Sunrise OKs big Westerra project
Stiles plans mixed-use development west of Sawgrass Mills
The Stiles Corp.’s proposed Westerra project in Sunrise took an important step forward Tuesday when the City Commission unanimously approved a rezoning request for nearly 32 acres of land owned by the Fort Lauderdalebased developer.
There was no public opposition.
Westerra’s history dates back to 2005, when a partnership called Sawgrass Tech Land Association Ltd., created by Stiles’ late founder, Terry Stiles, acquired 105 acres at the site on the south side of West Sunrise Boulevard.
The land is south of the BB&T Center and Metropica, the mixeduse development now under construction. It is west of the sprawling Sawgrass Mills shopping complex.
After years of delay caused primarily by the economic recession, Stiles is seeking to build a mixeduse project on the south side of West Sunrise Boulevard and west of Northwest 136th Avenue. The company asked the city to rezone the land from “office and recreation” to “planned development district.”
The commissioners obliged in a 4-0 vote.
According to a project description submitted to the city, the components include 750 high-rise residential units that would be no higher than 15 stories, 50,000 square feet of commercial space, 750,000 square feet of office space and 1.6 acres of park and open space.
At the meeting, Sunrise Mayor Michael Ryan hailed the project as “exciting for us,” and told David Siegel, development president at Stiles, that the city is looking forward to working with the developer.
Ryan said it will be an important component of a growing commercial and residential corridor “for people to live, work and play.”
A second and final commission hearing on the project is set for April 10, when Stiles is expected to produce more site plan details.
In the meantime, the city is looking for the state Department of Transportation to improve the signaling at the crossroads of the two major thoroughfares.
dvlyons@sun-sentinel .com, 954-356-4340, Twitter @davidvlyons