DEVELOPER EYES 11 ACRES FOR SENIOR APARTMENTS

Health care developer wants 220 independent living units in Gardens.

PALM BEACH GARDENS — A health care developer wants to build 220 independent living apartments on the Amara Shrine Center property on RCA Boulevard.

RCA Medical Owners LLC submitted an application in August to rezone the 11-acre property from commercial to residential and develop it. State business records list Robert and Malcolm Sina as managers of RCA Medical Owners. They are the principal and executive chairman, respectively, of Sina Companies on Hood Road in Palm Beach Gardens.

The Amara Temple Holding Corporation owns the land the company wants to buy and develop on the south side of RCA Boulevard just east of Alternate A1A. The property is home to the Amara Shrine and auto/RV storage.

Malcolm Sina said the company will buy the property for an undisclosed price after getting approval from the city. He expects to close in the second quarter of next year.

The Amara Shriners want to move to a smaller property, the center’s recorder has said. They could not immediately be reached Wednesday to comment on their plans. The Shriners usually host a big circus in April to raise money for children’s hospitals. The Shriners had to cancel the circus this year because they didn’t want to plan the event, only to sell the land before the circus’ arrival.

The proposed independent living facility will be for “healthy, active seniors” older than 55 who want to downsize from their homes without paying for services they don’t need, such as meals or linens, that are usually part of the package at continuing care retirement communities, according to the developer’s application.

The developer wants to build one-bedroom units with 711 square feet to penthouses with 2,231 square feet. Average rents

for the one- to two-bedroom units will be about $2,500 a month. Residents can buy meals and housekeeping services separately.

Four stories of residences will sit atop ground-level parking in the developer’s plan.

If the community is approved, the developer expects to finish building by the end of 2021. No road improvements will be required, according to a traffic analysis.

Croquet, a community garden, dog park and outdoor kitchen are among the proposed amenities.

Palm Beach Gardens planning staff, the Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board and the City Council will need to review and sign off on the plans before the developer can proceed.