Coral Springs panel prepares to review design plans for veterans housing at former La Quinta hotel
Coral Springs, Florida – A former hotel along University Drive in Coral Springs is being prepared for a very different purpose as plans move forward to turn the property into housing for veterans.
The Coral Springs Architectural Review Committee is scheduled to review the proposed design of the project Wednesday at 4 p.m. during a meeting at the City Commission Chambers at 9500 West Sample Road, according to city documents.
The committee will not decide whether the veterans housing project can move forward. Instead, its role is to examine the proposed appearance of the building, including its colors, materials and overall design, and recommend any changes needed to meet city requirements.
The five-story property at 3701 N. University Drive, formerly operated as a La Quinta hotel, is proposed to become a Veterans Village operated by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, according to city records.
The latest plans submitted for the committee’s review provide details about the proposed apartments. Each unit would be a studio with its own kitchen and an accessible bathroom. The project would also include new heating and cooling systems as part of the conversion.
The plans go beyond providing veterans with a place to live. Several shared spaces are proposed throughout the property, including a community room, lounges, a library and a game room. Residents would also have access to a laundry room and fitness center.
A workforce development and training center is another part of the project. According to documents filed with the city, the goal is to provide veterans with additional resources while they live at the property.
On-site support would also be available. Veterans would have access to case management and benefits support services, giving residents assistance with navigating services and other needs.
The property itself is also expected to undergo a significant exterior makeover.
Design plans call for the existing mansard roof to be removed and replaced with a new pitched roof. The building’s windows and doors would also be replaced. Outside, the parking lot and landscaping would be updated as part of the redevelopment.
Additional site improvements include a new picket fence and a masonry wall along the property line.
City records identify the Tunnel to Towers Foundation as the buyer of the property, while OM Coral Springs LLC is listed as the current owner.
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The foundation is named for Stephen Siller, a New York firefighter who died on Sept. 11, 2001, while running through the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel toward the World Trade Center, according to information from the organization.
The proposed Coral Springs project is part of a broader effort by the foundation to convert existing hotels into housing for veterans. Tunnel to Towers has carried out similar projects elsewhere in the country and in Florida, including the conversion of a former Ramada Inn in Jacksonville.
For the Coral Springs property, the architectural review represents another step in the planned transformation. While the committee’s review is focused on the look and design of the building rather than whether the project itself should proceed, its recommendations could shape the final exterior appearance of the former hotel as it is converted into housing and support space for veterans.
