Gulfstream Hotel tour for electeds probably won’t happen
‘People are asking, ‘What’s going on with the Gulfstream?’ I would much rather be honest and say, hey, I toured it and here's what's going on,’ Commissioner Sarah Malega said.
THE DEVELOPERS RENOVATING the Gulfstream Hotel don’t plan to offer hardhat tours any time soon. But at least one city commissioner would like a behind-the-scenes peek at the progress.
The hotel’s general manager, Lawrence Cassenti, said the Gulfstream is around 87 percent complete and still aiming for a late 2026 opening, even though there has been no work at the site since roughly the third week in June.
City Commissioner Sarah Malega wants to tour the work site with the rest of her commission colleagues so they can share accurate information about the progress with their constituents.
“I don’t know if anybody else is getting inundated with questions of ‘Where’s the Gulfstream at?’’’ she said July 2 during an online work commission session.
“Maybe we could all tour it,’’ she said. “I think it’s important that we know where the Gulfstream process is, even though it’s not our project.’’
The historic downtown hotel at the east end of Lake Avenue is owned by a private company, Restoration St. Louis, and is not on public land.
When Vice Mayor Mimi May asked Malega if she was suggesting commissioners take individual tours or as a group, Malega replied: “At the same time. I think it would be easier. That way we all get the same tour, we have the same update and we’re all on the same page.’’
Commissioners said they had no problem with Malega’s request to ask staff to reach out to Amy and Amrit Gill of Restoration St. Louis about offering a tour. But the Gills, who are on vacation, are expected to say no.
“They told me we won’t be doing a tour, but they will follow up with the commission next week,’’ Cassenti said in an interview July 2.
The developers have denied tour requests since last year from others in town, including the Lake Worth Beach Independent, citing insurance prohibitions.
Since the renovation work started, Cassenti has offered occasional progress updates through social media posts of photographs and short videos.
Earlier this spring, the hotel’s exterior got a fresh coat of paint, a custom pink called “Gulfstream Coral Dream.’’
Some residents in nearby condos, who have been watching the hotel renovation since 2024, say they haven’t seen any work activity since at least the middle of June.
“I know the Gills are working with the lender right now to release funds for the windows that were installed a year late, so I know that that’s part of the hold up,’’ Cassenti said.
“They told me they’re going to be back on track very soon,’’ he said. “The lender, the Gills and the general contractor are all meeting (this) week.’’
In an interview after the July 2 work session, Malega said constituents she has heard from are looking forward to the Gulfstream opening and curious about the progress.
“I think it’s important that we have real information and not hyperbole,’’ she said. “People are just asking, ‘What’s going on with the Gulfstream?’ I don’t like to guess. I would much rather be honest and say, ‘Hey, I toured it and here’s what’s going on.’’’
The six-story hotel, first built in 1925, has been shuttered since 2005. In May 2024, Restoration St. Louis broke ground on the renovation, which is part of a $134 million project that includes an addition to the west side of the hotel.
The addition, set to start as soon as the hotel opens, will include 50 hotel rooms, 83 apartments, rooftop restaurant, spa, gym, ballroom and a 273-space parking garage.
Lake Worth Beach has approved economic incentives for the project, including a 10-year tax abatement “believed by some to be worth in excess of $10 million,’’ according to a 2023 Palm Beach Post article.
The refurbished Gulfstream will open as a Marriott Bonvoy with 90 rooms, a swimming pool and a lobby restaurant. The earliest available booking on the Marriott website is Nov. 4.
Too bad. Everybody is asking - especially when everyone was down there for Independence Day. I like the Gills and hope they continue to do the right thing but silence isn’t the right thing right now