Developer plans new oceanfront condo high-rise in Daytona Beach Shores

Jim Mack has developed nine oceanfront condo projects in Volusia County over the years, dating back to the early 1970s. His most recent was the 12-story Aruba Condominiums in Daytona Beach Shores completed in 2020.

Now he's back with a new project: a 16-story luxury tower he believes will be his crowning achievement.

"I love them all, but this is going to be more of a luxury resort-type development," he said. "The oceanfront condominium business is constantly evolving and incredibly difficult with all the building code and environmental requirements, especially after the condo collapse in the Miami area (in 2021).

"Consumers' tastes are also changing. The things they look for in a condo are not the same as they were in the '70s or even early 2000s. I have planned this project for the owners to be the most unique and satisfying building for condominium owners in the last 20 years."

Mack hopes to break ground on the 74-unit Liv Condos project at 3635 S. Atlantic Ave. in Daytona Beach Shores by April 1.

Rental cottages currently occupy the site

The 1.25-acre oceanfront site is a short walk north of the Sunglow Pier. It currently has six small cottages originally built in 1970 as a motel, according to Volusia County property records. Crystal Anderson, the owner of Oceans Luxury Realty in Daytona Beach Shores, which manages the property, said the plan is to stop renting the cottages at the end of the year so they can be demolished to make way for the condo project. Anderson will oversee sales and marketing for the condos as well as serve as project manager.

The land is owned by a family in Texas

Like Anderson, Mack's involvement with the Liv Condos project will be as a hired gun. The owners are a Houston, Texas family that originally hails from India. The Kumars, which include Hersh and his son Akshay, recently formed a limited liability company in Ponce Inlet under the name Shipra Sea Shore Development LLC to do business in Florida.

The Liv Condos will be their first real estate development project in Florida. "If this one does well, it could lead to more projects," said Anderson.

Owners have several properties here

The family bought most of the site for the future Liv Condos for $2.3 million in 2015 under the name "SA 2011 LLC," according to property records. They added a vacant lot directly south of it in May for $480,000. Anderson said the two lots gives the condo project 200 feet of beach frontage.

SA 2011 LLC also owns two adjoining vacant lots across the street on the southwest corner of A1A and Dahlia Avenue, as well as two lots along the west side of Ridgewood Avenue in Edgewater, according to property records.

The Kumar family also owns the 3-story Waverly Tower office building at 55 Inlet Harbor Road in Ponce Inlet, which they bought for $460,000 in 2010 under the name "SA 2008 LLC."

Expect high-end amenities

Preliminary plans for Liv Condos include luxury amenities filling the entire first floor. They include a fitness center and a pool lounge as well as a game room featuring pool tables and arcade games.

The pool deck will be partially covered and will include a large pool as well as outdoor grills and firepits. The tower will include both underground and surface parking.

It's going to be pricey

Units at Liv Condos will start around $800,000, with the average price $1 million, said Anderson. She said the tower is aimed at catering to both year-round and part-time residents, some of whom might want to also use their units as short-term rentals.

The property lost its seawall in last year's storms

The back-to-back tropical storms Ian and Nicole in September and October 2022 washed away most of the property's seawall as well as a good chunk of the backyard which sits on a grass-covered bluff.

The plan is to build a new seawall using the latest techniques to make it better able to handle storm surges, said Mack. The condo tower also will be built to the latest building standards for oceanfront structures.

Some oppose new oceanfront projects

Some beachside residents called for a moratorium on new oceanfront high-rise projects in the wake of Ian and Nicole, which caused severe beach erosion and damaged condos, hotels and homes all along Volusia County's coast.

"I think it's time we stopped building on the east side of A1A until we can come up with a new county-wide beach management plan that includes input for experts outside Volusia County on coastal erosion, weather patterns and sea level rise," said Paul Zimmerman of Daytona Beach who serves as vice president of a beach-driving advocacy group called Sons of the Beach.

'There's nothing like living on the beach'

Mike Jeffers lives in the Sherwin Condominiums at 2555 S. Atlantic Ave. in Daytona Beach Shores which lost its seawall, pool deck and a significant portion of the bluff on which the 19-story tower was built in last year's storms.

A year later, repairs have yet to be completed, Jeffers confirmed. "We're still working on it, but it's coming along."

The Sherwin was built in 1991, but the building has undergone improvements in recent years including strengthening its structural integrity, he said.

Despite last year's close call, Jeffers said he is all for new oceanfront condos. "It's going to bring in that much more wealth into the community. I think last year's back-to-back storms was a freak occurrence. Once we get our new seawall and redo our landscaping and pool equipment, it's going to be like living in a new condo for us."

"These buildings on the beach are getting a lot of flack from people who say we shouldn't be building or repairing (existing) structures, but this is the first time something like this has happened to our building. Our building remains on a firm foundation."

He added: "There's nothing like living on the beach."

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Daytona Shores is getting a new condo tower. Here's where it's going.