BOCA RATON, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2026) — A major land-use request tied to one of Boca Raton’s most recognizable properties is headed for a public hearing this week, with a proposal that would shift a portion of the resort’s golf course land into a new residential development footprint.
At Thursday’s meeting of the Boca Raton Planning and Zoning Board, The Boca Raton is seeking approvals tied to a development plan that would carve out a small piece of its historic 140-acre golf course to make way for “Boca Residences,” an ultra-luxury condominium tower planned at 501 E. Camino Real.
The request centers on a 1.774-acre area that is currently designated for recreation and open space. Developers are asking the City of Boca Raton to reclassify that slice of land to “Residential High” density, a change that would open the door for a large-scale residential building on ground that has long been part of the resort’s golf course.
If the rezoning is approved, the plan would allow construction of an eight-story residential building with 76 units, totaling more than 500,000 square feet. Planning materials describe the project as “Boca Residences,” positioned to serve what the applicant calls the “ultra-luxury” market, with units expected to sell at multi-million-dollar price points.
The building height is also part of what will be reviewed. The proposed tower would stand about 100 feet tall, above an 85-foot zoning limit for the area. That height difference triggers a separate approval step requiring action by the city’s planning board.
Along with the condo tower, the plan includes a separate 31,000-square-foot fitness center to be built adjacent to the existing golf clubhouse, plus changes to the resort’s internal street layout. The proposal also calls for abandoning a 12-foot utility easement to accommodate the new structures, another procedural piece that can require careful review depending on what utilities are present and what relocations or agreements are needed.
In the project narrative included in city records, resort representatives frame the proposal as part of a broader “re-imagination” of the property. The application points to the resort’s recent $100 million renovation of its hotel and beach club, and positions this new residential component as a continuation of that direction, shifting the site’s future toward a greater residential presence while maintaining the resort’s larger footprint.
For Boca Raton residents, the key issues will likely come down to land use and intensity: converting part of a golf course area to high-density residential, the scale of the building mass and total square footage, the requested height above the standard limit, and the downstream effects of internal circulation changes and easement adjustments.
Thursday’s Planning and Zoning Board discussion is a major checkpoint, but not the final one. The board’s role is to review the request and weigh whether it meets city planning standards, including zoning consistency and site impacts, before the process moves forward through the city’s public review track.
Residents who want to follow the proposal should watch for the board’s recommendation and any conditions added during the hearing, particularly on height, site access, and the easement change.
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