Archstone-Palmetto Rental Development Update

It is now “Palmetto Promenade”: Same Project, New Name

CONSTRUCTION HAS BEGUN!

In the past two years there have been a number of high-rise, high-density rental projects approved by the City Council/CRA, which are now under construction in Downtown Boca, and none had more of a reaction than the Archstone-Palmetto rental project.  It was a lightening rod for controversy.  The crux of the controversy was due to the approval process being accelerated, which left citizens, disenfranchised from the process and their government.

This is a development that will forever change the character of downtown Boca Raton. The Palmetto Promenade represents a large segment of a key area of the city’s Downtown, which was primed for redevelopment. The area is divided into two segments; a high-rise tower and townhouses.  It fronts the north side of Palmetto Park Road, two blocks west of NE 5^th Ave and the Intracoastal.  To put the size into perspective, the building represents three football fields laid end-to-end. It includes a total of 378 rental units starting at 712 sq ft. The backside has townhouse rentals on Boca Raton Road within the Golden Triangle neighborhood.  Upon completion the tower segment will represent the most massive single structure in all of downtown Boca.  This is the only new development to actually sit in a neighborhood. The neighbors claimed that this design was not in keeping with the Comprehensive Plan or what Urban Designers would call proper development for this location. They were also extremely concerned about the safety of the intersection at 5th Ave & E Palmetto Park Road (future home of Houston’s), which was excluded from an outside study before approval of the project.

At a recent City Budget Hearing, the City Council has agreed to invest $50,000 for an evaluation of the intersection.

For more information, see Demolition starts in Boca to make way for apartment building.