Developer Mark Bellissimo won zoning changes needed for the next phase of his plan to reimagine the epicenter of American equestrian sports.
Wellington’s Village Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the changes for his project, called the Marketplace at the Wellington, which will complement Bellissimo’s adjacent 400-acre residential development, the Wellington.
The amendment switched the 17.9-acre site at 13421 South Shore Boulevard from commercial zoning to mixed-use zoning, allowing for Bellissimo’s proposed 80-key hotel, 89-unit condo component, and 117,000 square feet of commercial and office space. The project is intended to emulate some of uppercrust America’s favorite shopping destinations, including Palm Beach’s Worth Avenue and Greenwich, Connecticut’s Greenwich Avenue, according to the developer’s website.
The Village of Wellington’s Planning, Zoning and Adjustment Board previously greenlit the zoning changes at a May meeting.
The developer, Bellissimo’s Wellington Lifestyle Partners (WLP), is a partnership between Wellington Equestrian Partners and Nexus Luxury Collection. Backers include Justin Timberlake, Tiger Woods, and billionaire Joe Lewis’ Tavistock Group.
Bellissimo and his partners own a sprawling portfolio in Wellington, including the private Wanderers Club and Wellington International, the showgrounds that host the village’s Winter Equestrian Festival.
Bellissimo won a controversial approval for the Wellington last year, which involved transferring 96 acres out of the village’s 9,000-acre Equestrian Preserve as well as a threat to shutter the showgrounds. The Wellington is slated to include 253 homes, an 18-hole golf course and to be completed in 2028, according to the developer’s website. Bellissimo will also expand and update Wellington International, as part of the agreement with the village.
WLP still needs to receive final approval for the Marketplace. It will also contend with a similar mixed-use development from Steve Ross’ Related Ross, which reached an agreement in January to buy a 70-acre site known as K-Park from the village for $47 million, the Palm Beach Post reported. It is planning a restaurant and retail district with a 180-key hotel and 500 residential units, akin to its West Palm Beach mixed-use development CityPlace.
