Lotus Palm: Move-ins and construction continue at GL's new community west of Boca Raton

Palm Beach County home prices have soared to record highs in the past two years (the current median listing home price is $554,994) and affordable housing is still a fundamental need as people continue to be priced out of the area.

But you wouldn't know that by the crowds west of Boca Raton where competition is fierce at Lotus Palm for a collection of seven models that start at a whopping $1.3 million.

Almost a year into sales at the property just west of Florida's Turnpike off Glades Road, GL Homes has sold more than 390 houses since August 2022.

“Sales have been spectacular,” chief operating officer of GL Homes Marcie DePlaza said.

Construction on the homes began in the fall of 2022 and is expected to continue for a few years. Currently, 200 homes are under construction.

Base prices for the units range from $1.3 million to more than $2 million, an increase from GL Homes’ Lotus community about 15 minutes away, on the east side of Lyons Road. There, units range from $624,000 to just under $1 million.

Lotus Palm is a continuation of the 804-unit Lotus development, DePlaza said. Like Lotus, which began its sales in early 2019, it’s a family-type development offering floor-to-ceiling plans.

Between its two collections — The Fiji and Bali — there are 11 different floorplans ranging in size from 2,573 to 5,177 square feet.

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The most expensive model is the Maldives with five bedrooms, five bathrooms and a four-car garage.

There still are approximately 135 homes left to sell in Lotus Palm, DePlaza said. Since opening last year, more than 30 homes have sold each month. DePlaza called it "staggering and unique," at the price point of these units.

What does more development mean for the west of Boca area that continues to grow?

Despite the high demand for homes, Palm Beach County Vice Mayor Maria Sachs said the county needs to put on the brakes.

“GL makes a good product,” she said. “However, it's up to the county commission, and city government to limit overdevelopment and promote smart development.”

The area's infrastructure, she said, is not ready for thousands of new units to be built. It would lead to more traffic, a lack of services, more congestion and high density — the very reasons people leave their home states for Florida, according to Sachs.

Later this year, the commission will make a final vote on the GL land swap proposal. It would allow GL Homes to build another high-end development on a coveted 700-acre parcel on State Road 7 west of Boca Raton, clear the way for GL to build a 1,000-unit development for people over 55, and allow GL to build a $150 million water-resource project on 1,600 acres of land in The Acreage area or Indian Trails Grove.

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GL will return to the commission in August with a more detailed proposal to transmit to the state for review. Once that review is complete, the commission will again be called on to approve the land swap on final reading. Most often, text amendments that are initiated are approved.

Previously, Sachs has voted against the project.

“It's up to us and the county commission to maintain a sense of order,” she said. “And to build community in this county.”

The way to achieve that, Sachs said, is through smart development — the creation of communities or areas, like Mizner Park, that are safe, walkable and can provide their residents with some form of entertainment.

Demand is so high that a lottery process is needed for selection of homes

Typically, when GL Homes opens new homesites for sale, the demand exceeds the supply and there is a lot selection drawing, DePlaza said. The same applied for the Lotus Palm homes.

The process works like this: Buyers must submit a check in advance and then names are placed in a tumbler on the day that the homesites are released. GL Homes then establishes an order for buyers to select their homes.

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Amenities at Lotus Palm include a 26,000-square-foot clubhouse with a full-service restaurant, an indoor sports court and an arcade. There are tennis and pickleball courts, multiple pools and a fitness center, open 24 hours a day.

And Boca Raton, DePlaza said, is an A-plus location. The development offers its residents easy access to the city’s schools, attractions and the county’s airports.

Jasmine Fernández is a journalist covering Delray Beach and Boca Raton at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at jfernandez@pbpost.com and follow her on Twitter at @jasminefernandz. Help support our work. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: More than 390 houses sold at GL's new Lotus Palm west of Boca Raton