First homes going up in Westlake
Model residences in county’s newest city expected to open in fall.
WESTLAKE — It started with a handful of residents and one developer wanting to become Palm Beach County’s newest city.
Now, that developer, Minto Communities, has started home construction in that city, Westlake, whose incorporation last year surprised and angered some county officials.
Minto has begun building oneand two-story homes in what is expected to be a city of 4,500 homes and 2.1 million square feet of nonresidential development in west-central Palm Beach County.
However, because the developer — using a law passed by the state Legislature — moved to support incorporation of the area, the 3,800-acre project west of the Acreage could grow to more than the 4,500 homes and 2.1 million square feet of commercial and office space OK’d by the county before the incorporation vote was taken.
The homes under construction will serve as model homes. They are expected to be completed this fall when a sales center is slated to open.
Homes will range from 1,483 square feet to 4,443 square feet and will have anywhere from two bedrooms to six bedrooms.
“We are excited to get our first homes underway and watch our vision for Westlake start to take shape,” said Mike Belmont, president of Minto Communities USA. “We can’t wait until the models are finished so buyers can get a full appreciation for the unique homes and lifestyle we are planning for this special part of Palm Beach County.”
Minto has spent $25 million to expand Seminole Pratt Whitney Road, which bisects the city. Plans call for widening the two-lane road to four lanes and adding a landscaped divided median.
In addition to the home construction and road work, Minto donated 4.5 acres of land to the county for the construction of a new fire station, which also will double as a district headquarters.
Westlake became the county’s 39th city when it was incorporated in June 2016. Its taxable value is $27.4 million as of Jan. 1, 2017, according to 2017 preliminary property values released by the county property appraiser last month. That value already put it ahead of two other towns — Glen Ridge, with a taxable value of $16.1 million, and Cloud Lake, with a taxable value of $5.7 million.