Three Worth Ave. projects in Palm Beach get OK to continue into season

Shoppers on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach will continue to see construction into the beginning of November, after three projects were allowed to continue through the middle of that month.

The Town Council voted unanimously on three items at the Oct. 15 Development Review Committee meeting — postponed from the week before because of Hurricane Milton — to grant extensions to two projects on Worth Avenue’s 200 block and one on the 300 block to continue working past Oct. 31, into the third week of November but wrapping up before Thanksgiving.

Palm Beach allows construction on Worth Avenue between 8 am and 8 pm Monday through Saturday from May 1 through Oct. 31. Construction outside that window requires council approval.

216-218 Worth Ave.

Construction on the expansion for the Brunello Cucinelli store at 218 Worth Ave. was slowed down by a need for new sprinklers and fire alarms, general contractor David Brown told the council.

Brunello Cucinelli asked for and was granted a three-week extension.

The project team had to go through the design and permitting process with West Palm Beach, which owns and operates the water mains on the island. West Palm Beach about three weeks ago approved for the project to connect to the water main, and the team had another meeting with that city’s utility officials this week to move forward with the process, Brown said.

“That work has prevented us from finishing some of the critical components inside the building,” he said, noting that some finishes, including closing up walls and some ceiling areas, have been delayed.

Work outside of the building will be completed by Oct. 31, with interior work continuing for the three weeks after that, Brown said.

Brunello Cucinelli has Jennifer Tatanelli to its east and the under-construction new Louis Vuitton store to its west.

The council in September denied Louis Vuitton’s request to continue working through March 31, saying that would be too disruptive to neighbors.

Once completed, Brunello Cucinelli will occupy 4,107 square feet on two floors, with more second-floor space for back-of-house operations including storage, offices, a pantry for employees, a changing area for the staff and space for a tailor to work .

247-251 Worth Ave.

The council also approved a three-week extension for work on 247-251 Worth Ave.the buildings owned by longtime Palm Beach resident Jane Holzer, a former muse of artist Andy Warhol who was known as “Baby Jane.”

The site is under construction as a second and third story are added, with additional space for the first-floor retail tenants on the second floor and an apartment on the third level.

Greg Batten with Batten Construction told the town in a letter to request the extension that recent weather including Hurricane Milton and the two states of emergency declared for that storm and Hurricane Helene created delays in completing exterior work on the project.

“These mandatory suspensions, combined with the need for hurricane tie-down procedures, have significantly delayed our ability to apply the critical fluid-applied waterproofing system in advance of the Stucco coat, a weather-sensitive phase of the project,” Batten wrote.

The waterproofing system includes four steps in addition to the stucco, he told the council on Tuesday.

Batten asked to work from 6 am to 6 pm Monday through Saturday through Nov. 23.

Council member Julie Araskog said she was concerned about allowing construction on Saturday during season, but Batten said he will shut down Saturday operations if any complaints are made to the town.

All work on the first floor will be completed by Oct. 31, Batten told the council.

339 Worth Ave.

The roofing portion of a major renovation project at Via Mizner on the 300 block of Worth Avenue will continue through the first three weeks of November after the council’s unanimous vote on Tuesday.

George Doup of Pace Roofing told the council that the speed of other concrete work being done on the historic via put the re-roofing behind schedule.

“Of course, this hurricane kind of set us back a little bit,” he added of Milton, for which the town ordered construction to pause Oct. 9 as the storm approached.

Pace has re-roofed 18 buildings on Worth Avenue and is moving to Peruvian next, Doup said. “It’s quite an undertaking,” he said.

Araskog asked about concerns conveyed in the town staff’s memo to the council about the request. In the memo, Public Works Construction and Right-of-Way Manager Paul Burgoon suggested that Pace should be on notice for a “stop work” order after receiving three strikes from the town for on-site issues.

Doup countered that one of the citations issued to his crew was actually another contractor, who incorrectly used a right-of-way for which Pace has a permit, and that contractor paid the fee to clear the citation.

Council members noted that another strike would shut down the work: “So one thing goes wrong, that’s it. It’s tapioca,” council member Bridget Moran said.

Kristina Webb is a reporter for Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at [email protected]. Subscribe today to support our journalism.