The City of Fort Lauderdale has given administrative approval for a major redevelopment project at The Quay at 17th Street, a waterfront retail and office plaza. The redevelopment is being carried out under Florida’s Live Local Act, which allows certain affordable housing projects to bypass standard public hearings if they meet specific criteria.
The project is a joint venture between The Related Group, BH Group, and Pebb Enterprises. The Related Group is based in Coconut Grove and led by Jorge, Jon Paul, and Nicholas Pérez. BH Group, from Aventura, is led by Liat and Isaac Toledano, while Boca Raton-based Pebb Enterprises is led by Ian Weiner. These firms have previously partnered on other developments in South Florida.
Plans for The Quay call for the transformation of the current mixed-use complex and six-yacht marina on seven acres at 1515 17th Street into a 33-story development. The project will include 521 apartments, 5,000 square feet of commercial space, and more than 750 parking spaces. Of the residential units, 217 will be reserved for affordable and workforce housing. The apartments will range from studios to three-bedroom units.
In addition to the new construction, the developers intend to create a waterfront public plaza and retain the existing shopping center and two office buildings on the site.
Currently, the property is zoned for 361 residential units and up to 12,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. However, the Live Local Act enables the city to approve higher density projects administratively when at least 40 percent of the units are designated as affordable.
Last year, the partnership purchased The Quay for $48.5 million. The same group also owns Ocean Walk, a retail plaza on Singer Island in Riviera Beach, and the former Office Depot headquarters campus in Boca Raton, where a mixed-use project with 500 apartments, a gym, and retail outparcels is planned.
The Quay project is part of Related Group’s expanding portfolio of Live Local developments in South Florida. The company’s affordable and workforce housing division recently submitted plans for a multifamily and hotel project at Jackson Memorial Hospital’s campus in Miami. The proposal includes a 27-story tower with 460 apartments, a 31-story tower with 382 units, an 18-story hotel with 128 rooms, 4,200 square feet of retail space, and 714 parking spaces in two seven-story garages.
