LAKE PARK — Developers have proposed a second 16-story complex at the west end of downtown as the wave of high-rise buildings cresting West Palm Beach and Riviera Beach begins to touch Lake Park.
The town is reviewing a proposal for a property known as The Kelsey on Park, which would mix residences and commercial space at the southeast corner of 10th Street and Park Avenue, just east of the Lake Park Fire Station.
The site is directly south of another proposed 16-story complex under consideration, The Residences at 10th & Park, which Forest Development wants to build on the intersection's northeast corner.
That project would feature two 16-story mixed-use towers connected by an urban-style midair bridge, and would bring 595 market-rate apartments,
a restaurant and stores to nearly 3 acres at Lake Park's downtown core.
By comparison, The Kelsey on Park, proposed by New York-based The Alder at Lake Park LLC, would offer 426 residences, 10,447 square feet of retail space and 867 square feet of professional office space on about 2 acres, town records show.
If approved, The Kelsey and the Residences at 10th and Park would be Lake Park's second-tallest buildings, behind the Nautilus 220 condominium towers about a mile east off U.S. 1 along the Intracoastal Waterway. The 24-story Nautilus towers, built by Forest Development, were the first high-rises constructed in Lake Park in recent years and mirror similar buildings in Singer Island to the south.
The Residences at 10th & Park project won a recommendation of approval from the Lake Park Planning & Zoning Board in June 2024, but has yet to go to a vote by the Town Commission.
Nadia DiTommaso, Lake Park's community development director, said the town is awaiting confirmation from Forest Development that it intends to proceed. A prepared statement released by Forest on Aug. 28 said the developer is still engaged with discussions with the town staff regarding the project.
"We appreciate the opportunity to continue working collaboratively with The Town as the project moves through the review process," the statement said.
DiTommaso said The Kelsey on Park proposal is still under review and has not been scheduled for a planning board vote. A recent site plan review showed Alder is seeking a waiver from the Town Commission to exceed Lake Park's density limit of 48 residences per acre.
Lake Park studies plans to put 16-story buildings in low-rise downtown
Town staff members noted concerns in a recent review of the site plan, especially about the appearance of the building in a neighborhood of smaller properties, nearly all of them three stories or fewer.
"Staff has concerns with the project’s proposed utilization of the density waiver and its impact on the design," the town's Community Development Department wrote. "Rather than being compact, the goal of maximizing density to over 200 units per acre has created a bloated design that integrates poorly into the surrounding area."
Some residents have voiced reservations about placing high-rise towers downtown, saying the 16-story buildings would take away from Lake Park's small-town character, increase traffic and reduce privacy for neighboring homes.
"They're completely out of sync with the town as the far as the architecture, and they just don't belong here," said Mary Taylor, a former Lake Park commissioner.
In anticipation of developing the downtown site, Alder purchased six buildings between Park Avenue and Foresteria Drive, including 1918 Park Ave., which according to town records is the only remaining historic building in the commercial area.
Lake Park's Historic Preservation Board and the Town Commission denied requests by Alder to remove the historic designation from the building, which once served as the headquarters for the Arnold Construction Co.
Developer willing to leave historic Lake Park building in place
Glen Spiritis, a Riviera Beach city council member, is affiliated with the Kelsey project as an agent for The Alder at Lake Park.
He said Alder hopes to move forward with its development plans after reaching a settlement with a magistrate to demolish five of the properties, while leaving the 1918 building in place. The company will have 30 days to submit an application, and 60 days to complete the demolition once a permit has been granted.
Spiritis said Alder's initial plans were in accordance with conversations with town officials.
"We came in there acting in good faith. I became a part of this project only to help revitalize the community," he said. "I would like to see the project get to its end and help revitalize the downtown."
Spiritis said Alder chose the 10th and Park location after a tour of various properties with the town staff. Spiritis said the goal is to help develop the downtown into a more pedestrian-friendly, "walkable" area with retail options available.
"I liked the fact that it was in a quaint downtown area that had a little bit of history to it," he told The Palm Beach Post. "It was more like a walking block. I liked the fact that you could walk around. The infrastructure seemed to be there to make it work."
Residents say they want to keep Lake Park's small town feel
An online petition opposing The Residences at 10th and Park garnered nearly 800 signatures. Katia Zhestkova, who started the petition, is president of the Lake Park Society for the Advancement of Civic Engagement. She said she has similar concerns about The Kelsey project.
"Lake Park residents do not want to have high-rises because they're not going to look good in our beautiful, historic town, and they come with a lot of issues," she said. "This a massive structure which will create a lot of traffic around it, and the privacy — this area has small residential houses."
Zhestkova and Taylor said a structure similar to Avalon Bay's seven-story Northlake Promenade apartments being built near the former Twin City Mall site would be more appropriate for the downtown district.
"I hear it all the time from the developers and business people that residents are against progress," Zhestkova said. "No, residents are not against progress. Residents understand what's extremely attractive about Lake Park. Lake Park is a beautiful small town in Florida. .... We were never ever intended to be Miami or even West Palm Beach."
Julius Whigham II covers northern Palm Beach County and public safety for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Major high rises planned for little county town has residents worried
