1953

Ocean Manor Beach Resort – Present

Ocean Manor has rested upon the Atlantic shore of the Galt Ocean Mile for half a century. The story behind this beachfront property is filled with excitement and daring, adjectives that also describe the life of its visionary, James S. Hunt. In 1953, Hunt purchased 2466 acres of barren oceanfront land from Arthur Galt, for whom the mile strip is named. At the time, it marked the biggest real estate transaction in America, translating into approximately $143 million in today’s dollars. The Ocean Manor would soon lay the cornerstone, becoming the first high-rise hotel and condo built directly on Fort Lauderdale Beach. The city’s greatest boom would soon follow. James S. Hunt was a man who lived simply, yet whose business endeavors were often bold and grandiose. His foresight forever changed our landscape, and his life story exemplifies adventure and determination. The people of his day revered Hunt’s personal qualities and the unselfish hard work ethic he developed in Detroit, where he was born and raised.

After VJ day, (Sept. 1945), Hunt followed

Hunt followed his intuition and moved to Florida, where he believed that the east coast of the state would be real estate gold for decades to come. He convinced Joe Taravella, a Coast Guard mate from New York, to come along and assist his pioneering efforts in the vast lands of magnificent sunsets and tropical splendors. In 1946, working with his theory that cities expanded northbound, except when blocked by natural barriers, Hunt made his first move with the acquisition of 110 acres north of Fort Lauderdale for $89,000. The previous owners had together paid $10,000 for the land a couple of years prior. Hunt gave it the name of Coral Ridge and developed it into lots that he would turn around and sell for $1,250,000, making a $400,000 profit. Prior to James Hunt’s appearance, Fort Lauderdale had been primarily unheard of and an insignificant town to the rest of the country – most of the notable inhabitants were seasonal wealthy winter residents from the Midwest and a handful of local residents alongside a small Seminole Indian tribe. All that was about to change. Hunt’s plan to make the area a destination was resolute; therefore, a fine beach club, a modern yacht club, and a posh executive golf club were in the design to lure those to the new extravagant province that at this time was only a vision in his mind. His foremost sights were now on a rough barren strip of land along the northern oceanfront of Fort Lauderdale owned by Arthur T. Galt. Galt had sold this land in 1925 to the American-British Improvement Company, which was owned by Mrs. Horace Dodge, Mrs. Edward Stotesbury, James H.R. Cromwell, then King of Greece, and members of British nobility. They planned an extravagant development to be called Floranada, but their $1,000,000 down payment went south when the 1926 Florida real estate crash came. In early 1949, Hunt placed a call to Galt to inform him that a development plan was underway that would disconnect a portion of his property between a new home site and the intracoastal waterway development. He advised Galt to purchase enough of the developer’s terrain to halt the plan. Galt acted upon Hunt’s advice and would, in appreciation, later grant an invitation to get together. This introduction brought Hunt and his new partner, Steve Calder, the opportunity to purchase 500 acres of Galt’s coveted land. Greatly pleased with their well-planned and structured development, Galt sold the remaining 2,466 acres for just under $19,389,000 in October of 1953 (approximately $143,000,000 in today’s dollars), making it the largest real estate deal in the country. On this soil, Hunt built the Ocean Manor Resort, the first luxury high-rise hotel built directly on Fort Lauderdale Beach. This laid the foundation for the Galt Ocean Mile boom and the city’s coastal corridor. Within less than a decade, the Galt Ocean Mile held one-third of the city’s population within a mile and over $100 million in projects (approximately $750,000,000 in today’s dollars). Hunt would take possession of a residence at the Ocean Manor after becoming entranced by the dramatic views from the 11-story structure. As we fast forward, Hunt would found the city of Coral Springs in 1963 from the 3,860 acres of pastureland he recently purchased. Even though it was mostly marshland, Hunt paid $1 million for this ambitious undertaking. Holding the slogan: “There is nothing on earth like earth,” his concept of a totally planned Old South-styled city of well-landscaped boulevards, brick colonial-styled public buildings, and a covered bridge as its centerpiece took root. By 1964, Hunt and company had developed a master plan for a city of 50,000 residents. On July 22nd of that year, a sale of 536 building lots netted $1.6 million – another phenomenal monetary feat of its day.