FCI eyes luxury apartments in Boca
City officials reviewing proposal by Florida Crystals’ real estate arm.
BOCA RATON — FCI Residential, the real estate arm of sugar producer Florida Crystals Corp., has proposed an $80 million luxury apartment community that’s in the final phases of review by the city of Boca Raton.
If it receives final approval, the 350-apartment Camino Square will replace a shuttered WinnDixie shopping center north of West Camino Real and west of Dixie Highway just west of the FEC train tracks.
It is slated to include two eight-story buildings, two parking garages and public dog park.
“Camino Square is really the first true redevelopment of a blighted and underutilized property in downtown Boca Raton, which is consistent with what the CRA was originally formed to do,” said Juan Porro, managing director of FCI Residential.
The company said the development proposes less density than allowable.
Beatriz Hernandez of MSA Architects, who also designed the Camden project in downtown Boca Raton, said, “Camino Square is a modern interpretation of Addison Mizner’s architectural style.”
John Donaldson, the project’s traffic engineer, said the proposed apartments will generate less evening traffic than if the shopping center were reactivated in
its current setup.
The plans have obtained a preliminary review by the Community Appearance Board. The developers are scheduled to appear before that board in January, and then before planning and zoning.
Florida Crystals, headquartered in West Palm Beach, formed FCI in 2012 and began buying land that year. It conducted its own market research and determined there was a need for more rental apartments, as opposed to condominiums.
Florida Crystals, headed by brothers Alfonso “Alfy” Fanjul and José Pepe Fanjul, is one of three companies that produce sugar from sugar cane in Palm Beach County.
FCI develops, constructs and also manages apartment homes and communities. It has completed 2,200 apartments and has approximately 2,300 planned or under construction throughout Florida.
The communities are known for amenities such as resort-style pools with adjacent lap pools, sundecks with cabanas, tot lots, gazebos and outdoor kitchens.
FCI’s other residential projects in Palm Beach County include Atlantico at Tuscany and Siena at Tuscany, both in Delray Beach; Catalina at Alton, Palm Beach Gardens; and Toscana at Royal Palm Beach.
It also has projects in Miramar, Coconut Creek, Pompano Beach, Hialeah, Margate, Kendall, Palmetto Bay and Tampa.