Proposed Midtown Boca Project on Military Trail

The same developers behind Mizner Park have unveiled a plan for a mixed-use development on Military Trail near Town Center mall between Glades Road and Verde Trail. The vision is to make Midtown a “live-work-play” district where shopping, eating, and working are just a few steps away from home.

Developers want to create a mixed-use, walkable, bikeable, transit-oriented center, hoping to tie together this new development with the existing buildings in the area. The nearly 270-acre district would feature specialty grocery stores, boutique shops, service stores like a dry cleaner an bank, and possibly a movie theater.

The developers want to make sure the area is pedestrian-friendly, even more so than Mizner Park. They hope that the combination of residential and retail space will cut down on the city’s traffic congestion and give residents alternatives to getting around so they can leave their cars behind. Ideally, Midtown would have a privately funded shuttle, on-demand golf carts, and designated areas for ride-hailing services such as Lyft and Uber. Building a new Tri-Rail station is also being considered.

Anywhere from 1,300 to 2,500 apartments and condos are expected to be built over the next decade in this area dispersed between the Sears building at Town Center Mall, Glades Plaza, Boca Center, and the property owned by Cypress Realty (current Nippers space). The rental properties will be similar to the Palmetto Promenade project, which range in size from 712 square feet to 2,292 square feet, with monthly rental rates between $2,000 and $4,700 a month. The units will include luxury finishes and appliances, and amenities including a fitness center, resort pool, and dog park.

The city’s Planning and Zoning board still needs to approve the number of apartments allowed, and then it will go to the City Council for a final vote.