West Palm Beach Waterfront, Flagler Drive
Protect Our Neighborhoods. Protect Our Waterfront. Protect Our Quality of Life.
West Palm Beach has seen extraordinary growth done right — CityPlace, the Nora District, and the $35 million Currie Park waterfront transformation — investments that serve the whole community. We celebrate those. But over 1,200 luxury high-rise units are also being proposed along a single waterfront corridor — towers from 18 to 31 stories that would permanently shadow historic neighborhoods, overwhelm aging infrastructure, accelerate the decline of the West Palm Beach Intracoastal ecosystem, and displace the manatees and seagrass that depend on it. The stormwater system is rated for a 3-year storm. The vote is coming. Add your name.
Growth With Integrity · Respect for Neighborhoods · Preservation of Community Character
Elevation view from the Intracoastal Waterway — looking west toward the city. Buildings drawn to scale at 8 feet per story. Horizontal spacing is proportional to actual distances between properties along N. Flagler Drive from Providencia Park to 54th Street. Blue-toned buildings are approved and under active construction as of June 2026. Gray buildings are approved or proposed but not yet under construction.
Projects approved, proposed, or under construction
New units along one corridor
Towers already under active construction
Of Intracoastal waterfront affected
Scale: 1 story = 8 feet. Good Samaritan current height confirmed at 8 stories. Horizontal spacing proportional to actual GPS distances between properties. Story counts from confirmed planning board records and developer filings. Blue-toned buildings (S. Flagler House, Forté on Flagler, Ritz-Carlton, Shorecrest, Olara, Alba) are under active construction or complete as of July 2026. South Flagler corridor shown compressed — approximately 1 mile south of Providencia Park. ↑ = under construction · ✓ = complete or near completion.
The following projects are approved, under construction, in active planning, or publicly announced along the South Flagler Drive and North Flagler Drive waterfront corridors. Each requires residents to understand the cumulative scale of what is being built.
Palm Beach Lakes Blvd & N. Flagler Drive · Developer: The Frisbie Group (through Easton Street Capital) · Hospital Operator: Tenet Healthcare · Architect: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)
Two 28–30 story luxury condominium towers directly adjacent to Providencia Park. Between the towers: a new hospital, employee housing, assisted living, luxury for-sale buildings, a longevity center, and shopping and retail. The existing historic hospital will be demolished. The site is not currently zoned for towers of this height. As of March 2026, no formal application had been filed with the City.
Source: City of West Palm Beach planning records. All data subject to change. Refer to wpb.org for current information.
| # | Address | Project | Stories | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1309 S. Flagler Drive | Forté on Flagler | 25 stories | Residential Condominium | Complete |
| 2 | 1155 S. Flagler Drive | Edgeworth | 28 stories (2 towers) | Residential Condominium | Approved / Sales Launched |
| 3 | 1355 S. Flagler Drive | South Flagler House | 28 stories (2 towers) | Residential Condominium | Approved / Under Construction |
| 4 | 3705 S. Flagler Drive | Maison d'Or | 19 stories | Residential Condominium | Approved / Sales Launched |
| 5 | 3901 S. Flagler Drive | Fort Partners (Harbor Towers Site) | TBD | Residential / Mixed-Use | Site Acquired / No Plans Filed |
| 6 | 1309–1501 N. Flagler Drive | Good Samaritan Redevelopment | 25–30 stories (multiple towers proposed) | Hospital, Medical Office, Residential Condo/Apts, Hotel, Retail, Mixed-Use | Proposed / In Review |
| 7 | 1717 N. Flagler Drive | Ritz-Carlton Residences | 27 stories | Residential Condominium | Approved / Under Construction |
| 8 | 1800 N. Flagler Drive | 1800 N. Flagler Drive | 25 stories | Residential Condominium | Approved / Entitled (Not Yet Built) |
| 9 | 1865–1901 N. Flagler Drive | Shorecrest | 28 stories | Residential Condominium | Approved / Under Construction |
| 10 | 1919 N. Flagler Drive | Olara | 26 stories (2 towers) | Residential Condo / Apartments + Marina | Approved / Under Construction |
| 11 | 2001 N. Flagler Drive | Rosewood Residences | 27 stories | Residential Condominium | Approved June 2026 / Pre-Sales Not Launched |
| 13 | 2085 N. Flagler Drive | Terra / BH Group Towers | 31 stories (2 towers, 281 condos) | Residential Condominium | Announced / Planning |
| 13 | 2175 & 2251 N. Flagler Drive | Jeff Greene Towers | 30 stories (2 towers) | Residential Condominium | Approved / Sales Not Launched |
| 14 | 4000–4300 N. Flagler Drive | Rybovich Marina (Phase 1) | 34–36 stories (2 towers; ~660 units total) | Residential Condominium / Marina / Mixed-Use | Planning Board Approved / Awaiting City Commission |
| 15 | 4714 N. Flagler Drive | Alba Palm Beach | 22 stories | Residential Condominium | Complete ✓ |
| 16 | 4720 N. Flagler Drive | Alba Reserve | 31 stories | Residential Condominium | In Approval Process |
| 17 | 4906 N. Flagler Drive | Apogee | 21 stories | Residential Condominium | Planning Board Approved / Sales Not Launched |
| 18 | 5400 N. Flagler Drive | Mandarin Oriental Residences | 31 stories | Residential Condominium | Approved / Sales Launched |
Each bar is one tower proposed, approved, or under construction along 4 miles of West Palm Beach waterfront. 27 towers. 700+ combined floors.
From South Flagler Drive to 54th Street — every approved, proposed, or under-construction high-rise development as of July 2026. Click any pin for details.
Flagler Drive Corridor · S. Flagler Drive to 54th Street · Approved, Proposed & Under Construction · As of July 2026 · Map © OpenStreetMap contributors
The West Palm Beach Intracoastal Waterway runs directly alongside every one of these proposed towers. The sea life, water quality, and coastal ecosystem that make this city extraordinary are not abstract concerns — they are measurable, documented, and already under stress. Here is what the science says will happen if unchecked development continues.
A record 240+ manatees were counted at the West Palm Beach FPL refuge on February 3, 2026. Over 1,000 manatees use this exact stretch of the Intracoastal annually — one of the most important refuges on Florida's east coast. They depend on seagrass that is already nearly gone. Towers that shadow the water, increase runoff, and raise water temperatures will eliminate any remaining chance of seagrass recovery and starve the animals that depend on it.
Palm Beach County ERM — Manatee Data →A peer-reviewed 2023 study (Kerfoot et al., Gulf & Caribbean Research) found seagrass in the West Palm Beach Intracoastal was "barely detected after 2016" at central monitoring sites. Palm Beach County is currently spending $449,993 on an active restoration project. Shadows from 20–31 story towers will block the sunlight seagrass needs to regrow, and stormwater runoff from acres of new concrete will carry the nutrients that fuel algae growth that smothers it.
Kerfoot et al. 2023 — Peer-Reviewed Study →Seagrass beds are the nurseries for hundreds of fish species, feeding grounds for sea turtles, and foraging habitat for ospreys, herons, roseate spoonbills, and migratory shorebirds. When seagrass disappears, the food chain collapses. NOAA research confirms that seagrass loss triggers cascading decline across all marine species in a coastal system. Development that reduces water clarity and light penetration destroys this habitat permanently.
NOAA — Seagrass Ecosystems →Every high-rise tower adds acres of impervious surface — concrete, glass, rooftops, parking structures. The USGS documents that urbanization dramatically increases stormwater runoff volume, speed, and contamination. West Palm Beach's stormwater system is rated for only a 3-year storm event — just 2–3 inches of rain. Thousands of new units without adequate stormwater planning will discharge pollutants, nutrients, and toxins directly into the Intracoastal with every rainfall.
USGS — Urban Development & Flood Effects →A 2023 peer-reviewed study published in Frontiers in Public Health found coastal artificial light at night affects 1.9 million square kilometers of the world's coastal seas — disrupting spawning cycles, predator-prey behavior, and the navigation of migratory species. A continuous wall of illuminated towers flanking the Intracoastal will flood it with light 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with no mitigation possible once built.
The Conversation — Light Pollution Study →Dense high-rise development creates urban heat islands, raising local air and water temperatures. Warmer water holds less dissolved oxygen, stressing fish and invertebrates. Higher temperatures also accelerate algae blooms that block sunlight and suffocate seagrass. A 2024 University of Miami Rosenstiel School study additionally found that high-rise construction on coastal soil is causing active ground subsidence — the land beneath the towers is sinking — compounded by salt water corrosion of foundations.
Univ. of Miami — Subsidence Study →The manatees, the seagrass, the fish nurseries, the birds — they have no voice in the planning process. You do. Sign the petition. Contact your commissioners. Show up at City Hall on September 9, 2026. The West Palm Beach Intracoastal Waterway depends on it.
Neighborhood organizations across West Palm Beach share our concerns about unchecked development, resident representation, and the future of our waterfront.
Is your neighborhood organization concerned about waterfront development? Get in touch →
On June 22, our founder Michelle Farmer stood before the West Palm Beach City Commission. Here's what she said — and what they said back.
"How would you like to be remembered?"
Michelle made clear that this is about more than a zoning change or a height increase — it's about the legacy we leave for generations to come. "Cities are not transformed by one decision. They are transformed by a series of decisions." Every variance sets a precedent. Every exception opens the door for the next one.
"We should not make permanent concessions based on temporary promises. And we should be wary of any developer who presents these concessions as a gift to our city. A gift asks for nothing in return. This proposal asks our residents and future generations to pay the price."
Watch the full June 22 meeting — Michelle speaks at 1:48:00: Watch on YouTube →
On July 8, residents packed City Commission Chambers for the Downtown Master Plan Advisory Committee meeting. The DAC chair noted it was the first time they had ever had more than five people attend. The community showed up — and it made a difference.
The outcome
All Downtown Master Plan cases were deferred to September.
Mayor Keith James announced a new Resident Partnership Initiative — pausing the master plan process to expand community engagement before any further action. The next hearing is September 9, 2026.
The Room Spoke
Residents from across the Flagler corridor — Providencia Park, downtown, the Nora District — came to testify. Neighbors described construction damage to their buildings (cracked driveways, hydraulic fuel spills from adjacent sites), flooding that already reaches front doors at king tide, and infrastructure that hasn't kept pace with the towers already under construction. Several speakers had never attended a city meeting before. They came because they had to.
Gary Schritz — Construction Industry Professional
A construction industry professional with New York development experience brought an outside expert's eye to what he was seeing in West Palm Beach. His assessment: the city is fast-tracking major projects without performing the infrastructure due diligence that any responsible development process requires. He wasn't speaking as a neighbor with a feeling — he was speaking as someone who has worked inside this industry and knows what corners are being cut. That kind of professional credibility landed clearly in the room.
Michelle Farmer — Protect the Palm
Michelle described the moment that started Protect the Palm: a presentation by the Frisbee Group about the Good Samaritan redevelopment that showed a glossy, "Dubai-looking" vision — without ever mentioning the two 25–30 story towers. When neighbors asked about the towers directly, the developers were, in her words, "a little backtracking and sheet white." She spoke about king tide flooding in her driveway, the lack of any infrastructure plan, and why this community deserved full transparency before a single additional project moved forward.
Brianna Garrette — Protect the Palm
At 21, Brianna was one of the only voices from her generation in the room. She made clear she is not against growth — she asked the city to evaluate how all of these projects work together, and what their combined impact will be. "West Palm Beach can continue to grow while preserving the qualities that make people want to live here." The committee responded directly to her ask for a cumulative impact review.
Providencia Park — 9th Street
A 9th Street resident described what it feels like to be surrounded: Nora towers to one direction, Good Samaritan's proposed highrises to the north, Jeff Greene's towers with their "god-awful flashing lights" to another. "We are absolutely boxed in." Providencia Park is a quiet, established neighborhood watching every side of its horizon change at once — without a say in the process.
Next: September 9, 2026 — DAC Hearing
The Downtown Master Plan returns to the Advisory Committee. Community meetings are being organized through the Mayor's Resident Partnership Initiative before then. We will post details as they are announced. Sign the petition below to stay in the loop.
West Palm Beach's development debate is making headlines. Read what reporters and residents are saying.
WPTV News · July 9, 2026
West Palm Beach residents push for transparency as downtown redevelopment debate intensifies.
Read article →The Palm Beach Post · July 1, 2026
They say West Palm is overbuilding. Now they're taking on City Hall.
Read article →The Palm Beach Post · June 28, 2026
West Palm needs to rethink how it handles this growth, reader says.
Read article →The Palm Beach Post · June 17, 2026
Move to put Related Ross exec on West Palm board prompts outcry.
Read article →Sign the petition. Email your commissioners. Show up in person. Each action takes less than two minutes.
Planning Board — Downtown Master Plan
Downtown Action Committee: September 9, 2026 · Master plan paused — community meetings to be announced · Official calendar →
Agendas for the July 21 and August 31 meetings have not yet been published. Even without a scheduled master plan vote, the City may advance related rezonings or approvals at any time — monitor agendas closely.
Commission Chambers · City Hall, 401 Clematis Street, West Palm Beach, FL 33401 · Confirm at wpb.org →
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D4 Joseph Peduzzi jpeduzzi@wpb.org
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