Island Named for Machine Magnate (WD) 1-30-75I
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P.A*Rr
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< .30- -Feb. 5, 1975 WeekDay
Island Named for Machine Magnate
11NliARNl tilh:H'ER'i'
it se•t•rllt-d
-UrChitert a OMNI) a year
1111crests in his n('w-foun(f
�ltlgf'r Island, one of south
pf'rfect for his hobby of*
�-etainvr for life, with the
paradise', Singer purchased a
FIori da's iii ostpleasant
experimentation in architt•eb-
stipulation that his work was
large parcel of ocean fro►tit
(c'sitfe'tlt iA and tourist areas,
t ure. U
Ic► hc' cc►llfint•ti t•xclusi�-el it)
y'
property dii-c-ct ly north (4
(►rye's its tla[Ilf' to se'�Nltlg
111 lits first fr't'ilitl9 rritat Illi!' P -dill Beach arca.
1 •illilt Beach. Her(' he
illachltie heir Paris Singer,
construction in Paint Px-aich
Mirnt•r*s accomplishments
entertained friends in a
w11 lavish life stvle 111 the
lilt' engaged the services of
soon lx't•ame it'gelulary, as
Il( w1v cmistrtic.led villa all(]
,"c
t9�U'rr as the stt�reotvpe of
4ddlsoll !�1i7.lter to tiesi;�rl
his architectural style 1►e•-
told them of Ills dream (A' a
ill(, rWh American playboy.
the fainvill Everglatles (;lull).
came the most influential
luxury hotel complex that
Singrer was captivated by
Singer yeas sio impressed by
among south Florida's hull-
was alrimst 1)t'yond rnlaglna-
'rhe
the Palin Beacll section at
Miziller"s first c•onintissiitin,
ionairt• t•irt•fe.
tion. dream called for
f1r:st �;ight- Relatively
that he agree -41 to pay Ole
Eager to expand his
Ill(' building oftwo enortnous
the. large strip of oceanfront
build. He was so
property for $40,000, a move
enthusiastic for completion
that was severely criticized
�y� SP4 QF i`39 �i%f
as. a frivolous waste of
not wait for filling the land.
OMMW
The never completed Singer Hotel,
h(►tcls, on(' ()n each side of
v*as the first to Ix• completed
the long, strip (A' beach he
- and the last. The 1928
()�ivned. On IIIc' south would
hurricane anti the ( stock
be the Paris Singer Hotel,
market crash of that year
and mt tit(-- north side of a
dealt a mortal blow to the
proposed :36 -hole golf* course
hotel, anti as' Florida's real
wmild b(' ill(! huge Blue
estate market clisapiware(I
Heroti Hotel. The estimated
into thin aur so tiid Singer's
price tag for the construction
vast fortune.
was $4 million - -`a fantastic
Singer reportedly left
amount in the non -inflation-
Florida a poor man, and he is
ary economy of those years.
said to have spent his ' ist
Singer often spoke= of a
years on a houseboat )n
flan to construct a tunnel
Egypt's Nile f 1 ve .
Im-neath the Palm Brach
The pathetic sh` al o,1" the
Inlet, and the development
ill-fated B-lue Heron Hotel
of a sul►tlivision of lots to be
remained as a haunting
se►Itl to the public.
reminder of Florida'a pre --
He orAered Mizr r t�;
depression over -develop -
begin designing the first of
mt;nt for 14 years, until
the two hottels - the Blue
was demolished in -1940.
Heron, but. before the
In that same year, the, (city
architect had started his
of Riviera Beach purchased
drawings, Singer started to
the. large strip of oceanfront
build. He was so
property for $40,000, a move
enthusiastic for completion
that was severely criticized
of the project that he could
as. a frivolous waste of
not wait for filling the land.
The building was erected on
taxpayers' money.
a piling foundation and the
The property is now
"fill" was later pumped
considered to - be one of
beneath it.
Florida's finest ocean
The hote'l's service wing
beaches.