May 30--An international architecture firm specializing in environmentally themed projects hopes to build an ambitious "ecolodge" on four acres of oceanfront land in Islamorada.

But completing the upscale 70-unit development could be a challenge. The land the developer wants to build on contains wetlands and the project must pass state and village of Islamorada scrutiny.

The project was designed by the firm EDSA, which has offices in Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Los Angeles, Beijing and Baltimore. The land, at mile marker 83 on the Old Highway, is owned by a Coral Springs investment company known as Bonefish Holdings LLC.

For two years, the land's assessed value plummeted more than $130,000 -- from $139,000 in 2010 to $8,900 in 2012. County Property Appraiser Scott Russell said that's because his office determined most of the property is low-lying wetlands. But after checking with his records Thursday, Russell said the value shot up to almost $300,000 this year. At press time, Russell said he's not sure what made the value rise so high.

EDSA has designed and built "ecolodges" across the globe -- in countries like China, Kenya and Brazil -- but the Islamorada project would be the first in the United States, said George Hertel, former owner of the Islamorada Fish Co. and EDSA's local representative.

In promotional material, the firm says the property's "hardwood hammock will be cleaned, expanded with native species to provide shade values and property line buffer. It will be drained and irrigated with on-site reuse and conditioned storm water to maintain hammock health."

The EDSA booklet goes on to say that the wetland system "will be restored to functionality by correcting historic damage, creating upland and transitional filtration beds leading to a consistently maintained water basin with replanted native filtration plant species and mosquito control fish populations."

Nonnative invasive plants would be removed from the property and replaced with native species, according to EDSA. The buildings would be "clustered" to protect the surrounding natural settings "while immersing the guest to enhance appreciation of the environment."

An artist's rendering shows a long beach and several swimming pools.

Hertel is lobbying Islamorada council members to gain support for the project. He said when completed, it would be akin to the tony Little Palm Island Resort & Spa off Summerland Key.

Randall Gentry, an EDSA representative, did not return phone calls or e-mails to discuss how much the proposed project would cost.

The project will be reviewed by the village's Local Planning Agency on June 10. The LPA will discuss necessary text amendments to the village's comprehensive plan and land development regulations.

The matter would then go before the five-member Village Council. If the council passes the text amendments twice, the state Department of Economic Opportunity would have to review and approve them.

Village Manager Ed Koconis said the developers would also have to get the Village Council to pass a future-land-use map amendment and rezoning, which would also require DOE review. The village would also have to grant the developer transient development rights, Koconis said.

So far, it looks like the proposal has initial support on the council.

"I think theoretically, the concept sounds really intriguing and something the village could really use," said council Vice Chairman Ted Blackburn. "Whether it fits on that site perfectly with wetlands mitigation, we'll see."

Mayor Ken Philipson supports the project, but admits "it's a hard sell."

"This is a good thing for Islamorada; a first of its kind," Philipson said. "We haven't had any new hotels built here in years."

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