Fewer homes and more retail space mark changes in a closely watched project on Wellington’s southeastern side, steered by developer Related Ross, Wellington Village Council members heard in a workshop Monday, May 19.
The latest plan for the property known as K-Park entails fewer than 300 residential units, predominantly two types of townhomes of two or three stories, down from about 500 units at one point, representatives for the developer said.
Some of those could be sold to buyers, in contrast to earlier discussions that emphasized rentals, said Kevin Ryan, executive vice president with Related Ross.
“It could be a for-sale or rent product,” Ryan said. “We’re still evaluating the options.”
Mostly gone in the latest plan are apartments, in buildings up to five stories. There were misgivings among some residents in community meetings about that density in the first place, though if there was an upside, it was that it might provide affordable housing for teachers or others working in the area.
Builders grew concerned that rents might prove too high to make sense in that role. A handful of smaller residences could still be sprinkled into upper floors of the commercial area.
As it stands, rents for the proposed townhouses could run $5,000 to $6,000 per month.
At the same time, retail space is increasing, bumped up to about 220,000 square feet.
“Residential is down a little bit, and retail is up,” Ryan said.
Planning for a proposed hotel is honing in on 180 rooms and has included talks with Homewood Suites, geared for travelers who might want an extended stay within the Hilton corporate family.
Fewer brand names are yet being bandied about on the retail side, though Ken Himmel, president of Related Ross, said he expects to be 60 percent to 65 percent pre-leased by year’s end.
Apparel, lifestyle and sports are likely to figure prominently as store categories, he said. Some specific retailer names could be announced by September, with others, including an anchor on the project’s northeastern corner, perhaps coming to light by the end of 2025, Himmel said.
Five boutique grocers have been approached, with perhaps one of those eventually appearing next to a two-level parking area on the northern side.
Restaurants include a possible steakhouse with Chicago roots, whose founding family includes members living in Wellington, Himmel said. Italian and Asian eateries could be in the mix.
Three restaurants might face a kind of “town square” waterfront green space near the center of the project, featuring indoor as well as weather-protected outdoor seating, he said.
The whole property involves an updated figure of 71.3 acres southwest of State Road 7 and Stribling Way. After some adjustments, about 33 acres will to go to Related Ross and 38 acres to its educational partner for a private K-12 school.
A timeline showed the school opening in August 2028, with key portions of the Related Ross project opening shortly thereafter in the fall of 2028.
School officials revealed some revisions as well, as explained by Marianne Rehn, representing organizers of the school operating under the name ElevateED US LLC.
The latest plan opens a pre-K through eighth-grade portion of the school by the fall of 2028 in phase one, then adding additional grades through grade 12 by 2031. A previous version featured a different mix of younger and older students in the initial phase.
The total footprint of the school is coming down from 350,000 square feet to 307,000, she said.
“What did we have to take out of the design?” Councilman John McGovern asked.
“It was a bit on the sports side in terms of the number of courts,” Rehn said. “We’re trying to find ways to bring it back again.”
A big factor is to stay within budget on a $350 million investment, she said.
The name of the school itself has not been announced.
“I think if you look at this whole thing logistically, and all three pieces of this puzzle, you made a lot of really good changes from the earlier discussions,” Mayor Michael Napoleone said, referring to commercial, residential and school components. “You’ve brought down the height. You’ve brought down the density.”
He is hoping for a high-end feel.
“I’m hearing you that the retail is going to look like more of a Worth Avenue feel and less of a Palm Beach Outlets feel,” Napoleone said.
In other action, Village Attorney Laurie Cohen asked for direction on whether to consider dropping or changing a requirement for a runoff election in cases where a municipal candidate attracts less than 35 percent in an initial vote. Costs borne by the village for runoffs, more than $100,000 in 2024, could be a factor there. After discussion, council members said they wanted to put a decision on that off for while.
