Pompano Beach Fishing Village: New Oceanside Events Venue; Hotel Update. (Pics)

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BY MARIE PULEO, POMPANO BEACH REAL ESTATE AND DEVELOPMENT REPORTER

POMPANO BEACH FISHING VILLAGE UPDATE:  A catering hall and event space is the latest planned addition to the Pompano Beach Fishing Village. Although it has yet to break ground, developers believe the new venue will tie together the entire Fishing Village complex, which already includes two restaurants, and has additional eateries, retail and a hotel currently under construction.  

The two-story event space, to be located on North Pompano Beach Boulevard just west of the pier, will hold weddings, corporate events, charity fundraisers and private parties.

“This is really going to be a game changer for Pompano Beach,” said Tim Hernandez of Pompano Pier Associates, the developer of the Pompano Beach Fishing Village. “I’m probably more excited about this than anything else.”

Hernandez said the event venue will be the piece that ties the restaurant, hotel and retail components of the Fishing Village together, to create a “synergistic mix of uses,” with each use helping the other to prosper.

The Pompano Beach Fishing Village includes the Pompano Beach House restaurant, which opened last year, and the recently opened Oceanic restaurant. Still under construction are Lucky Fish Beach Bar and Grill, Alvin’s Island beach goods store, BurgerFi, Kilwins, Cannoli Kitchen and a dual-branded Hilton hotel.  The hotel, which is slated to open in December 2020, has been progressing rapidly. (See latest picture below)

In addition, retail space on the ground level of the Pier Parking Garage will be leased for various uses.

The event space is being created by New York-based Lovin’ Oven Catering, operators of high-end properties in Tribeca and Long Island, and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The Pompano Beach facility will offer “all the ingredients you would need to throw a fabulous event,” said Michael Scollan, Vice President of Lovin’ Oven. He anticipates the facility will draw people to Pompano Beach who might otherwise have had their events in West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale or Miami.

Current plans specify the complex will occupy 15,000 to 18,000 square feet over two floors, with a rooftop deck overlooking the ocean. It is expected to serve seated dinners for parties of 200 to 250 people.

The ground floor design includes space for cocktail hours and wedding ceremonies. It will have a bridal suite, which can also serve as a green room for events that have a special guest speaker, or a VIP. The second floor will be a ballroom with a large dance floor and views overlooking the ocean.

The rooftop could be used for wedding ceremonies or small cocktails, with the Atlantic Ocean as the backdrop. Live music and DJs would be limited to inside the first and second floors of the event venue.

Scollan said that, currently, the plan is to hold only one event at a time, which is generally how they operate their other event venues.

All the food will be made on site from scratch, according to Scollan. There will be one kitchen on the ground floor for the cocktail hour, and a larger kitchen on the second floor that will serve dinner in the ballroom. One cooking staff will alternate between the two kitchens.

“We take the food very seriously,” Scollan added.  

The beachfront event space plans call for floor-to-ceiling windows to take advantage of the ocean views. Scollan envisions a clean, contemporary décor that will play to the inherent beauty of the location.

“We’re going to build this place to be very attractive, a place where you would want to have your event,” said Scollan.

The plans are still going through the City’s review process, and although the current proposed design for the building is subject to revisions, the overall concept for the building will likely remain the same.  

Construction of the venue is currently expected to start in November 2020, with completion estimated for December 2021.

“We envision a fantastic top-of-the-line event space the city can be proud of,” said Scollan.

Scollan said that Lovin’ Oven chose Pompano Beach as the location for its newest venue because of its proximity to the ocean, and all the development that is taking place on the beachfront and in the surrounding area.

“There was a lot going on there in terms of growth, and it seemed like a great opportunity for us,” said Scollan. “We took a look at the whole situation and we felt it would be a great fit.”

Scollan thinks the event venue has the potential to be “a great economic driver for Pompano Beach,” with out-of-town guests generating business for local hotels, restaurants and retail shops.

The facility doesn’t have an official name yet, but Scollan said they are working on it. A pricing structure will be determined when the project plans are further along.

Scollan estimates the venue will employ about 125 people.

“We’re going to rely on the local workforce primarily, if not entirely, to fill these positions,” he said. “We want this to be a place that ties in with the community.”

For the latest Pompano Fishing Village update, more Pompano Beach news and things to do in Pompano Beach read Pompano! magazine and search our website.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”9505″ img_size=”large” add_caption=”yes”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”9507″ img_size=”large” add_caption=”yes”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”9506″ img_size=”large” add_caption=”yes”][/vc_column][/vc_row]