How Palm Beach Gardens is growing: City approves 221 apartments along Central Boulevard

PALM BEACH GARDENS — A four-story apartment complex will soon sit on the fringe of a Palm Beach Gardens intersection that has become known for traffic gridlocks.

The City Council unanimously approved a developer’s plan on Thursday, April 4, to bring 221 apartments to the southeast corner of Central Boulevard and Victoria Falls Boulevard.

The complex, to be called Gardens Vista, would take up 16 acres of the more than 50-acre plot of land known as Cimarron Cove, a planned community first approved in 2006. For this project, the council changed the land's zoning designation to residential from one that allowed both residential and commercial uses.

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Traffic concerns lead to construction of roundabout along Victoria Falls Boulevard

Planning board members had concerns over how much traffic the project would generate in the area, between Hood Road and PGA Boulevard near the Interstate 95 overpass. One said she drove past a crash on the intersection the night that the plan went before them.

Ken Tuma, the agent for the project, said crews would replace the stop sign at Victoria Falls Boulevard and Elm Avenue with a roundabout for a “traffic-calming” effect prior to cars reaching Central Boulevard.

“I totally agree with the roundabout,” said council member Bert Premuroso in February. “It’s definitely needed there.”

Traffic engineers estimate the new residents would add 1,000 daily trips to the flow of nearby traffic.

Project representatives pointed out that the land's zoning would've allowed an even bigger project, with 45 more apartments at Gardens Vista, so the anticipated impact on traffic from the smaller project is less than it could have been.

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Apartments to feature pickleball courts, walking trails

Most apartments will rent at market rates, but the developer is voluntarily offering 22 of the apartments — 10% of the total — at workforce prices for 30 years.

The project is backed by Eduardo de Guardiola with Atlanta-based Vista Residential Partners, who bought the land for $15 million in May 2022, according to Palm Beach County property records. Eduardo de Guardiola is brother to George de Guardiola, the developer behind the Abacoa community in Jupiter, who died last year.

The Mediterranean-style complex would include 131 one-bedroom, 72 two-bedroom and 18 three-bedroom apartments. Tuma said in February that estimated rents have not been set.

“Rents are fairly expensive in Alton, and this will be comparable in level,” Tuma said during the council meeting in February.

Its amenities feature two pickleball courts, a swimming pool, more than an acre of walking trails, a preserve along Elm Avenue and a dog park.

Its clubhouse would have a gym, a game room and a golf simulator. Crews would plant five new clusters of trees at the site, including 25 oak trees and 30 sabal palms, among other greenery.

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Maya Washburn covers northern Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida-Network. Reach her at [email protected]. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach Gardens OKs 221 apartments, 22 at workforce housing rents