The Boca Raton City Council has given unanimous approval to a proposal by the Boca Raton Housing Authority and Atlantic Pacific Companies to expand an affordable housing complex in the city. The plan allows for the construction of two new three-story apartment buildings, adding 105 units to the Residences at Martin Manor located at 1350 North Dixie Highway.
The expansion will include 54 one-bedroom, 42 two-bedroom, and nine three-bedroom apartments on the southern portion of the existing 10-acre site. The project is part of a larger redevelopment effort that will transform what was originally known as Dixie Manor—a complex built between the 1940s and 1980s—into a modern community with a total of 200 apartments. Most of the original structures are being demolished due to their age and condition.
“Dixie Manor was developed many moons ago, between the 1940s and 1980s, and [the buildings] were in disrepair,” said Ele Zachariades, lobbyist for Atlantic Pacific Companies, during Tuesday’s council meeting.
A notable aspect of the redevelopment is that one building from the 1940s will be preserved. Half of its space will become a museum dedicated to Pearl City, which was established in 1915 as a segregated neighborhood for African Americans before Boca Raton itself existed.
According to Ashley Whidby, executive director of the Boca Raton Housing Authority, “The new apartments built on site will be reserved for households earning between 30 percent and 80 percent of area median income.” For Palm Beach County in 2025, this means an annual income range from $24,570 to $65,520 for a single-person household.
Atlantic Pacific Communities secured rights to redevelop Dixie Manor after winning a bid in 2024. The company is also pursuing several other affordable housing projects across South Florida. These include developments near St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church in Leisure City (600 units), near Carver Theater in Liberty City (71 units), an eight-story project with workforce housing in Miami’s Overtown (375 units), and a partnership with Casa Familia to create housing for disabled adults in Kendall (124 units).
Other developers are also planning affordable housing projects in Boca Raton. In June, 900 Broken Sound Acquisition LLC and Peachtree Group received approval for a mixed-unit building that includes workforce and affordable apartments at Northwest Broken Sound Parkway. Oak Lane Partners plans another project nearby with both affordable apartments and townhouses.
“Dixie Manor was developed many moons ago, between the 1940s and 1980s, and [the buildings] were in disrepair,” Ele Zachariades said.
“The new apartments built on site will be reserved for households earning between 30 percent and 80 percent of area median income,” Ashley Whidby stated.
