Council approvals set stage for Breakers' Mediterranean Courtyard renovation

For decades, the Mediterranean Courtyard at The Breakers resort has remained the same: a rectangular hole carved from the behemoth property's middle, mostly paved and open to the elements.

Now, a plan to revitalize the space would bring covered seating, more greenery and better access for guests, visitors and employees.

The Town Council at its development review meeting Wednesday voted unanimously to approve two special exceptions for the work that Breakers chief executive Paul Leone said will breathe new life into the resort's Mediterranean Courtyard.

"This will be the last part of a complete restoration of the facility," Leone said, referring to the three-decade, multi-million dollar, piece-by-piece overhaul of The Breakers.

The work will include building a glass conservatory on the west side of the courtyard with access from the lobby. It will feature indoor and outdoor seating for guests, and there will be a bar with coffee and other beverages, Leone said. The project also includes two pergolas on the courtyard's north and south facades, access ramps to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards and upgrades to the landscaping, he said.

The pair of special exceptions granted by the council Wednesday allow for the new bar in the conservatory addition, and for outdoor seating in the courtyard.

The project next goes to the Landmarks Preservation Commission this Wednesday for design review. That meeting begins at 9:30 a.m.

While the renovation would create a new seating area in the courtyard, it would not create additional seats within The Breakers overall, said Wayne Bergman, the town's director of planning, zoning and building.

Instead, the 128 seats being requested for the Mediterranean Courtyard — of which 24 would be inside the conservatory and 104 would be outside — would be taken from those already allocated to The Breakers' banquet facility, he said. The current courtyard does not provide a sense of place for guests and visitors, Leone said.

Over the past three decades, The Breakers has undertaken a massive revitalization project that has touched every part of the property — except the Mediterranean Courtyard, Leone said.

"The Breakers, as one of the most historic properties in the country of its kind, without the revitalization, it's kind of a museum," he said. The courtyard is the final piece of the property to be restored, he said, adding that the goal is to create a more welcoming environment from the moment a guest walks into the lobby.

The lobby currently has three double doors that look onto the courtyard's west side — but those doors do not open and need to be replaced, Leone said. That would be included in this project, and once completed, the doors would remain open to the new conservatory, he said.

"We're creating a more welcoming, more attractive, more comfortable environment with all-day light beverage and food service," Leone said.

The new seating area will not have a name, be a new venue, receive promotion or advertising, he said. The work is being done to bring an area that is historically underutilized into the modern era and into line with the rest of the property, Leone said.

There are two primary reasons the courtyard is underutilized, he said: There is no service there for guests, and there is no cover from the heat, sun and rain. The entire concrete courtyard is open to the sky above.

"Part of what we've done, what I've done, is figure out how to improve upon something that architecturally is a masterpiece, but as a functioning business, I think they did make some mistakes," Leone said, referring to Schultze and Weaver, the original architects of The Breakers. "... And one of them is not having any protection from the elements out here."

In addition to the pergolas and ADA-compliant ramps, the work would include installing an elevator to allow staff easier access to the Breakers' basement, instead of having to cross through busy public areas, Leone said. The landscaping would be updated with new trees, some more colorful ground cover and additional trellises, he said.

The presentation included additional details about architectural influence and some of the finer points of the design — including plant selections and window spacing on the conservatory — from David Rau, partner with Hart Howerton, the landscape architects and architect of the accessory buildings on the project.

He said that historically, the Mediterranean Courtyard "was not only the heart of the resort, but it was the lungs of the resort." All four sides had windows that opened up and provided fresh air to guests in the years before air conditioning.

Once air conditioning was installed throughout The Breakers, that need passed, and the courtyard lost that connectivity with the rest of the resort, he said.

Council members lauded The Breakers' team for the project's design. "It isn't inviting, and I think your hotel guests deserve to have something that's more inviting and have someplace to go," Council Member Julie Araskog said.

The only comments that suggested any hesitation in approving the resort's requests were regarding making the revitalized courtyard a new attraction to bring people to The Breakers.

Newly chosen council President Pro-Tem Lew Crampton and Araskog asked for confirmation from Leone that this would be primarily for internal use.

"It's not a new venue," Leone said. Work on the courtyard would begin next year, in mid-May, Leone told the council.

Kristina Webb is a reporter for Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at kwebb@pbdailynews.com. Subscribe today to support our journalism.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Breakers Palm Beach resort to renovate Mediterranean Courtyard