The Resort at Singer Island has joined Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island. Featuring 239 all-suite resort units and 66 residential condominiums, the resort includes 4,000 square feet of meeting space, an 8,500-square foot spa, and all of the amenities and services one would expect from a world-class facility. Butler Service, valet attendants, and a full-time concierge will enrich guest experiences and activities, including coordination of private events, theater tickets, dinner reservations, and travel arrangements. Experience the essence of elegance in one or two bedroom resort units ranging from 800 square feet to just over 2,100 square feet of living space. Decorated with dark wood tones, stainless steel kitchen appliances, and marble baths, the resort offers a luxurious contemporary modern edge. Enjoy majestic views of the Atlantic Ocean or Intracoastal Waterways from the expansive terraces in each suite. Dining options include an alfresco ambiance at the ocean side eatery, the convenience of room service, or special events catered within the stunning entertainment veranda. Even a temperature-controlled wine room is available to store private wine collections. The white sands of Singer Island provide the ultimate place to relax. Attentive pool and beach side attendants provide everything from plush beach towels and relaxing lounge chairs to tempting frozen libations. Outdoor private cabanas are the ideal place to enjoy a casual poolside lunch.
Palm Beach Marriott Resort & Spa At Singer Island: 3800 N Ocean Drive, #1853
July 26th, 2010 by Dermot OBrien No comments »Palm Beach County hopes low-profile breakwaters will ease turtle advocates’ objections to Singer Island beach plan
July 2nd, 2010 by Dermot OBrien No comments »
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Updated: 8:02 p.m. Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Posted: 2:54 p.m. Monday, June 28, 2010
Palm Beach County is proposing a new, lower-profile design for a controversial breakwater project on Singer Island – one that officials hope will be scaled-back enough to win permits while still stabilizing the condo-lined beach.
The difference: Instead of sticking 1 to 3 feet out of the water, as the county earlier proposed, the new design will lie 2 feet below the surface at low tide.
The mile-long string of 11 limestone structures, dubbed the Singer Island Erosion Control Reef System, is intended to dissipate wave energy and reduce beach erosion, much like a natural reef would.
If state and federal regulators allow the $30 million reef system to be built, the state would pay 40 percent of the cost. The county would pay 40 percent, and Riviera Beach would pay the rest.
The county was unable to obtain permits for the old breakwater design after four years of trying, largely because of concerns about federally protected sea turtles on an active nesting beach.
Regulators feared that mother turtles, forced between gaps in the breakwater structures, would compete for nesting space on smaller sections of beach. They were also concerned that hatchlings headed to the ocean would be distracted or ambushed by predators near the breakwaters.
“The fact that the segments are submerged eliminates many of the environmental concerns that were raised with the former emergent design,” said Michael Stahl, project manager for the county’s Department of Environmental Resources Management. “Nesting turtles’ access to the beach and hatchling access to the water will not be restricted.”
Stahl said the beach dune still would need to be replenished with sand brought in by truck if the submerged system of wave-breaking structures is built. He said the erosion-control system, similar to one installed off Sunny Isles Beach in Miami-Dade County, is much better than the likely alternative: sea walls.
The Surfrider Foundation disagrees.
“This is a bad project,” said Greg Lyon, chairman of the Palm Beach County chapter of the nonprofit environmental group. “It’s poorly engineered and improperly modeled.”
Lyon contends building the structures would cause the beach to the south to become more eroded. He says it also would create a navigation hazard and damage natural hard bottom, important fish habitat.
State and federal agencies also have questioned the modified design’s impact on sea turtles and hard bottom.
In a recent letter to permit reviewers at the state’s Bureau of Beaches and Coastal Systems, the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission said the structures “would have both temporary and permanent adverse effects on the existing hard bottom.”
Even though turtles could pass over submerged structures, the wildlife commission notes, fish hiding around the structures would continue to prey on turtle hatchlings, and baby turtles headed into the ocean still could be disoriented by the disruption of waves.
Stahl contends that the structures would have no direct impact on “persistently exposed” hard bottom – hard bottom that remains exposed for three years or more – and that the limestone structures would create 11 acres of habitat that would harbor marine invertebrates.
With the wave-breaking structures in place, Stahl said, the beach would remain wider instead of being eroded, giving sea turtles a place to nest.
“If the focus of concern is on sea turtles, at least we’re doing something to preserve the habitat,” he said.
Top Ten Reasons to Buy a Condo on Singer Island
June 29th, 2010 by Dermot OBrien 3 comments »Singer island is located in the east-central region of Palm Beach County, Florida. Singer Island is part of Riviera Beach in the South Florida metropolitan area. Named after the Singer Sewing Machine founder, Isaac Singer, Singer Island has many fun and exciting things to do such as parks, marinas, hiking, and bike paths. The top ten reasons to buy a condo in spectacular Singer Island are: the luxurious hotels, restaurants, Spas, down town shops, events, nightlife, beaches, the John D. MacArthur Beach State Park and other attractions in the County such as the museums and zoos.
- The Hotels are the most sophisticated upscale tourist destinations on Singer Island. One of the most luxurious hotels is The Palm Beach Marriott Resort that also happens to be a diverse condominium resort that houses one of the most prestigious spas in Palm Beach County.
- Some of the best restaurants are also located in the Palm Beach Marriott Resort. The outside environment at the ocean-side eatery, the convenience of room service and the catered events with in the stunning entertainment veranda are what make the Marriott so astonishing. Other restaurants that are located in Singer Island is the Sailfish Marina, which is a dockside restaurant that offers fresh seafood. Their most notorious menu item is the crab cakes with fresh roasted corn and sweet potato chips. Max and Eddies Cucina offers delicious pizza. The Buccaneer Steakhouse is a waterfront upscale steakhouse that features cooked-to-order fillet mignon, rib-eye and sirloin steaks.
- Shopping is a must in Singer Island! High-end brand name apparel can be found just minutes away on Palm Beach’s exclusive Worth Avenue. West Palm’s historic Clematis street and City Place features a large variety of well known stores such as Macy’s, Lane Bryant, Ann Taylor, and Bath & Body Works just to name a few. Further away is The Palm Beach Gardens Mall which features more then 160 shops.
- Singer Island holds many events all year round such as the Sunset Celebration and Art show which takes place every Thursday. The island also host several Sport fishing tournaments and off-Broadway plays such as Annie and stand-up comedians such as Robert Dubac.
- The Norton Museum of Art features a collection of art from around the world for example, the nineteenth and twentieth century Chinese and European art, as well as contemporary art and photography.
- The miles of sparking white sand beaches of Singer Island are also a main attraction to residents and visitors. The beaches have been considered one of the top five beaches in Palm Beach County.
- The nightlife in Singer Island is very minimal so for a more vibrant atmosphere heading down to Clematis or City Place is a great idea. Clematis and City Place host a variety of different style bars and clubs for all ages. Some of the more well-known hot spots are Blue Martini, Palm Beach Improv, Roxy’s, and Dr. Feelgoods.
- John D. MacArthur Beach State Park is a nature preserve with a variety of things to do such as snorkeling, kayaking, fishing, and bird watching. The park is open 365 days a year from 8am til sundown. The entrance fee is only 5 dollars per vehicle which makes the park a cheap and fun destination for the whole family.
- The Palm Beach Zoo is also another great attraction in the area. The Palm Beach Zoo is a place for people of all ages to come and learn about zoology. The palm Beach Zoo is a non-profit organization located at Dreher Park in West Palm Beach, Florida. The Zoo houses over 1,400 animals within 23 acres of lush tropical habitats. The zoo offers many different educational shows and programs that makes learning about animals fun. The zoo is open every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas from 9 a.m. to 5 a.m.
- Singer Island is known for being the picturesque, upscale and pristine living place for thousands of condo owners.
Unit #1111 at the Palm Beach Marriott Resort and Spa in Singer Island Florida
June 28th, 2010 by Dermot OBrien No comments »Luxury at its best! This 2 bedroom 2bath condo was built in 2007 at the newly named Palm Beach Marriott in Singer Island, Florida. MLS #R2853107. The price is competitively set at $765,000.00 with no monthly fees and a property tax of only $8,071.00 per year. The condo has a very contemporary modern edge style with dark wood tones, stainless steel kitchen appliances and marble baths. A little over 1328-square feet, the condo comes with all the amenities of luxurious living. The resort includes a 8,500-square foot spa, butler service, valet attendants, and a full-time concierge that will enhance guess experiences and activities. The condo has extravagant views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterways that can be seen from the expansive terraces in each suit. With beach and pool side attendants that provide everything from lush towels and luxurious lounge chairs to tempting menu items that can be enjoyed under a cabana, this is the ideal place to relax and unwind.
For more information contact Dermot O’Brien
561-317-1177 or Email Info@singerislandflorida.com
The Max Planck Florida Institute to break ground on new labs
June 25th, 2010 by Dermot OBrien No comments »Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Updated: 6:32 p.m. Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Posted: 4:54 p.m. Monday, June 21, 2010
Palm Beach County’s nascent biotech industry takes another step toward maturity today when a prestigious German research institute breaks ground on its new labs.
The Max Planck Florida Institute will build a 100,000-square-foot center on the Jupiter campus of Florida Atlantic University. The modern building, scheduled for completion in 2012, will be dominated by a towering glass atrium that rises as high as 60 feet.
Max Planck’s labs along Donald Ross Road will be built only a few dozen steps from Scripps Florida’s 350,000-square-foot research center.
“That’s quite a one-two punch, to have Scripps and Max Planck right across the street from each other,” said Sherry Snyder, head of West Palm Beach biotech firm Xcovery.
Max Planck is conducting research from its temporary home at FAU in Jupiter, where the institute employs 31 people, including Bert Sakmann, winner of the Nobel Prize in medicine in 1991.
Biotech entrepreneurs such as Ray Johnson are still pinching themselves at Jupiter’s emergence as a biotech hub.
“If you had said a few years ago that we’re going to get two of the best research institutes in the world to come to little old Jupiter, people would have said, ‘Fat chance,’ ” said Johnson, head of Jupiter biotech firm Cytonics.
Max Planck and Scripps came here only after hefty investments by taxpayers. Max Planck will receive $188 million in state and county money, for which it has promised to hire 135 employees. Scripps agreed to hire 545 people in exchange for $579 million in state and local money.
Florida is far from the only place spending big money to lure scientists. Dozens of states and nations are pursuing the biotech industry.
“Of all the places Max Planck could choose in this country to open their first operation, it speaks volumes that they chose Palm Beach County,” said Russell Allen, president of BioFlorida, a trade group based in West Palm Beach. “It was a real coup for Florida.”
State and county leaders hope the big bet on biotech spurs the growth of a knowledge-based economy. They’re banking on Max Planck and Scripps to generate a steady stream of life-improving drugs that will be developed by private companies that emerge from the two nonprofit institutes.
The ultimate goal: Create thousands of high-paying jobs. The average pay for Florida biotech jobs is $55,264, well above the typical private-sector pay of $39,596, according to a recent study by research firm Battelle.
With so much money at stake, there’s skepticism that the bet is a wise one. A study released early this year by the Florida Legislature’s Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability looked at investments of state and county money in eight research institutes, including Scripps and Max Planck, and found the payoff remains elusive.
“This investment has not yet resulted in the growth of technology clusters in the counties where program grantees have established facilities,” the report said.
Lake Worth investment adviser Daniel Brooks questions the wisdom of giving Max Planck and Scripps more than $1 million for each job they’re required to create.
“I think it’s a terrible use of taxpayer money,” Brooks said. “The cost versus the benefit just doesn’t make sense, especially when the economy’s in the crapper and everybody’s raising taxes.”
Biotech boosters urge patience.
“We will start seeing more commercial activity,” Allen said. “Unfortunately, there’s no overnight success in our industry.”
Max Planck’s arrival was smooth and controversy-free, particularly compared with the contentious battle over Scripps’ new home. The Scripps Research Institute in 2003 decided to build its labs on Mecca Farms, an orange grove in northwestern Palm Beach County, but environmental concerns led Scripps to build on FAU’s campus.
Based in Munich, the nonprofit Max Planck Society has 20,000 employees and an annual budget of $1.8 billion. While its research spans the life sciences and social sciences, Max Planck’s work here focuses on neuroscience and “bioimaging” techniques that let scientists see the interactions of microscopic molecules.
Max Planck Vice President Claudia Hillinger said the institute decided to move here in part to work with Scripps scientists. Its new labs are designed to encourage collaboration, said Margie DeBolt, a partner at Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects. She envisions scientists taking a break in the atrium and chatting with their colleagues.
“Researchers are always trying to find ways to collaborate,” DeBolt said. “The interaction is really key to making the research more potent.”
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