Developers vie to build at park site near Mall at Wellington Green, but village may say no
WELLINGTON — A 10-acre park next to the Mall at Wellington Green is the latest piece of land where developers, including some of the biggest names in South Florida, are vying to build in the village.
Tucked between the Hampton Inn and Lake Lisbet on the west side of the mall, Wellington Green Park first drew interest this year when a residents’ group known as Project Lighthouse proposed building apartments, shops and a 1,500-seat performing-arts center there.
That plan piqued the interest of five other developers, including The Related Group of Miami, that have given the village proposals for the site, the only park in Wellington set aside for open play, or that is not tied to recreation programs.
“We didn't know there was going to be any interest other than Project Lighthouse,” said council member John McGovern during the Aug. 8 meeting. “Now we know there is a wide variety of interests.”
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The village is under no obligation to accept any of the offers and can choose to leave the park as it is. Saying no would please some Wellington residents, who say building on the fields would take away a crucial green space for the community.
“To you it might seem like a lawn and a parking lot,” Howard Long told the council. “But for most people who use it, it's paradise.”
The council gave the six interested groups 30 days to file a final and best offer but warned that Wellington Green may well stay green.
“We are not just selling this for the money,” said council member Michael Napoleone. “It's got to be for a purpose that we want to have in Wellington to justify selling this property and taking this field out of place.”
Wellington Green Park rare green spaces dedicated to open play
The village acquired the 10-acre lot in 2001 as a dedicated civic site from the developers of the Wellington Green Mall.
Village manager Jim Barnes said the property was left untouched until 2010, when the village drained the land and planted Bermuda grass to lay three multipurpose fields. A year later, it paved a parking lot on the site.
Wellington Green Park was the home for the village’s rugby and lacrosse teams until 2021 when the leagues moved to Greenview Shores Park.
The grass is still in good condition, Barnes said, but there aren’t restrooms and the fields don't have lights.
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The humble site, however, is one of the rare public parks in western and central Palm Beach County without scheduled formal programming, so people and families can drop by anytime and play without having to wait for team practices to end or pay to reserve a court.
“We are really the only game in town,” Barnes said. “No other park and recs department has a space designated only for open play.”
He said most public parks are reserved for league play, offering limited family hours for open play and prohibiting the use of training ladders and cones by teams.
Still, Barnes told the council he doesn't believe closing the park would hurt the community, saying other village facilities such as Olympia and Greenbriar parks could accommodate open play.
The six proposals for Wellington Green Park
In all, the village is considering six proposals to develop Wellington Green Park. The developers say their proposals would bring multifamily housing to the village — something planners have said is in short supply — along with commercial areas or amenities that could re-energize the surrounding mall area.
Four proposals would buy the land from the village.
The Project Lighthouse group includes the developer Blue Road and the architectural firm Song + Associates. It has offered to buy the land for $20 million and build 480 condominiums, with 160 as workforce housing, along with the arts center and 80,000 square feet of retail space. Blue Road is developing the Alba Palm Beach, a luxury waterfront high-rise in West Palm Beach, and has developed hotels and condominiums in Miami’s South Beach and commercial centers such as Flamingo Pointe in Orlando.
The Related Group of Miami would buy the land for $10 million and build 300 apartments over five four-story buildings. The site also would include a two-story clubhouse with a pool and an amenity deck and up to 5,000 square feet of retail space. The company is an international luxury developer. In Palm Beach County, its projects include The Slade, a waterfront apartment building, as well as The Icon Marina Village in West Palm Beach, the Town Southern community in Royal Palm Beach and the Boca Grand in Boca Raton.
W & W VIII LLC, a building company owned by the Ward family of Wellington, would buy the 10 acres for $8 million and build between 150 and 200 apartments, housed in four five-story buildings, and a one-story clubhouse. The company built the Village Green Center, next to the Mall at Wellington Green, and Winding Trails, a luxury barn community off Aero Club Drive.
Bainbridge Companies and Brefrank Enterprises offered to buy the land at a price set by the village and build a group of six-story buildings with 400 apartments overlooking Lake Lisbet. Bainbridge Companies has developed residential buildings across Florida, including Solara at Wellington and AXIS Wellington Green.
Two proposals suggest other means of financing the deal.
Dan Enterprises Team would request a $20 million loan from an unspecified source and give the village half of the revenue made during the second and third years of occupancy. The project would include 180 apartments in three-story buildings, a 50,000-square-feet shopping mall and horse stables. The Florida-based company has done construction projects in Wellington and in Broward and Miami-Dade counties.
Inter Related Construction Service Corp proposed a 99-year ground lease for $230,00 a year to build 300 apartments, with 40% for workforce housing, and a 200-room hotel with a conference venue for 130 to 260 guests. The builder has developed multiple residential and commercial properties in South Florida and is behind The Lynx Golf Estates in Boynton Beach.
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Council members told developers they prefer proposals for the purchase of the land, rather than a ground lease or a public-private partnership.
They said the number of residences should be about the 220 permitted by village code, and that anything over that number must include a public benefit such as workforce housing, retail spaces or an amphitheater.
“Ultimately, we may decide to do nothing,” said council member Michael Drahos. “It's got to be compelling for us to do something.”
Wellington Green Park sits in an area that could see other developments happen in the next few years. The village council received a study this year that identified The Mall at Wellington Green and the State Road 7 corridor as the area with most potential for growth and redevelopment.
The study found the village lacks a “civic heart” where the community can gather, needs more affordably priced housing plus additional dining and entertainment venues. It recommended transforming the outdated shopping center into a walkable district with apartments, commercial spaces and even a light-rail station.
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“It is realistic to expect that, at some point, the mall is going to be the spot where redevelopment is likely to happen,” Barnes said.
Wellington Green Park, Barnes said, is designated as a civic site but has never been considered an environmental preserve. Developers would have to apply for zoning and master plan amendments for their proposals.
McGovern said, during the meeting, that now that other parks have opened in the village, the council would have to evaluate what would be the best use of the property.
“Is this land that we need anymore considering its potential ability to serve other needs in the village?” McGovern asked. “This is the question.”
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Village residents argued that once that green space is built on, it can never grow back.
Dylan Cucharaldo attended the Aug. 8 council meeting with two young adults who play soccer at the Wellington Green Park every week. They met at the park and say the space has become crucial for the community.
“To us, that park is priceless,” said Cucharaldo. “It's the only field that we play on. It's the field where we grew up together.”
Drahos told the council he would not consider any projects without an assessment from the parks and recreation department to determine if other facilities could host open play.
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“I would never do anything if we were going to displace anybody and they would have nowhere to play anymore by virtue of this decision,” Drahos said.
An online petition named “Save Wellington Green Park” had received over 450 signatures a week after the meeting.
Long told council members that cramming all the people who use Wellington Green Park every week into another smaller, divided location wouldn't be reasonable. He said there was no other facility nearby that would give families a permanent space for free, open play.
“It's mortgaging the future of recreational activities for our kids,” Long said. “You don’t tear down one lighthouse to build another.”
Valentina Palm covers Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, Loxahatchee and other western communities in Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post. Email her at vpalm@pbpost.com and follow her on Twitter at @ValenPalmB. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Wellington listens to offers from developers to buy park, build housing
