FCI Residential Proposes Luxury Apartment Plans for Downtown Boca
By: Michael Demyan
The downtown area could soon be getting a couple of new apartment buildings as a proposal from FCI Residential is currently undergoing the final stages of review by the City of Boca Raton.
The proposed area, called Camino Square, would feature two mid-rise apartment buildings which would sit between parking garages. In order to build the apartments, remaining stores in the shopping center off of West Camino Real and South Dixie Highway would need to be moved. The center currently lacks a major store after the local Winn-Dixie was closed. Its former building has been left abandoned.
“Camino Square is really the first true redevelopment of a blighted and under-utilized property in Downtown Boca Raton, which is consistent with what the CRA was originally formed to do,” FCI Residential Managing Director Juan Porro said.
The luxury apartments would hold a combined 350 units and would stand at 77 feet tall. The buildings would also not be the only part of construction for the current shopping center as there are also plans to beautify the surrounding area. Those plans include sidewalks and green spaces, as well as landscaping.
Camino Square’s architect, Beatriz Hernandez of MSA Architects, also designed the Camden Boca Raton apartments. She believes that the designs for the proposed buildings will fit perfectly into the city’s atmosphere.
“Camino Square is a modern interpretation of Addison Mizner’s architectural style,” she said. “It offers distinctive features of traditional classical architecture in terms of its articulation and the flexibility and openness of its spaces. It has been designed to blend in nicely and complement the city skyline.”
Apartment buildings could mean more traffic for the area as Boca Raton is already known for its busy streets, however those involved with the project stress that the added vehicles to the roads should not be too much of an issue.
“The proposed apartments will generate less evening traffic than if the shopping center was reactivated in its current setup,” Camino Square’s traffic engineer John Donaldson said.
The Federation of Boca Raton Homeowners, as well as nearby residents, have reviewed the plans and FCI Residential has received a preliminary review by the Community Appearance Board.
