A neighborhood near the waterfront of West Palm Beach, FL, is slated to get a makeover as a local builder moves forward with plans to build 100 homes on land bought up by a local powerhouse family.
GL Homes wants to rebuild a 10-block area of West Palm Beach, adjacent to its waterfront. The prime real estate in the Northwood Gardens neighborhood has remained quiet in recent years, but the attraction to the area is heightened due to more luxury condo buildings popping up along the waterfront.
The homebuilder is collaborating with Huizenga Holdings, Inc., also of West Palm Beach. Huizenga Holdings has been quietly buying homes in the area for years.
Huizenga Holdings is a family investment company founded by the late entrepreneur H. Wayne Huizenga, the late billionaire behind Blockbuster video, Waste Management, and AutoNation. He also once co-owned the Miami Dolphins, Florida Panthers, and Miami Marlins. The family’s business and real estate is now run by his eldest son, also H. Wayne Huizenga, who took over after his father’s death in 2018.
The homes would be built in the 10-block neighborhood, between 40th Street and 45th Street, bordered by Broadway and North Flagler Drive—on lots owned by Huizenga Holdings. There are already existing homes within that area, not owned by Huizenga.
The concept is still years away. GL Homes, one of Florida’s largest builders, says it doesn’t expect to begin construction until 2026.
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A new look
The proposed project would build single-family homes in the 10-block radius.
“The homes will be developed individually upon sale to respective buyers,” a company spokesperson said in a statement to The Palm Beach Post. “This is GL Homes’ first foray into redevelopment within an urban city core. We look forward to working closely with the City of West Palm Beach.”
The Palm Beach Post reports that, according to city officials, this project appears to be the “largest attempted redevelopment of a single-family neighborhood in the city’s modern history.”
“To take an area like this and retrofit it like they’re proposing is a little bit unique,” Rick Greene, the city’s development services director, told the publication. “I don’t think we’ve seen it to the scale that Huizenga and GL Homes are proposing.”
Not everyone is pleased with the proposal. At a Feb. 18 planning commission meeting, Commissioner Shalonda Warren expressed concern that some residents would be forced out of their homes.
Greene explained that GL Homes has not yet turned in formal plans, but the company has had “extensive talks with city planners.” The Palm Beach Post reports city planners have been working on a plan to rezone the area to encourage more development along the thoroughfare.
GL Homes has agreed to build outward-facing townhomes along Broadway, instead of single-family homes that open onto side roads, according to Greene.
Cathleen Ward, city commissioner, told The Palm Beach Post that the project would “provide needed modern housing options in an area where most existing homes were built in the 1930s and 1950s.”
Ward, who also lives in the area, said, “I think it’s refreshing that they want to build nice new homes and want to attract buyer in here.”
Family company with Florida roots
Aside from this project, Huizenga Holdings recently announced a different waterfront project in collaboration with Integra Investments of Miami. The Rybovich Marina Project will consist of four residential towers joined by a waterfront promenade lined with shops and restaurants along the Intercoastal Waterway. It’ll add 660 new homes to West Palm Beach.
GL Homes started in Davie, FL, in 1976. The family-owned business has communities throughout the Sunshine State, from Naples to Boca Raton. The company says it understands construction “designed for Florida’s unique climate.”
Many of their communities include amenities such as community pools, recreation centers, and walking trails. The homebuilder also specializes in communities for ages 55+.
Homes start in the $300,000s, all the way up to luxury residences worth $2.5 million. The new-home builder allows its clients to create the perfect paradise.
Realtor.com® has reached out to Huizenga Holdings, Inc. and GL Homes for comment.