The latest proposal to renovate the historic Paramount Theatre building fell flat on July 10 when the Town Council voted down the property owner’s plan to operate a 475-member private club at the site.
The council voted 3-2 to deny owner Lester Woerner’s request for a special exception use that would have allowed the private club in the commercial town-serving zoning district where the Paramount building is located.
Council members Lew Crampton and Ted Cooney dissented, preferring to seek a compromise with Woerner on future use of the nearly 40,000-square-foot building at 139 North County Road.
But Woerner insisted on an up-or-down vote on the club, which was the centerpiece of his plan for renovation and adaptive use of the 98-year-old building.
The three-member council majority determined that the club would result in an intensified use of the site that would adversely affect the public interest.
Woerner warned the council before its vote that, if his plan was not approved, he would max out use of the building by adding tenants, such as offices or retail, that are allowed there under existing zoning rules.
Following the vote, Woerner said he has worked for more than two years and spent a lot of money trying to create a viable development plan that the town would approve.
“It won’t get restored now, but we’re going to maximize the use of the Paramount, as we told you before, and we are going to look at all remedies we can from a legal standpoint because we believe the town was disserved today,” he told the council.
The council’s decision occurred at the end of a marathon meeting in which council members heard from town staff, legal representatives, and many residents, most of whom were opposed to the club because of concerns about traffic and parking impacts.
“It’s my quality of life you’re discussing today,” said resident Judy Cooper. “It’s the quality of life for those of us who live in this neighborhood. It’s everything to me.”
The neighborhood already endures traffic-snarled roads and intersections during the season, residents said.
Resident Vincent Cloud said the area can’t withstand additional intensification. “It’s something that will make it unbearable to the people in our neighborhood.”
Others applauded Woerner’s effort to restore the historic Paramount building, which functioned as a cinema from 1927 until 1980.
“I know he has goodwill for the community, goodwill for the street, and for Palm Beach, and is here to create a benefit for everybody,” resident Denise Sandell said of Woerner.
The Joseph Urban-designed building was designated a town landmark in 1982. The auditorium was gutted when the building was renovated and reopened for retail, office and church uses in 1985. There has been no major renovation since.
The Palm Beach Police and Fire Foundation and Palm Beach Civic Association are among the building’s 16 tenants.
Woerner and his son, Trent, bought the Paramount in 2021 for $14 million. Woerner, who is a longtime Palm Beach resident, has said he would like to restore the historic treasure to its original grandeur with events that would be open to the public. He estimated the renovation cost at $40 million.
Earlier development proposals for the site included two restaurants and construction of four new townhomes, additional retail, and underground parking where there is now a 46-space parking lot. But those plans were dropped amid objections from residents and town officials about the scale of the new buildings and intensity of use.
Woerner’s most recent application sought council approval of six special exception uses and three variances. The special exceptions included the club and a request to double the maximum occupancy for church space within the building to 200 people. The council approved the expanded church space in a 4-1 decision with Julie Araskog opposed.
Woerner and his attorney, James Crowley, argued that the club would not be an intensification of use because their application would have limited club occupancy to 412 people during weekday evenings and on weekends. Weekday mornings and lunch periods would have been capped at 150 and 250 people, respectively.
But Zoning Director Wayne Bergman said the plan did represent intensification because it sought permission for uses that go beyond what is already allowed “by right” in the zoning district.
Earlier in the meeting, Woerner dropped his request for 55 supplemental off-site parking spaces at 40 Cocoanut Row when it bumped into stiff opposition from the neighboring Palm Beach Towers condominium residents.
The Paramount project was deferred in April by the Town Council while it awaited results of a townwide traffic analysis performed by town consultant The Corradino Group. That report found that roads and intersections near the Paramount were at a “service level D,” meaning traffic congestion and long wait times for drivers.
Mayor Danielle Moore supported the council’s decision. She said Woerner’s team failed to provide the council with information it had requested ahead of the July 10 development review meeting. She didn’t say what that information was.
“The council asked for specific things two months ago, and none of those things were presented to you for your consideration,” Moore told the council during Thursday’s meeting focusing on the town budget. “I very much wanted to find a path forward, but I don’t believe you actually had the opportunity based on the information in front of you.”
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