1675-5 Delano I
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mh BEACH OKS DELANO RENOVATION 01/12/1994
THE MIAMI HERALD
Copyright (c) 1994, The Miami Herald
DATE: Wednesday, January 12, 1994 EDITION: FINAL
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: 1C LENGTH: 42 lines
ILLUSTRATION: photo: The DELANO HOTEL
SOURCE/CREDIT LINE: ANTHONY FAIOLA Herald Business Writer
BEACH OKS DELANO RENOVATION
New York millionaire Ian Schrager, who first rocked Manhattan with his
Studio 54 and Palladium nightclubs and then created the stylish Royalton and
Paramount hotels, cleared the final hurdle Tuesday in his plans to turn South
Beach's dilapidated Delano Hotel into a five-star "urban resort."
During an hourlong hearing before Miami Beach's strict Design Review
Board, Schrager won permission to restore the 1947 Deco gem created by
architect B. Robert Swartburg. His elaborate
plans call for a $21 million renovation, turning the property into the only
luxury, five-star hotel on South Beach.
"The idea is to do a next-generation urban resort that will keep a new
generation of visitors coming to Miami Beach," Schrager said.
Renovations will begin this month, with plans for an opening in December,
he said.
Then, the 230-room Delano, now little more than a pink husk at 1685
Collins Ave. , will be painted a mono-chromatic white to capture the decorative
Deco nature of the building's design. Inside, a soft sea green interior will
surround new hardwood floors. The pool -- to sport underwater patio furniture
-- will be 40 feet wide by 150 feet long.
Schrager, who served a 20-month jail term for siphoning cash from his
nightclubs, bought the abandoned Miami Beach hotel in early 1993 for $4
million. Ocean Bank of Miami provided a $10 million mortgage for purchase and
development. Schrager said he has another $10 million for renovations from a
Wall Street investment firm, which he declined to name.
In 1984, he branched out from nightclubs and renovated a midtown
Manhattan flophouse called the Morgans. Since then, he has opened the Royalton
and the 610-room Paramount, both designed by Frenchman Philippe Starck, who
will do the Delano's rehab as well.
Schrager's trademark is to create a fashionable hotel with an intriguing
lobby, but charge inexpensive.
Miami Herald file / 1993
FIVE-STAR PLANS: The Delano Hotel is scheduled to open in
December.
TAG: 9401030337