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THE WHITE ELEPHANT
ALSO KNOWN AS:

1.  Rosemary Apartment Hotel
2. Rosa May Hotel
3. Algemac Hotel
4. The Paza Inn
5. Bradley House Hotel
6.  Bradley Park Hotel
7. White Elephant
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The White Elephant Hotel

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A well researched overview

Details follwing

Palm Beach Daily News

Sun, Dec 11, 2022 ·

Page A1

 

White Elephant earns inaugural Preservation Foundation award

Darrell Hofheinz Palm Beach Daily News USA TODAY NETWORK

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In 2018, when the Landmarks Preservation Commission reviewed renovation plans for an overhaul of the historic hotel that has since become the White Elephant, several board members noted that the building had long been off the radar of many island residents.

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The 1924 structure for years was a dulled-with-time workhorse that reg-istered barely a blip among drivers who passed the old hotel daily as they traveled busy Bradley Place or headed to the Publix super-market on the opposite side of Sunset Avenue. No more. The four-story building has been re- vitalized under new own-ership, its Mediterra-nean-style exterior res-tored with a small swim-ming pool added to the front courtyard, and its interiors updated with high-end finishes for a sleek, modern feel. 
At the White Elephant Palm Beach, Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach President and CEO Amanda Skier speaks as Suzanne Elson looks on during a Nov. 5 presentation of the inaugural Edward E. and Su-zanne G. Elson Award, which recog-nized a major restoration-and-renovation project at the land-marked hotel.

 
 
 
 
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GABRIELLE WILDE/ WILDE PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY PRE-SERVATION FOUNDATION OF PALM BEACH

 

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The award is named for a longtime Palm Beach couple – the Hon. Edward E. Elson, a retired businessman and a former U.S. ambassador to Denmark; and his wife, Suzanne G. Elson, a former chairwoman of The Society of the Four Arts. The award complements several other honors bestowed by the foundation that recognize architectural and landscaping projects, typically on private property.

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The award presentation took place on a rooftop terrace at the hotel, which offered views of the courtyard on one side and of Bradley Park and the setting sun over the Intracoastal Waterway on the other.

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“The Elson Award allows us to fully appreciate the impact of a building in the public realm,” Skier said in her opening remarks. “In doing so, we are able to promote projects that positively impact the town’s unique sense of place, as well as promote economic or cultural vitality in the community.”

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Representing the hotel’s ownership was Khaled Hashem, managing director of hospitality for New England Development.

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“Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Elson, for this amazing recognition,” Hashem said, adding that the Karps and their son, New England Development President Douglass E. Karp, wanted to convey their gratitude to the foundation.

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“Steve (Karp) had a vision when he bought the property to renovate it and keep all the historical (elements),” Khaled said.

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In his remarks, Edward Elson addressed Hashem and hotel General Manager Bernhard Duerrmeier when he described the hotel project “as a marvelous reconstruction, truly. When I walked into the lobby, I was taken by the taste and careful planning that went into your reconstruction.”

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The Elson Award honors the property’s owner, the building itself and the architect, Skier said.

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The building’s transformation took more than a year after redevelopment work began in May 2019. Boston-based Elkus Manfredi Architects designed the project, and GliddenSpina+Partners of West Palm Beach served as the architect of record.

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Among the many changes made during the renovation, the hotel lost its nondescript tan paint job. Instead, the building is painted a light cream – complemented by striking black trim and striped awnings – and crowned by a new terracotta tile roof.

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In addition to the pool, the courtyard offers outdoor seating for the hotel’s signature restaurant, LoLa 41, in the space previously occupied by Trevini Ristorante, which moved into a building just down the street.

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Palm Beach’s White Elephant hotel has 32 guestrooms and suites

Inside the hotel, the lobby hints at the hotel’s overall interior design approach – a neutral color palette mixed with metal accents, splashes of color, hardwood floors, Carrara marble, tiles and woven rugs.

The hotel has 32 guestrooms and suites – the same number as before the renovation – that range in size from 510 to 3,000 square feet.

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A metal sculpture of a stylized elephant greets visitors at the main en-trance and lobby, which were moved from the central section of the U-shaped building to the east wing, which once housed the popular C’est Si Bon gourmet shop.

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A series of air-conditioning condensers on the roof eliminated the window units that used to cool rooms. The roof project also removed an screened enclosure that disguised mechanical equipment.

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The improvements were noted in Travel & Leisure’s World’s Best Awards for 2022. In September, the magazine ranked the hotel No. 1 in Florida, No. 2 in the country, and No. 19 worldwide.

White Elephant hotel in Palm Beach has a rich history

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The building was originally built as the Rosemary Apartments, the first of several names it would have over the years, according to research by architectural historian Augustus Mayhew. Other early names included the Rosa May Apartments and the Algemac Hotel. It was known as the Palm Beach Plaza Hotel from the mid-1930s until its sale in 1967, when it was renamed The Bradley House Hotel and later, the Bradley Park Hotel.

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The town designated the property a landmark in 1980. The report prepared as part of the designation process says the building was constructed by E.R. Bradley, who owned and operated his Bradley’s Beach Club gambling establishment nearby on land that is today Bradley Park. Bradley and his brother, J.R. Bradley, owned large swaths of land on Sunset Avenue that they redeveloped as the Floral Park subdivision.

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But a close examination of contemporary newspaper accounts of the building’s planning and construction never mention E.R. Bradley’s involvement. Instead, articles say it was designed by architect Martin L. Hampton and built by the Campbell Building Co., which was run by principals J.H. Scott, J.R. Anthony and W.D. Manley.

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“Many of the landmarks reports were prepared before (digitized versions of) newspapers were easily searchable,” Mayhew said when the hotel changed hands four years ago.

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Mayhew noted that E.R. Bradley’s name became “erroneously” associated with the hotel after the 1967 sale. “The name change helped spur the hotel’s association with Bradley and his famous gambling club,” Mayhew said.

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He noted that one of the hotel’s previous names, “Algemac,” was later transposed as “Algomac,” the name that appears throughout the landmark designation report. “The Bradley House’s cocktail lounge was reportedly to be named the Algemac Room but was instead named the Algomac Room as a confounding historical nod,” said Mayhew.

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New England Development, a real estate development and management company with retail, mixed-use and hospitality assets, purchased the hotel property for a recorded $15.4 million from an entity controlled by Gayla Sue Levin of Fort Lauderdale.

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The Elson Award is among five awards presented by the Preservation Foundation. The Robert I. Ballinger Award honors restorations or rehabilitations of landmarked estates; the Polly Earl Award, honors restorations or rehabilitations of smaller-scale properties in Palm Beach neighborhoods; the Elizabeth L. and John H. Schuler Award honors new architecture with exemplary design that also complements Palm Beach’s historical architecture; and the Lesly S. Smith Landscape Award honors excellence in landscape design.

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Previous reporting by writers M.M. Cloutier and Kristina Webb contributed to this story

Formerly the home of the Bradley Park Hotel, the building at 280 Sunset Ave. changed hands in April 2018. And the new owner, New England Development, soon announced plans to revital- ize the building, inside and out. The Boston-based company is headed by Stephen R. Karp, who shares a home near the property with his wife, Jill. The hotel re-opened in late 2020, rechristened with a name identical to the one held by its sister hotel in Nantucket, Massachusetts. On Monday, the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach recognized the renovation efforts with its inaugural Elson Award, which was established to honor an outstanding new construction project or a major rehabilitation project at a commercial or public space on the island, said foundation President and CEO Amanda Skier.

On a rooftop terrace at the White Elephant Palm Beach, Khalid Hashem, president of White Elephant Resorts, left, shakes hands with Edward Elson, a former U.S. ambassador to Den-mark, during a Nov. 5 presen-tation of the inaugural Edward E. and Suzanne G. Elson Award, which recognized the restor-ation and-renovation project at the landmarked hotel.
 
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GABRIELLE WILDE/WILDE PHOTO-GRAPHY, COURTESY PRESERVATION FOUNDATION OF PALM BEACH

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NAME ONE:  ROSEMARY APARTMENTS

The Palm Beach Post

Fri Dec.ember 5, 1924

Page 7

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Western Union opened a branch office at the Billows Hotel on Ocean Boulevard yesterday with C. D. Sawyer in charge.  There will be five offices in operation in Palm Beach when the season opens, the main office which will be located in the Rosemary apartment building opening about the middle of this month.

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The Palm Beach Post

Wed.Dec. 17, 1924

Page 3

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HOTELS FOR SALE

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Rosemary Apartments, Bradley Place and Sunset Ave.  Palm Beach.

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Palm Beach's newest and largest apartment house, completed and opened Dec. 1st, 1924. Modern, fireproof, complete in the heart of Florida's most noted resort, convenient in every attraction. â€‹Forty apartments, forty baths, elevators, dining room 250 capacity. â€‹Success secured by location and increasing demand.  One of Florida's safest investments.  Easiest terms available.

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For Details See

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J. P. SMITH

EUGENE MILLETTE

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Exclusive agents  -  Hotel and Apartment House Specialists

Main Street, Palm Beach

Expert Counsel at Your Service on Florida Hotels

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NAME TWO:  ROSA MAY

The Palm Beach Post

Sat, Mar 14, 1925

Page 10

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ROSA MAY HOTEL

The title of The Rosa May Apartments ments proved to be a little mislead- ing, for this beautiful building was opened early in December as an apartment hotel, so Mr. J. H. Scott, the owner, changed its name to the Rosa May Hotel and will be one of the first of the new apartment build- ings to open this season, and the only one of the apartments which has restaurant service. The restaurant, the Colonnade Gardens, however, is separate from the hotel, so that the guests may or may not avail themselves of its service, as they wish.

 

Among the season guests at the Rosa May are Mr. L. A. Lemke of Chicago who is a well-known Palm Beach visitor, Mr. C. H. Reinhardt of Providence, who spends most of his time going down to Miami for the races, Mr. H. U. Clark of Bristol, Conn., who is fascinated by the shops here, and Mrs. Frank Humphreys of Morristown, N. J., who devotes most of her time to her two grandchildren who are spending the winter with her here. Recent arrivals at the Rosa May include Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Thatcher and Mrs. G. H. Green of Toledo, Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Speyer of Pittsburgh, with their three children, Judge and Mrs. F. E. Goldsmith of New York, Miss Catherine Cowen of Cincinnati, and Mr. and Mrs. H. N. Baruch of New York.

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The Palm Beach Post

Mon, Aug 24, 1925
Page 6


HOTEL ALGEMAC
The Rosa May hotel has been rechristened, and will be known in the future as the Hotel Algemac. Mr. A. E. Conklin, formerly of New York city, but more recently of Tampa, where he was manager of the Hillsborough hotel is the manager of the new Algemac, and will have entire charge of the hotels of the Realty Alliance company of Palm Beach. The Biltmore apartments will remain under the same management as the Algemac, and they are now open for guests. The name Algemac has a Spanish accent and corresponds with the general Spanish surroundings of the hotel. Mr. William Dana Orcutt of Boston is a guest at the Algemac and will remain for some time in Palm Beach. Mr. Orcutt is author of a number of popular books, and will probably find the settings for another novel that will meet with the public approval of "The Balances" which all lovers of fiction will remember with pleasure. Others who are registered at the Algemac for some time are Mr. Robert Keen and Mr. Robert Stickney, of Boston, both of whom are interested in Palm Beach properties, and Mr. John H. McCormick, a business man of New York, is among the guests who have registered for a month. He is prospecting in Florida.

 

The Palm Beach Post (West Palm Beach, Florida) • Fri, Sep 28, 1934 • Page 1

Mrs. Paty Leases Algemac Property

The Algemac hotel property on Bradley place, Palm Beach, has been leased by Mrs. Lina King Paty and will open on October 15 under the name of the Palm Beach Plaza, according to an announce- ment made by Mrs. Paty last night. Confirmation of the master's sale of the property, which fronts on Bradley place and Sunset avenue, was filed in circuit court Thursday. The property was sold at the May rule day sale for $60,100 to the Bondholders' Protective committee to satisfy a mortgage lien of the Central Farmers Trust company, as trustee, against the Campbell Build- ing company. Winters, Foskett and Wilcox represented the bank in the suit and Joe S. White was general master in charge of the sale.

NAME THREE:  ALGEMAC / ALGOMAC

The Palm Beach Post, Wed Feb. 2, 1927, Page 10

The Palm Beach Post, Sat Dec. 18, 1928, Page 9

The Palm Beach Post

Sat, Dec 15, 1928 

Page 9

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Hotel Algemac To Open Today

The Algemac hotel, which has undergone many improvements, officially opens today under new management, and according to the list of reservations all indications point toward a good season.

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The 52 rooms have been re-decorated and are attractive with period furnishings offset by attractive draperies. The newly landscaped patio, where bright crotons vie with other foliage, leads into the foyer, done in tones of brown and ivory, relieved here and there by a bright potted flower or brilliant scarf.

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The hotel is ideally situated in the heart of things, including the Sunset Bathing Beach, which is just a block in distance.

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Emerson C. Cook is in charge of the hostelry.

This is the fifth season for the Algemac which, as in other years, will be operated on the European plan.

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The Palm Beach Post 

Sat, Jan 31, 1931

Page 7

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Hotel Algemac

The Hotel Algemac on Bradley Place at Sunset Road, is the winter home of a number of seasonal visitors to Palm Beach. Among those now staying at the hoel are: Mrs. Walter Schiff, Chicago; Mrs. Florence Curtis, New York; Mrs. Ethel Clegg, New York; Mr. and Mrs. Louis Lacy, Providence, R. I.; Mr. and Mrs. Max Cohen, New York; W. D. Eyre, New York; L. P. Carty, Roy Harmon, Bar Harbor, Maine; Mr. and Mrs. Harry Gluckman, Bedford, Conn.; Mrs. Elizabeth Trounstine, Chicago; George Kelly, New York; Mrs. Herbert Newman, New York; Mr. and Mrs. Margolin, New York; John Downey, New York. Dr. G. E. Merriam, whose drugstores are long-time institutions in Palm Beach, and Mrs. Merriam are making their winter home at the Algemac this season.

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The Palm Beach Post 

Thu, Dec 17, 1931 

Page 12

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Sale of Two Hotels Ordered in Decree

Sale of the Algemac hotel and the Colonnade, both of Palm Beach, was ordered in a final decree foreclosing a trust deed signed in circuit court Wednesday, in the event a total of $273,517.24 is not paid within one day to prevent the sale. The Central Farmers Trust company, as successor trustee, foreclosed the trust deed following defaults. The Campbell Building company and other parties were defendants. In the event payment is not made General Master J. S. White will offer the property at legal sale to the highest bidder, probably on the first Monday in February. Winters, Foskett & Wilcox and George W. Coleman represent the complainant.

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The Palm Beach Post 

Fri, Sep 28, 1934 

Page 1

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Mrs. Paty Leases Algemac Property

The Algemac hotel property on Bradley place, Palm Beach, has been leased by Mrs. Lina King Paty and will open on October 15 under the name of the Palm Beach Plaza, according to an announce- ment made by Mrs. Paty last night. Confirmation of the master's sale of the property, which fronts on Bradley place and Sunset avenue, was filed in circuit court Thursday. The property was sold at the May rule day sale for $60,100 to the Bondholders' Protective committee to satisfy a mortgage lien of the Central Farmers Trust company, as trustee, against the Campbell Build- ing company. Winters, Foskett and Wilcox represented the bank in the suit and Joe S. White was general master in charge of the sale.

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The Palm Beach Post

Tue, Apr 3, 1934

Page 5

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APARTMENT BUILDINGS BOUGHT FOR $221,000

Foreclosure Sales Are Subject to Order of Court

The El Cid, Hibiscus and Algemac apartments and the Monterey hotel brought bids aggregating $221,000 at foreclosure sales Monday from the steps of the county courthouse. The bids are subject to confirmation by the court.

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Highest Price

The El Cid apartments were sold to Elmer Rich, of Chicago and Palm Beach at a bid of $65,000 and subject to taxes of $26,000. This was characterized as the highest price received at a foreclosure sale here in years. The Monterey hotel was sold to the Central Farmers' Trust company on a bid of $36,000 subject to taxes, bringing the purchase price total to around $45,000.

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Algemac Sold

The Algemac apartments in Palm Beach were sold to the Benjamin Franklin Investment Corporation for $45,000. The Hibiscus apartments were sold to John R. Beacham, as agent for $17,000 and subject to taxes which, it was said, can be settled for about $12,000.

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The four sales were made in mortgage foreclosure cases brought by the Central Farmers' Trust Company, as successor trustees, against Vibber, Cook and Harsha and others, the Hibiscus Holding Company and others, the Campbell Building Company and others, and the Alliance Realty Company and others.

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NAME THREE:  PALM BEACH PLAZA
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The Palm Beach Post

Sun, Dec. 5, 1937

Page 44

​PALM BEACH PLAZA OPENS FOR SEASON

​Mrs. Paty, Manager, Has Operated Hotels in Section For 18 Years

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     With the recent opening of the Palm Beach Plaza Hotel on Sunset Avenue at Bradley Place in Palm Beach,Place, Mrs. Lina King Paty launched her eighteenth season in hotel management in the Palm Beaches.

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    This is the fourth winter that the Plaza has been under her direction, and it has come to be the mecca for many visitors who had spent former seasons with her at other hotels.  Mrs. Paty spent this summer abroad, and she has brought back with her a number of Old World ideas of color and atmosphere, which she has incorporated especially in her new patio.

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     The patio in front of the hotel has been paved with red tile.  There is much new planting and bright yellow chairs have been scattered throughout, so that it will prove a setting for many sun lovers this winter.

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     During the summer, the hotel was completely done over with new painting and much new decoration.  The Plaza is a large rambling home-like hotel, with a capacity ranging from 150 to 165.  Most of the rooms are arranged in suites, the greater number of bedrooms having adjoining sitting rooms that have in-a-door beds in dressing closets.

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     An interesting feature of the Plaza lies in the fact that the usual hotel uniformity has been abandoned in favor of individual furnishings and decorations for each suite.  Different color schemes and varied types of furniture are used in each.  Some of the guests, who return year after year,  leave some of their individual accessories in their suites to be ready for them on their return. Large, spacious dressing room closets are a special feature of the rooms.

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     The large lounge extends across the front of the building and is furnished with low, comfortable chairs and lounges.  It adjoins the dining room, which is on the Bradley Place side.  The Plaza has built up a reputation for its southern cooking.

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The Miami News

Wed Nov. 22, 1644 

Page 5

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ONE OF THE largest real eatate transactions to be completed in Palm Beach this year is the recent sale of the Palm Beach Plaza hotel by Algemac Properties, Inc.,to A. A. Winer for a price of $110,000.​

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The Palm Beach Post

Tue Jul.27, 1943

 Page 7

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Palm Beach Plaza Hotel

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Palm Beach, Fla., corner of Bradley Place and Sunset Ave.  Phone 8545.

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Special summer rates for officers and service men and families.  $50 monthly.  Two in room, with private bath $1.50 daily.  Free bathing facilities.  Convenient to all Army camps.  Bus service from hotel.

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The Palm Beach Post

Fri Dec. 15, 1950

Page 10

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Mrs. Bollet Regains Palm Beach Plaza

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     Having re-acquired the Palm Beach Plaza Hotel, which she owned and operated in 1944-45, Mrs. Sorrel Ross Bollet Thursday made known that she plans to have the hotel again under her personal ownership-management this season.

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     Mrs. Bollet this week completed negotiations for re-purchasing the hotel from Mr. and Mrs. George D. Flick, to whom she sold it in 1945.  She also owns the adjacent building, with a pharmacy on the ground floor, apartments above in which she makes her home.

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     The hotel will open about Dec. 20, she said, following a complete remodeling and refurnishing job.

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     A. Burton Wright, who has been with a number of resort hotels, including the Boca Raton Club, the Roney Plaza in Miami Beach, and the Atlantic Beach, is to be resident manager, the owner said. said.​

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The Palm Beach Post

Sun.Nov.19, 1967

Page  86

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Old Resort Hotel To Have New Life

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     Re-opening of the Palm Beach Plaza Hotel, Sunset Avenue and Bradley Place, by the end of November as the Bradley House by architect Robert W. Richardson is reviving memories of Col. Edward R. Bradley, colorful gambler and club owner here from 1895 through to 1946.

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     "The building has been in rundown appearance for some time," said Richardson.  "Examination showed it to be in excellent structural condition.  Although much of its original beauty has been hidden under coats of paint and indiscriminate redecorating in the past, to me, as a practicing designer, its refurbishing became a challenge."

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     The challenge encouraged Richardson and his associates to buy the 60-room, four-story building.  He is now rapidly having it repainted, rebuilt in parts, and refurbished into a 40-unit seasonal rental apartment complex, with a restaurant, bar and public areas.

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     It is part of a long-range plan to spend $200,000 on improvements.  This season, carpeting, a new elevator, paint inside and outside and air conditioning in some areas are being added.

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     The hotel has been located directly opposite Col. Bradley's Beach famous Club  gambling casino, which before demolition in 1946 attracted a wealthy clientele of business tycoons, gamblers, show people and others for its lavish games, entertainment and good food.  Erected in 1925 on land sold by Bradley, the hotel became a stopping place for some of this clientele because of its ready access to the casino.

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      "The bar is to be called the Algemac Room, " said Richardson.  "It will commemorate the original name of the hotel.  The new of Bradley House is in honor of Col. Bradley.

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     The original building permit was for $100,000.  It was sold during 1946 for $215,000 and changed hands again in November, 1966, for an unreported sum.

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     New manager of the Bradley House will be Daniel P. Larkin Sr., who has operated his own hotels in New England and managed the Seabreeze in Palm Beach.  He has been active in the reconditioning of the hotel.

     "I've noticed that some rooms had as many as four telephones installed at one time," said Larkin.  "In its heyday the hotel catered to some important people.  On the ground floor was located a stock exchange broker and the Western Union offices."

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     The Bradley House has two penthouses.  Richardson plans to rebuild these for his family.  There are also plans to build a swimming pool in the entrance patio facing Sunset Avenue.  The main entrance is being moved around to Bradley Place.  The lobby will be approached through a long arcade as originally laid out by the builders more than a quarter of a century ago. 

NAME FIVE:  BRADLEY HOUSE

Palm Beach Daily News

Sat Mar.9, 2002

Page 2

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Bradley House dining deal nears

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Building owners say upscale Asian restaurant planned for fall if prospective tenant signs lease.  By Stephanie Murphy

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 The owners of the historic Bradley House apartment-hotel say they are very close to signing a restaurant tenant for the first-floor space that used to house E. R. Bradley's Saloon.

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The prospective tenant, an established restauranteur, may sign within a week, said owner George Levin of Fort Lauderdale.  Plans call for an upscale restaurant that serves Asian cuisine to open this fall.

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"The lease is out there, but not signed and back yet.  It could be one week,  or who knows," Levin said.  The operator has another restaurant in South Florida, but Levin declined to give details. He confirmed earlier this week that he has been negotiating with two possible tenants.  Both have established businesses but would create a separate and distinctive entity for Palm Beach, not a second location of an existing restaurant, he said.

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 Bob Moore, director of planning, zoning and building, said he spoke to Levin's attorney, Jim Brindall, on Wednesday, "Jim said they would have a tenant, and I told them to have Levin's tenant contact Paul (Castro, zoning director).  We haven't seen their plans yet," Moore said.

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 One thing that won't change at the redeveloped Bradley House is the name, Levin said.

"We absolutely wouldn't change it, that's been the name since the 1920s."

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The four-story building dates to 1923, and Levin and his wife, Susan, have owned it since 1979.  They bought out a partner, George Faigan, in January 1999 and another partner, James Clarke, in September, 1999.

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Palm Beach residents Gail and Frank Coniglio, who also own commercial property on the island, operated E. R. Bradley's in the Bradley House for more than 16 years before moving it to Clamatis Street in 1999. Stephanie Levin, the "Levin's" daughter, operated the No Name Tavern in the restaurant/bar space for two months.

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The Palm Beach Post

Fri. May 16, 1975

Page 20

 

A Good Mix Every Night

 

The Bradley House -- It's in Palm Beach -- is open from 3 p.m. till 5 a.m. with a changing panorama of guests and entertainers.  Marty Loren started the lounge about four months ago when it was known as the  Algomac Room, then he changed it to the name of the seasonal hotel in which it is located.  That's on the corner , South of Publix.

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The atmosphere is nostalgic with music covers from the 30's, 40's  and 50's decorating the walls, which goes along  with Lorin's repertoire of about 1800 tunes in standards, show , some country and a lot of calypso.  He has two dozen tunes he has written and copyrighted, but never recorded, played on request, such as "Her Eyes", a folk theme, and "I Wanna Marry Juana", a calypso play on words. He sings on most of his numbers as he plays the piano, accompanied by Chuck Adams, a "fantastic" musician on bass though he doesn't read a note.  Lately, whenever Guiseppe Campora, the opera singer drops by, the threesome gets together with Lorin on piano, Campora singing Neopolitan tenor and Adams with a mandolin.  The effect on the crowd is electric.

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Sing-a-longs are on request only -- Lorin does no rock -- with most regulars content to listen to the music, talk, and dance.  Later in the evening other entertainers usually drop in, like Carol and John (Night Life Duo) from the Tavern in Palm Beach Gardens.  Oftentimes it's another band, bringing along a high hat and a drum as alorin doesn't use one.  Jimmy Slane, one of the "finest trumpet players in this area" likes to stop by (he club dates for Marshall Grant), and from Boca may come June Hoff who sings with "the range and style of an Ella Fitzgerald".  Bradley House regulars never know who is going to show up, except that the mix will be good.

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On "mixing", there is Roanne Genge, president of the Female Bartender's Club, behind the bar from opening to about 8 p.m. when Neil McNerny takes over, and also Candy Spiers, relief bartender and cocktail waitress.  The gals are both blonde, however, Roanne is 6 ft. tall, while Candy is 5 ft. 2 inches tall (and also has eyes of blue).

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Lorin began working as a musician about eight years ago in Delray.  Before then he wrote promo copy for a New York ad agency and later ran the Limelight Restaurant in Greenwich Village which was near five off-Broadway theaters.  There was no entertainment except by those dropping in:  Dustin Hoffman (before he made it), Jack Wood, and whenever the Kingston Trio or Joan Baez were in town they would come in.  At the same time McNerney ran Mothers in Boston, and he probably knows a story or two himself.

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Come on by the Bradley House anytime for a change of scene, but don't tell Lorin he looks like Joe Namath, even if it is true.

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The Palm Beach Post

Sun Jul. 25, 2004

 Page 77

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Restaurant-Landlord tiff sets table for suits

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Things are loco at CoCo Palm Beach, the toney Palm Beach restaurant scheduled to open someday.

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The Chinese restaurant is backed by the new star of Palm Beach Society, Simon Fireman.  He's the chairman this year of the prestigious International Red Cross Ball, which raises a mountain of money

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But a lawsuit by  restaurant landlord New Bradley House  says Fireman's CoCo Palm Beach is turning into a money pit.

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New Bradley House claims that CoCo Palm Beach hasn't paid the $8,750 monthly rent since Jan. 1. even though New Bradley House has spent thousands fixing up the 3,500-square -foot space.

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And New Bradley House says Fireman and co-backer Summer Kaye haven't ponied up rent for Unit No. 207 in the New Bradley House hotel, either.  Apparently, , CoCo Palm Beach and its backers have been usin g the room for construction headquarters and New Bradley House says they won't leave. (A CoCo Palm Beach lawyer wouldn't talk about the lawsuit, and Fireman couldn't be reached for comment.)

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Fireman is a noted philanthropist, so its not like he can't afford a hotel tab.

 

But, he's been frustrated by construction problems at CoCo Palm Beach, which was supposed to open October, 2002.  Now it will be fall 2004  before the eatery opens.

 

It was a fed-up Fireman who actually got the legal ball rolling.  In March, CoCo Palm Beach filed a lawsuit in Palm Beach County Circuit Court against New Bradley House.  CoCo Palm Beach says it hasn't been able to open because New Bradley House didn't turn over the restaurant's shell building until November 2003.  That's a year past the time Coco Palm Beach was supposed to throw open its doors.

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But New Bradley House said the delay wasn't its fault, and it fired back with the eviction lawsuits.  It also is demanding Coco Palm Beach pay for rehabbing the space, site of the former E. R. Bradley's Saloon

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Among the bills, $42,300 owed to Garrett Construction Corp..  The company claims in a recent lawsuit that New Bradley House hasn't paid for renovation work.

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A trial on the Bradley-CoCo dispute is set for November.  So theoretically, CoCo Palm Beach could be opening at around the time it might be evicted.

Stay tuned.

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Happy New Year 2011!! Given the fireworks to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit have only just begun, I bring to you COCO PALM BEACH restaurant, the best Asian cuisine in town!

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The second day of the Chinese New Year is considered an auspicious one specifically for contemplation to honor ancestors and all the Gods. Some believe that the special prayers done on this day offer blessings of business prosperity and success throughout the year so for those bright minded and beautiful hungry people who want to mark this special time and embrace the essence of the year which can be captured by the words, calm, peaceful and prosperous.

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Check www.COCOPALMBEACH.COM for more information including their menu and location.

 

The newly completed patio area is perfect for gazing at the moon on a warm South Florida winter eve while worshiping the beauty of mother earth.  Stay persistent this year and enjoy the gentle gifts of what this Year of the Rabbit will bring!!!

NAME SIX:  BRADLEY PARK HOTEL
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NAME SEVEN:  WHITE ELEPHANT
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