Billionaire Stephen Ross Ramps up West Palm Beach Development, Plans Countywide Projects

South Florida Business Journal

Billionaire and Miami Dolphins owner Stephen M. Ross is ready to put West Palm Beach on national display as a model community for business relocation, and his development efforts will soon spread countywide. Ross spoke with the Business Journal on Nov. 20 as his Related Ross opened a 10,000-square-foot “experience center” in CityPlace to highlight its projects in West Palm Beach, along with other development in the city such as the forthcoming Vanderbilt University graduate campus and Cleveland Clinic Hospital. The company has been successful in finding tenants for its new offices in the city and selling luxury condos, but Ross is just getting started.

“What we are looking to do is really make this a model community in this country,” Ross said. “We see West Palm Beach and Palm Beach County as the place with really the biggest opportunity today.”Ross said Florida is the best business state in the country that is not really known for big business, so he looked at what it doesn’t have. He wants a community for inclusive growth and meeting the needs of local residents so they can benefit from the new business.

“Now it’s really getting ourselves out there and letting the world know that what we’ve put together to take a city, and it’s not just a city it’s really the whole county, and take advantage of the resources we have,” Ross said.That’s why having a great university and great K-12 education is important to the county, as well as an excellent health care system. Ross is also involved in attracting a private school to Wellington.

“You don’t see any great city or great area without a great university,” Ross said. “And having Vanderbilt which is a Top 10 university in this country, and growing, is important. Not only the university, but the K-12 education, both public and private.

”Vanderbilt is in the midst of a fundraising campaign, to which Ross has heavily contributed, to build its West Palm Beach campus. West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James, who was at the experience center opening, said Vanderbilt leaders are very positive about the campus and are moving forward. It will provide a great opportunity for local students to earn an MBA from an elite university without leaving the city, he said. Ross’ private school plans in Wellington would also be great for West Palm Beach, James said, because many families want a nearby private school for their kids.Related Ross Executive VP Jordan Rathlev said the company has 20 to 30 projects in the pipeline throughout Palm Beach County.

It is truly a county-wide effort and, while its current residential projects are luxury, Related Ross will build all housing types to serve a wide swath of the community, he said.Ross’ vision starts in West Palm Beach. In the experience center – located in a former Cheesecake Factory, there’s a huge model of the city’s downtown and the Clearlake district, along with the South Flagler House condo that’s under construction. It has model kitchens and bathrooms for that condo.

There’s also a large video wall that displays a “digital twin” of the city, so viewers can see where the new buildings will be, map out the restaurants and shops, and see what their views would look like from their office or condo. Every time Related Ross announces a new project in the city, it can build a display in the experience center.The experience center will be open to the public around midday daily.

“West Palm Beach, Palm Beach County, is really the most important place, I think, in the future of this country,” Ross said at the experience center opening. “We are all seeing a transformation that’s taking place here and wanting to be a part of it and you’ll get a much better idea as you go through the experience center.”Ross also highlighted the recent opening of the Equinox health club, which is nearly sold out, and the opening of the Eataly Italian market and restaurant in a converted church on Dec. 5.