After telling us last week that developers of the controversial Marina Lofts condominium must apply for a building permit by February 20 or else go before the Fort Lauderdale City Commission again, city spokesperson Chaz Adams stands corrected.
Actually, he says now, the developer has until February 20, 2017.
At the time Marina Lofts was approved by the City Commission in 2013, the law required that the developer would have to apply for a building permit by this month or else the approval would expire. However, a 2014 law created a window for the developer to ask for an extension.
Says Adams:
Chapter 2014-218, Section 46, Laws of Florida (i.e., CS/HB 7023) approved by the Governor on June 20, 2014 and effective on July 1, 2014, provided a two-year statutory time extension on qualified development orders. Pursuant to this legislation, the Marina Lofts project applied for and received a two-year extension, meaning that the developer has until February 20, 2017 to apply for a building permit.
Stephanie Toothaker of law firm Tripp Scott requested the extension on behalf of Marina Lofts in July 2014.
On its Facebook page, Marina Lofts continues to ignore commenters who ask about the status of the project.
Here's the paper trail regarding the extension:
