Attiyya AnthonySun Sentinel
April 12, 2016

A deal to turn two historic homes on Boynton Beach's Ocean Avenue into hipster hotspots is moving forward
A deal is moving forward to turn two historic homes on Boynton Beach's Ocean Avenue into a microbrewery and eatery.
"This is a very cool concept," said Vivian Brooks, the agency's executive director. "It's very exciting, these projects are the game-changers in Boynton Beach."
On Tuesday, the city's redevelopment agency approved the proposed plans to turn the vacant Magnuson House, at 211 E. Ocean Ave., into a brewery and the Ruth Jones Cottage, at 480 E. Ocean Ave., into a "hip" restaurant.
The Magnuson House, built in 1919, has been abandoned for several years. The developer, Local Development Corp., wants to "keep the historic structure intact," but make necessary improvements, according to city documents.
The developer is asking the agency permission to build a 1,400-square-foot building behind the historic home that will include restrooms and a kitchen. The developer also is asking permission to add a front porch to the home, a large side porch, a rear bocce court and two fire pits, one of which will be visible from Ocean Avenue.
"It's not just a bar and hangout spot," said Jim Williams, an architect working on the project. "The idea is to make it a comfortable neighborhood environment."
The 800-square-foot Ruth Jones Cottage, also known as the Little House, was built in the 1940s. It was a restaurant until it closed in 2014 due to a lack of customers. The Little House restaurant did not have a full kitchen and several meals had to be prepared off site.
The developer, Ocean Avenue Pride LLC, is asking permission to enclose the patio area and add a hooded kitchen to allow for on-site food preparation. The developer plans to lease the restaurant to local restaurateur Lisa Mercado, the owner of The Living Room, a restaurant and pub on Congress Avenue.