in Davie will introduce its new Marcia and Joel Hochberg Middle School and Dining Hall to students this upcoming school year," according to the Jewish Journal.

Richard Cuenca, the head of the school, said the building's dining hall will house a new Kosher Culinary Institute that will incorporate healthy foods, hands-on creative learning, and "ties aspects of the curriculum" to science and mathematics. It also provides lunchtime meals for students and staff.

Internship and courses for Posnack's high school students offer lessons in cooking, inventory and budget management, purchase ordering, and kitchen supervision. All students will experience Jewish dietary traditions that promote well-being and a foundation for wholesome and healthy lifetime food choices.

Sun Tiimes
Atlantic Village

“Atlantic Village Is Raising the Bar”


Among the several new projects in the City of Hallandale Beach, "there is perhaps none more impressive and functional than the much-anticipated Atlantic Village." The project adds the prestige of "a first-class destination in a community that is truly in a positive growth phase."

Developer Elias Benaim, head of Grupo Eco, said, "What works today is functional - and that is what we did with the first phase - and certainly what we are after with this second phase."

Atlantic Village Phase I, opening in early 2018, brings restaurants and family entertainment, including Burgerim, Doggie's Arepa Bar, La Estancia Argentina, Dr. Limon Ceviche Bar, Flippo's Playground, Man Cave Cigar Lounge, and Wells Fargo. Benaim said, "Eventually, with Mardi Gras & Art Square in our backyard, it will be the perfect balance that creates a solid customer base."

Phase II brings a six-story office tower with additional retail, restaurants, entertainment. Total area of retail/restaurant/office for Phases l and ll will be 68,500 SF with 200 parking spaces. With its landmark tower and variety of attractions, the project will change "the way everyone looks at Hallandale Beach forever."

Voyage MIA
Salonz Beauty and Spa Suites

Salonz Beauty and Spa Suites: "Meet Marc and Elena Finer of Salonz Beauty & Spa Suites"


As entrepreneurs seeking independence and financial success, Marc and Elena Finer set out to create Salonz Beauty and Spa Suites in 2002, after discovering the concept during a business trip. Their personal vision was to create a collective of spacious, private, warmly inviting studios within a luxurious, larger setting where individual, independent practitioners in beauty and personal care could work separately yet share upscale common areas.

Salonz has eight destinations in A-plus shopping center locations in Miami, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. Offering one-stop services under one roof, Salonz Suites includes hair, nail, skincare, spa and massage benefits, tanning, acupuncture, and other holistic practices.

The Salonz Suite business model "streamlines operations" while developing marketing strategies for tenants to advance their individual success. Marc Finer explains: "I've penned the acronym F.A.C.E. to represent how our facility should be presented: Functional, Appealing, Clean, Efficient."

SRS is the architect for the most recent six locations.

Daily Business Review
Daily Business Review

YMCA/Fort Lauderdale: "Pro Bono Attorneys Negotiate 50-Year Lease for YMCA of South Florida"


YMCA of South Florida is slated for construction of a state-of-the-art facility on North Federal Highway in front of the Parker Playhouse west of Holiday Park. The planned three-story, 45,000 SF project will offer a gym, wellness center, teen and youth center, community rooms, and fitness studio. SRS is the architect.

Barry University
Barry University Webber Hall

Barry University: "Weber Hall Revitalized"


First opened in 1946, and originally known as Stella Matutina, Weber Hall's student gathering place has been renovated and is once again a popular venue for receptions and performances. SRS is the architect.

Jewish Way
Jewish Federation of Broward County

Jewish Federation of Broward County: "The Whole Torah Can Be Fulfilled"


As Latin Initiative Chair, Manny Synalovski wrote a bylined article that begins: "Four years ago, the Jewish Federation of Broward County began its quest to create bridges between our local community and Latin Jews. The international diversity that cohesively exists in [South Florida] has added a scope to a collective heritage that is embraced and cultivated through all, regardless of their home country origin.

"It is with great pride that the Latin initiative in Broward County ... has successfully engaged many through volunteerism, philanthropy and social activities."

Palm Beach Gartdens
Dycom at RCA

Dycom@RCA: "The Free Plan Thinking - Outside the Cubicle"


As the American business world has evolved, so have the spaces in which workers are expected to be productive. The journey has led from the carrel desk to cubicles to a phenomenon that is quickly finding its place in Palm Beach Gardens: The Open-Office Plan.

With the expertise of and enthusiasm of Synalovski Romanik Saye, Dycom@RCA's finished product boasts an innovative approach to meeting spaces with well researched, multifunctional use.

The Forum
Plantation Community Center at Plantation Woods

Kennedy Community Center at Plantation Woods: "City Looks to Build Community Center"


The City of Plantation will soon be getting a new community center to replace the demolished Kennedy Community Center in Kennedy Park. SRS is the architect.

The Forum
Fort Lauderdale Airport Restaurants

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport: "Margaritavillle, BurgerFi, Starbuck, and 23 More Restaurants Coming to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Restaurants"


Hungry and hurried travelers will be able to refresh at 25 new restaurants at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after a major revamp of the airport's terminals one and two. The expansion of flavors will happen in two phases by HMSHost.

Local restaurants represented at FLL will include Shula Burger, named after legendary coach Don Shula; Offerdahl's Cafe Grill, founded by former Miami Dolphin linebacker John Offerdahl; Tarpon Bend Food & Tackle; Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza; Rocco's Tacos & Tequila Bar; Sergio's; and BurgerFi. SRS is the architect.

Dania Beach Press
Holocaust Museum

Holocaust Documentation and Education Center: "Holocaust Museum Slated to Open in January 2014"


The Holocaust Documentation and Education Center closed on a 26,000 SF building in Dania Beach that will house the haunting but necessary memories of a time that should never be forgotten.

The center, located for over three decades in Hollywood, will relocate and add a major museum attraction in phases over the next few months. SRS is the architect for administrative spaces, expected to be completed shortly.

AIA Florida
Manny Synalovski

Synalovski Romanik Saye: "Synalovski Selected as AIA 2013 Florida Citizen Architect"


The Florida Association of the American Institute of Architects (AIA Florida) recognized Manuel Synalovski, AIA, LEED AP, as an AIA Florida Class of Citizen Architect. The program was developed by the National AIA to recognize architects that use insights, talents, training and experience to contribute meaningfully, beyond self, to the improvement of the community and human condition.

Synalovski has been dedicated to serving the South Florida community for more than 25 years.