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Master waterfront redeveloper iStar will seek conceptual approval on Wednesday from the city council for its first oceanfront project.

Representatives of the developer appeared at the council’s workshop meeting Monday night to formally present the project to the board. Parking was a main concern of the council, as well as the building’s protection against storm surges.

This is the second in a three-step approval process to build the 1101 Ocean mixed-use high rise on the block that borders Kingsley Street, Third, Fourth, and Ocean avenues. The project already has been reviewed by the Technical Review Committee. If conceptual approval is granted Wednesday, the project will advance to the Planning Board for site plan approval.

IStar’s proposal for a 16 story high rise includes 22,000 square foot of retail space on the ground floor, 128 residential units, 58 boutique  hotel rooms, with amenties like a gym, spa, deck and pool area, as wel as 426 parking spaces.

As expected, parking was a concern during Monday night’s presentation. Mayor John Moor asked for written language to ensure the ground floor parking spaces currently dedicated for public use remain so.

“It has to be a minimum of 117 to the public,” Moor said. “It’s happened before when developers say they will provide parking and they don’t.”

Project attorney Frederick Laventhal said, “The parking spaces reserved for the public are truly for the public. Someone going to the beach is welcomed to park there. Someone shopping in the building or outside is welcomed to park there.”

The city will be losing 18 on-street parking spaces along Third Avenue and Kingsley as well as spaces along Fourth Avenue’s southern end during the estimated 2-year construction phase.

“If you start in the spring parking will be shut down for two summers,” Moor said “What do we do for all the loss of those spots. I can’t be shut down for two summers.

Cheripka said up to 59 spaces would be lost during the construction phase, a lesser impact than the previously approved Esperanza plan which called for all the shuttering of Third and Fourth Avenues.

“We’ll use the southern half of Fourth Avenue for staging, laydown and safety,” Cheripka said. “This current plan minimizes the temporary loss of revenue for the city.

Councilman Joe Woerner’s question about whether the first floor utility would be protected from storm surges like those that occurred during Superstorm Sandy was addressed by the answer that the ground floor location is one foot above the 100-year storm elevation, with backup generators on the site’s second floor.

Councilwoman Yvonne Clayton questioned the retail space loading areas to which project architect Gary Handel said most of their retailers prefer street unloading but there will be additional head room on the ground floor to allow for retail unloading.

IStar Senior Vice President of Development Brian Cheripka said hotel and residential unloading spaces is provided on Kingsley Street.

Development here has had two false starts dating back to 1986.

“The rusting steel skeleton of what was then called C8 was demolished by explosive charge April 29 2006; ending a 15-year period of failure” Laventhal said.

The Esperanza project came next, with its two residential towers that featured 224 luxury condominiums.

“It stalled and failed in late 2007,” Lavinthal said. “Remnants are still visible today.”

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