This story has been updated at 11:58 a.m. on Sept. 26, 2018.
Downtown Fort Lauderdale will soon have a massive, three tower development on its horizon.
After some commissioners unsuccessfully tried to pull the development project up for review during Tuesday's city commisison meeting, the complex, called Riverparc Square or Southside Centre, will be going up where SW 5th St. meets Andrews Ave.
Together, the buildings will hold nearly 800 apartment units, close to 300 hotel rooms, and office and retail space. It was proposed by the Miami developer Southside River LLC. The tallest building is planned to be 43 stories tall.
City code, created to encourage development in downtown Fort Lauderdale, only requires the buildings to be approved by city staff and does not need the city commission's vote unless there is found to be staff error.
The Riverparc Square project had already been given preliminary approval from city staff in the Department of Sustainable Development earlier this month.
Commissioner Steve Glassman and Vice Mayor Ben Sorensen had asked for an additional review to allow more public input on the project after it was given that staff approval, according to a memo from City Hall.
Wednesday Glassman told WLRN he found the Riverparc Square project did meet the city's rules, and agreed with other commissioners in attendance - Robert McKinzie and Heather Moraitis - that it couldn't undergo any more review from the commission. If people want to see that process changed, it would require changing city code, he said.
Only Sorensen tried to get the project to go through the city commission's full-vote process.
Concerns about over-development were a central issue in the election campaigns of several members of the new commission.
Glassman said some downtown residents did come show their support for the new housing and retail space.
Read More: Citizen Advisory Group Meets To Talk About Changes To Fort Lauderdale's Las Olas Blvd.
Mayor Dean Trantalis is currently out of the country on city business, and missed the commission meeting, though he would have been able to vote by phone if it had come to that step.
The building at 100 Las Olas Blvd. will still be the tallest tower in Fort Lauderdale, with 46 stories.
You can find more information about the development plans, here.
