VDG Land Company has just gained approval from the City of West Palm Beach’s Planning Division for their newest proposal: an 8-story multifamily building aimed at housing Breakers Hotel employees. Located on a 2.46-acre site at 2410 and 2460 North Australian Avenue, the site will include 155 units, of which 51% of the units are designated as workforce.
Residents will have access to a variety of recreational amenities, including a pool, sports field, clubroom, fitness center, conference room, salon, and a dedicated shuttle service for Breakers employees. On the south portion of the site, there will be 65 parking spots available for employees.
Although architectural elevations were not shown during the meeting, the project, designed by Spina O’Rourke & Partners, is expected to reach approximately 80 FT in height, making it the tallest building in the surrounding area.
While VDG Land Company owns the northern portion of the site, the southern portion actually belongs to the City of West Palm Beach. As such, the city is negotiating a land agreement with the developer that would allow the integration of the southern portion, home to a water pump station and largely vacant land, into the overall project. Under the terms of the deal, the vacant land surrounding the pump station will be converted into surface parking for Breakers employees, and in return, the city will receive infrastructure upgrades to the water pump facility.
At the planning board meeting, the proposal was unanimously approved given the developer meet conditions requested by staff. The approval means a change to the property’s Future Land Use (FLU) and zoning designations. Specifically, the northern portion of the site was reclassified from Neighborhood Commercial to Multifamily High-Density Residential, while the southern portion shifted from Recreation and Open Space to the same residential category.
The approval marks one of the many steps in a years-long effort by the Breakers Hotel to house and/or benefit employees. In a quote provided by CBS 12, a Breakers representative noted, “The independent resort, one of Palm Beach County’s largest private employers, makes an unrivaled commitment to its team by offering comprehensive benefits, robust resources for associates and their families, and excellent compensation—all part of its employee-centric culture.” The development still needs to move through additional approvals, permitting, and demolition work before construction can begin.