Latest plans for Paramount Theatre Building makeover go before Town Council on Wednesday

A modified plan to redevelop the historic Paramount Theatre Building will be presented to the Town Council at its development review meeting Wednesday.

Nine months after the town's landmarks board told the project's team to make revisions after concerns were raised about traffic, density and other impacts, representatives will share their vision for the nearly century-old property, which Palm Beach resident Lester Woerner and his son, Trent, bought in 2021.

The Woerners paid $14 million for the Paramount property through their holding company, Woerner Holdings LP. They said they plan to rehabilitate the landmarked building, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

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"I had a passion when I acquired it to restore it back to its grandeur and have an opportunity for the people of Palm Beach to be able to come to events here," Woerner told the Daily News.

Designed by noted architect Joseph Urban, the 1,250-seat Paramount Theatre on the southeast corner of North County Road and Sunrise Avenue opened in 1927 and became the entertainment hub of Palm Beach.

Performers who appeared on its stage included George Gershwin, Al Jolson, Will Rogers and Billie Burke.

The Paramount screened films until 1980, when the cinema closed. The auditorium was gutted several years later to provide room for more retail and office space as part of an adaptive reuse project. The building, which was landmarked in 1982, reopened in 1985.

Currently, it counts 16 tenants, including offices that house the Palm Beach Police & Fire Foundation and the Palm Beach Civic Association. Storefront tenants include Palm Beach Pilates, French Wine Merchant and Chik Monk.

Woerner Holdings bought the building and its adjacent parking from Paramount Church Inc., a nonprofit whose name references the building’s longtime anchor tenant, the Paramount Church.

"Knowing the history behind it and the importance of it, to be offered the keys to the Paramount was a very special opportunity," Lester Woerner said. "I'm very excited about the opportunity. I realized that to restore this is going to be a big project. I went and put together a team that could help us bring about a vision, a dream of restoring this back to its glory days."

The Woerners and their team originally planned a major renovation of the Paramount Theatre Building, as well as an extensive redevelopment of the surface parking lot directly to the south.

Plans for the project included two public-facing restaurants, a 250-seat event space and four 8,000-square-foot, multistory homes that would be built on the parking lot, with two below-ground parking levels and retail on the first floor of the three houses that would face North County Road.

But opposition was stiff, Woerner said, with area residents voicing concerns about the design of the residential component and the increased traffic flow. Woerner and his project team, which includes former Landmarks Preservation Commission chairs Gene Pandula and René Silvin, went back to the drawing board.

After gathering feedback from residents and consulting with town staff and the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach, Woerner and his team eliminated the public-facing restaurants and added a 225-member private club and a small public-facing restaurant that would be open for breakfast and lunch.

More adjustments were made after additional concerns about traffic and other impacts were raised at a Landmarks Preservation Commission meeting in April.

"Although it was clear everyone wants to see the historic building property restored, and we received an abundance of praise for our plans for the historic building, constructive comments were made about the design of the residential component," Woerner said.

Woerner's design team then made numerous adjustments in the heights and massing of the residential buildings, reducing one home to two stories and the others to three.

The team also eliminated numerous variances and dropped the 250-person public event space and the public-facing restaurant. The private club was increased to 475 members from 225.

To date, the residential component of the project has been redesigned 25 times, with each adjustment driven by a desire to address feedback from the Town Council, Landmarks Board members, the Preservation Foundation and neighbors, said Tony Cummings, a development partner for the project.

"There's so much concern around development in the town and new growth," Cummings said. "This property specifically is about honoring the past. It's not about creating more headaches in town. This is the last iconic asset left in the repositioning of the town, and there's a team that is committed to doing it properly and paying respect to its legacy."

At Wednesday's meeting, the Town Council will consider Woerner's request for a special exception and 20 variances in order to proceed with the project.

Half of the variance requests are related to the residential component of the project, Woerner said, and the other half to the nonconformity of the Paramount Theatre Building, which was built decades before the town revised its zoning code in the 1970s.

Woerner acknowledges the council has plenty to consider before granting approval for the project, but says he remains hopeful it will move forward.

"I'm optimistic about getting approved now," he said. "We've been very sensitive to the requests of the neighborhood and of the council. I'm doing everything in my power to appease everybody that I can."

Woerner is encouraging those with concerns or questions about the project to reach out directly to his design team at rsvp@savetheparamount.com. He and his team also plan to host periodic breakfasts to address any concerns that are raised.

The Town Council also will meet Tuesday for its regular meeting. Agenda items include:

• A presentation on the townwide undergrounding project.

• Proposed ordinances that amend town code related to fire prevention and protection and to the town's Equipment Replacement Fund.

• An update on the Midtown Beach Renourishment Project.

• Resolutions related to the Phipps Ocean Park redevelopment project, including modifications to the approved site plan and approval of a 75-year naming rights term for the lead donor.

• A review of comprehensive plan amendments and zoning code amendments for the Wells Fargo site on South County Road.

Council members will meet at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at Town Hall for their regular meeting and at 9:45 a.m. Wednesday for development review. Members of the public can participate in person or via Zoom. Those wishing to make public comments virtually can access the Zoom link on the town's Meeting Audio page.

Jodie Wagner is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at jwagner@pbdailynews.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Paramount Theatre makeover plans go to Palm Beach Town Council