More than 6-in-10 people support putting a hotel on Dixie Hwy. just south of Five Points. Results of Out South Florida’s poll regarding the proposed hotel show 63% of respondents are in favor.
The question asks, “Do you support or oppose the current proposed hotel in Wilton Manors on Dixie Hwy?” 28% say they oppose the plan, while 9% are unsure.
“We need a hotel. This is a great location and will bring revenue,” one person in favor of the hotel said.
One opponent said, “This is not Disney World!”
The Wilton Hotel & Pool Club would be a 123-room boutique hotel with some amenities open to the public. The current version of the proposal is still being worked out with the city to make sure the project fully complies with city code. That said, city commissioners have been very supportive of the idea.
Location aside, support for a hotel somewhere in the city enjoys even stronger support. When asked, “Do you support or oppose a hotel in Wilton Manors?” 73% supported the idea. 22% are against the idea, while 6% are still unsure.
“We have a community in Wilton Manors we would like to see thrive for many years to come,” one supporter said. “The proposed hotel supports this goal.”
The biggest argument against the proposal is bringing more tourists than the city can support.
“I don’t want Wilton Manors to end up like Key West. This type of development and other commercialization gentrification developments that eliminates space.”
Hotel proposals have come and gone over the years. The city code was amended to set out guidelines for construction.
The site is the old Kalis-McIntee Funeral & Cremation Center, where Dixie Highway is narrowed to two lanes. Traffic quickly backs up when a train is going through. Many worry construction will make a semi-tenuous situation worse.
Others see it as a gem in Dixie Highway's crown. Three new art galleries have opened in that stretch, joining black box theaters and other small businesses. A boutique hotel, they argue, would enhance the neighborhood’s burgeoning artsy vibe.
The Gazette presented this survey through emails and via its Islander newsletter from Sept. 25 to Oct. 23 and received 273 responses from self-identified residents of Wilton Manors.
