South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Delray Beach Publix could gain new apartments above
DELRAY BEACH — More apartments could be soon coming to Delray Beach — only this time many would be built on top of an existing Publix in an attempt to transform a massive shopping plaza into an “upscale, vibrant and sustainable community.”
If approved, it would the latest in a series of major projects to upgrade Linton Avenue east of Interstate 95.
Developers are shaping plans to significantly overhaul the The Plaza at Delray, a strip mall with dozens of retail locations on the corner of Linton and Federal Highway. The plaza is home to Publix, LA Fitness, Duffy’s Sports Grill, Longhorn Steakhouse, CVS and Wells Fargo, among other stores.
Under the proposed plan, developers would renovate the existing Publix on the northern side of the complex and then add three stories of apartments on top of the building, according to a document sent to city officials.
Additionally, multiple four-story buildings also would be built, consisting of one story for retail locations and three stories for apartments, as well as interconnected plazas and a parking garage.
Bonnie Miskel, an attorney representing the developer, said that because Publix had interest in renovating its store, it made sense to redevelop the northern portion of the plaza, which will “essentially convert the strip mall into more of a lifestyle environment: live, work and play. There will be retail, residential, some open plaza areas.”
Miskel did not specify how many apartments or buildings would be built.
One of the key issues for the developer is changing the current height restrictions for that district. Buildings have a 48-foot limit, but can be allowed to reach 60 feet if approved by the city. Since the Publix consists of nearly two stories, the developer would need the 60-foot limit to account for the three stories of residential on top of the store.
The project is in the early stages of development and has not yet gone through any city approval boards.
Linton Boulevard is in the midst of significant face-lift with a variety of projects.
In 2020, Whole Foods opened a 41,000-square-foot store less than a halfmile from The Plaza at Delray. Club Pilates and a BurgerFi restaurant also opened in the same complex by Whole Foods.
Additionally, Menin Development received approval earlier last year to build a five-story, 277-unit apartment complex on Linton Avenue, which will allocate 20% toward affordable workforce housing.