The developer of the controversial 1301 project is meeting with residents to address what it says is widespread misinformation about the development

Why it matters: Related Group's project has divided Hollywood, with many residents afraid the redevelopment of city-owned beachfront land will change the barrier island's character and spur more high-rise development.

Catch up quick: After zoning issues and resident criticism stalled the luxury condo for nearly five years, the Hollywood City Commission approved making 1301 a Live Local project under a 99-year lease.

• This change enables the developer to sidestep local zoning rules that could've put the project in jeopardy.
• Originally proposed as a 27-story tower with 111 units, it is now planned to have 29 stories with 210 units — 84 workforce rental units and 126 luxury condos.

The latest: The project is now the subject of a lawsuit, alleging it violates a deed restriction on the site and requires voter approval.

Driving the news: I attended the first of two public meetings to learn more about the project.

• Plans include a 20,000-square-foot-community center with an auditorium, multipurpose rooms and ballroom. There would also be 126 public parking spaces.
• Harry Berry Park would be expanded and new bathrooms and a playground added.

• Space for a coffee shop or convenience store is planned for the ground floor.

Friction point: Keith Poliakoff, attorney for Related Group, tells me that the biggest misconceptions are that the project would eliminate the park, dunes and community center.

• He says the land can be used for any public use, pointing to the 1974 deed that states "for whatever the Commission wishes."
• Poliakoff says the public opposition prompted the developer to get 1301 approved through Live Local, which allowed the project to become larger.

The other side: In addition to the environmental concerns, critics have slammed the project for having separate entrances for the apartment and condo units, which some call "poor doors."

• "I don't think any of you want to be known as the 'poor door' landlord, implying that our heroes or our busboys aren't fit to walk through the same lobby or swim in the same pool as the wealthier residents," Hollywood Commissioner Caryl Shuham said ahead of the May vote.
• Poliakoff maintains that critics weaponized the term "poor doors" and don't understand development of luxury condos.

What's next: Poliakoff says the groundbreaking is expected in late 2027.

• The next public meeting is 3 to 7pm on Aug. 6 at the Garfield Community Center, 300 Connecticut St.

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Florida has reported more than 100 measles cases amid a nationwide outbreak that has pushed infections to their highest level in 35 years, my Axios colleague Yacob Reyes writes.

Why it matters: The state has the nation's fourth-highest measles case count as schools prepare to reopen next month, raising concerns about further spread after vaccination rates fell below the herd immunity threshold.

• During a 2024 measles outbreak in Broward County, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo declined to urge parents to keep unvaccinated children home from school.

Between the lines: About 88% of kindergartners entering the 2024–25 school year in Florida were vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella — below the herd immunity threshold, according to the CDC.

• Broward was slightly above the state average, with MMR vaccination rates of 89%, according to recent data collected and analyzed by The Washington Post.

Driving the news: The state Department of Health recorded 155 cases of measles between Jan. 1 and July 18.

• Nineteen of the state's cases were in children younger than 10.
• Five cases have been recorded in Broward during that time frame.

The big picture: Ladapo has long taken positions at odds with mainstream vaccination guidance. Last year, he sought unsuccessfully to end the state's vaccine mandates, likening them to "slavery."

Keep reading: Symptoms

🤤 Roll & Dough, known for its viral cinnamon rolls, will be at the Yellow Green Farmers Market beginning this weekend. (Instagram)

• The Miami couple that runs it is also opening a bakery in Fort Lauderdale soon.

🚗 The Automobile License Plate Collectors Association voted Florida's Margaritaville specialty plate No. 1 license plate for 2025. (Press release)

🏀 Sportsplex, a new multimillion-dollar sports and recreation center with 12 multi-use basketball courts, meeting spaces and a "family entertainment" area, will be built in Coral Springs. (Sun Sentinel)

🍱 Popular Asian grocery store Kimchi Mart has reopened in Pembroke Pines with a new food court. (Miami Herald)

A $1,500 monthly rental budget gets less space in Hollywood than it did a year ago.

Why it matters: Renters are getting less for their money.

State of play: A $1,500 budget now only gets you 603 square feet, down 22 from a year ago, per apartment platform RentCafe.

• The national average is 703 square feet.
• RentCafe tells me that Hollywood's average monthly rent was $2,179 for an 876-square-foot apartment as of March.

Zoom out: Among the 14 Florida cities included in the study, Miami offered the least space at 498 square feet, roughly the size of a one-car garage.

• $1,500 isn't enough to rent a studio apartment in Fort Lauderdale.
• On the other end of the spectrum, $1,500 in Jacksonville can get you 982 square feet.

By the numbers: In 2026, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development estimated the fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Broward County ranges from $1,730 to $2,850 a month, depending on ZIP code.

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