Owners of The Boca Raton Seek Permission to Build Potential Tower to 100-Feet

The Boca Raton and its surrounding property, Boca Raton, FL, July 2025. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

Boca Raton’s planning board last week unanimously voted to recommend approval of a text amendment to the city’s zoning code that would allow the ownership group of The Boca Raton to build a residential tower to 100-feet within a portion of its property.

The Boca Raton, off Camino Real, was purchased in 2020 by ownership group MSD Partners, a New York-based investment firm affiliated with tech billionaire Michael Dell. The firm is known for directing the majority of its profits into charitable causes. Though no site plan has been formally proposed, plans have been floated to construct a 76-unit condominium complex on a 1.1-acre parcel of the sprawling site, which would stand 100-feet tall. The zoning code presently permits buildings to be constructed to a height of 85-feet in the R-5 zone, in which the property is located.

The amendment to the city zoning ordinance would allow buildings in the R-5 zone to be built to a height of 100-feet “where you have an approved planned development master plan of at least 100 acres,” said Brandon Schaad, the city’s Development Services Director.

“That’s pretty limiting,” said Schaad.

The Boca Raton and its surrounding property, Boca Raton, FL, July 2025. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

The Boca Raton and its surrounding property, Boca Raton, FL, July 2025. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

The property on which The Boca Raton stands is essentially the only property in the city where the height amendment would apply. There are only two other 100-acre properties that exist in Boca Raton – the BRIC complex and the Town Center Mall complex – and neither of them are located in the R-5 zone. Officials said extra protections were built into the proposed height amendment, which was requested by Boca Owner, LLC, the holding company for The Boca Raton.

“Once you have a building taller than 25 feet, the setback increases by a foot for every two feet in height above 25-feet,” said Schaad. “So, a 100-foot tall building will have a larger required setback than an 85-foot tall building.”

Bonnie Miskel, the attorney representing The Boca Raton, said the new residential project – if formally proposed – would be tastefully designed and comply with the zoning code.

“The R-5 is a multifamily category and it does have protections in it already – we mentioned one of them, which is the additional setback,” said Miskel. “It’s on all sides – not just the front, not just the size – but the left, right and rear. Your footprint shrinks because it’s a multifamily category.”

The Boca Raton and its surrounding property, Boca Raton, FL, July 2025. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

Miskel also said her client would be required to come before the board and “demonstrate that we meet all the minimum requirements of the entire code, and if this should be passed, this section as well.”

“They’re very excited about continuing to invest in this property,” she said, of MSD. “They’ve spent more than half a billion dollars on improvements, and that includes re-doing the green space as well.”

About 90 percent of the profit derived from the property is earmarked for charitable causes, she added.

The amendment is subject to final approval by the city council.