Infamous waterfront drug den in West Palm Beach could be replaced by shiny 25-story tower

Welcome to The Dirt! I’m real estate reporter Kimberly Miller with the latest developments in the sizzling market.

This week, The Dirt and its intrepid business reporters expose potential pickleball horrors at an expanded Ritz-Carlton condominium in Palm Beach Gardens, and dig into the very tight quarters that a billionaire hedge-fund manager is squeezing his mother into. Let's face it, 40,000-square-feet on the ocean is practically elder abuse.

But it doesn't end there, there is the tragic rebuff of West Palm Beach's SoSo neighborhood by boutique grocery stores who just aren't that into you so stop waiting by the phone all forlorn and whatnot. If it's meant to be it will happen, maybe, or it won't and Winn Dixie will still be there as a shoulder to cry on.

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Also, Palm Beach's ARCOM, which has crushed more dreams than your high school guidance counselor, put the kibosh on another home design on the island of architect ideologues.

And former Corcoran Group bigwig John Hackett is riding off into the sunset with Avenir, where he will oversee sales for the Custom Estate Homes and Preferred Builder Program for Panther National.

Rich people in Palm Beach Gardens want dog parks and pickleball

The news here is that developer Dan Catalfumo has secured another lot adjacent to his planned three-tower Ritz-Carlton condominium so that it could become a four-tower condominium with added amenities including an expanded dog park and pickleball court.

But I laughed out loud — and in hindsight I feel like that was mean😕 — when I read that a neighbor across the Intracoastal Waterway was concerned about the noise a new pickleball court may make. Look, the man has nothing against pickleball, per se, but "if you're near it, you're going to go crazy," he said.

From occasional drug den to 25-story tower on 100-foot wide lot in West Palm Beach

For those not familiar with the strange tale of Wolfie and the addicts, you can read it here when you have a few hours to spare. The Cliffs Notes version is that a guy married a really rich woman on her death bed and bought some real estate including a house on the water in West Palm Beach where two men died from drug overdoses.

Now, developers want to turn that Mediterranean-style estate and single-family home into a nearly 300-foot tower. Guess what neighbors think?

Another ARCOM smackdown in Palm Beach

A couple who wants to build a home in Palm Beach on a vacant lot just can't catch a break and was turned down for a second time by the Architectural Commission. Preparing for an ARCOM hearing is probably something akin to Navy Seals training so to be told that your design is boxy, bulky, blocky and lacks charm could be a soul-crushing experience.

So sad for SoSo but no boutique grocery in current development plans

Updated plans for the development of the former IHOP property at 8111 S. Dixie were presented to the City of West Palm Beach commissioners with lots of support from speakers in the audience.

Sadly, the project, which increased the number of residential units to 358 from 210, doesn't have the Trader Joe's-like grocery store the neighborhood was hoping for. Behind the scenes, there's a little griping over the increase in units. Although the South End Neighborhood Association is still in support, it's giving the project another look-see.

Billionaire builds beachfront palace in Palm Beach for mom

In a heartwarming tale from Palm Beach, billionaire Ken Griffin is building his mom an oceanfront mansion with a separate guesthouse and utility building. In total, the square footage will be about 44,000, which is a notable size even on the island.

Those flowers for Mother's Day are looking pretty shabby right now, eh? Seriously, Ken, you're really setting the bar high for the rest of us. Yeesh.

Live lightly.

Kimberly Miller is a veteran journalist for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network of Florida. She covers real estate and how growth affects South Florida's environment. Subscribe to The Dirt for a weekly real estate roundup. If you have news tips, please send them to kmiller@pbpost.com. Help support our local journalism, subscribe today. 

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Real Estate: Billionaire Ken Griffin builds estate in Palm Beach