By Mary Hladky
A 48-unit luxury condominium, one in a long line of downtown projects awaiting city approval, has gotten the go-ahead for construction. The project, 475 Royal Palm, won unanimous approval Feb. 26 from Boca Raton City Council members sitting as Community Redevelopment Agency commissioners.
In January, the city’s Community Appearance Board unanimously recommended approval, and the Planning and Zoning Board agreed with a 6-1 vote.
The developer, Boca Raton-based Group P6, plans three 100-foot towers, each with 16 units. Parking for condo owners, guests and employees of the Morgan Stanley office building north of the condo will be in an underground parking garage.
The 201 parking spaces exceed the 184 required by the city. Seven parking spaces will be available to the public in the garage, and four more on the street. Nearly 45 percent of the project site will be open space, more than the 36 percent required.
Group P6 and RLC Architects have included public art, including a pineapple mosaic in a nod to the city’s history of pineapple cultivation and additional mosaics that represent the four seasons and the city’s slogan as “a city for all seasons.”
Council members and two members of the public who spoke in favor of the project praised the buildings’ design.
“It is a beautiful property,” said one neighbor. “It will be quite an addition to the neighborhood.”
Council members imposed three conditions for their approval.
If the city decides speed bumps are needed to calm traffic on Royal Palm Road, the developer will pay for them or reimburse the cost if the city pays for them. The developer already had offered to pay.
The project is not now designed for valet parking. If the developer wants to add that, city staff can approve the site plan change. If disagreements arise, the matter will come back to the council for a decision.
The developer will pay a School Board-imposed impact fee of nearly $18,000. The council required that the money go to the city, which will determine how the money is spent on Boca Raton public schools.
Group P6 is working on two other downtown projects. The 24-unit, 327 Royal Palm luxury condo at 327 E. Royal Palm Road has been approved and is under construction. The developer has proposed Concierge at 22 SE Sixth St., west of Federal Highway, for senior residents. It would have 110 memory-care, assisted-living and independent-living units.
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