Related Ross won approvals for a master-planned development on publicly owned former farmland in Wellington.
The Palm Beach County inland village’s council voted unanimously in favor Tuesday of a 71-acre development with retail, multifamily, a hotel, offices and a school.
The master plan and zoning changes will allow the developer, controlled by billionaire Steve Ross, to divide the property, at 10400 Stribling Way, into three sections, according to a staff report from the village’s planning and zoning division.
Up to 210,000 square feet of retail, 105,000 square feet of restaurant space, 180-key hotel, 75,000 square feet of office and 215 residential units are planned for the 24-acre eastern side.
On the 44-acre western portion, private school ElevateEd is planning 405,000 square feet of classrooms as well as sports fields and an aquatic center.
The third portion consists mostly of a 3.23-acre lake ringed by pathways.
Related Ross and ElevateEd have the village-owned property under contract for about $47 million, or $662,000 per acre. Related Ross is expected to pay $31 million for the eastern portion, while ElevateEd will pay $16 million for the western side, the Town-Crier reported.
Related Ross would build 15 residential units on top of retail as part of phase one, and 200 residential units in phase two, per a village staff report.
Wellington approved construction but delayed a vote to allow ElevateEd to operate a pre-K-12 school, called Wingrove Academy, for 1,750 students, giving the private school operator time to clarify how many scholarships will be reserved for students who live in the village.
The developers said last summer they intended to open Wingrove Academy in Wellington by 2028. It would be the first school in the U.S. for ElevateEd, a company headed by Singapore-based Education In Motion co-founder Karen Yung and business consultant Marianne Rehn.
Wellington, known for its polo fields and farms, has attracted increased attention from developers.
Developer Mark Bellissimo got the green light in August to build the Marketplace at Wellington, which will include 80 hotel rooms, 89 condo units and 117,000 square feet of commercial space.
Arizona-based Meritage Homes is seeking zoning to build a 206-townhome complex on 30 acres in the village.
Also in Wellington, former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt and Discovery Land Company narrowly won the council’s initial approval to turn a former polo field into a polo-themed country club development with 40 single-family homes, though it’s far from certain their plans will win final approval.
