Redevelopment

Boca Planning Board Approves 12-Story, 306 Unit Apartment Complex for Dixie Highway

by
Daniel Nee
June 27, 2025

A rendering of of Modera Boca, a 12-story apartment complex at 400 S. Dixie Highway. (Planning Document via Boca Daily News)

The downtown development boom in Boca Raton continues to pick up steam, with the city’s planning board voting to recommend approval of an ambitious project consisting of a 12-story residential tower that will combine 306 apartments, a parking facility and an outdoor walking path open to the public along Dixie Highway.

The development, which will be known as “Modera,” represents one of the first major private development projects along Dixie Highway, home to aging properties beside the Florida East Coast Railroad tracks that have historically been overlooked by major developers. The company behind Modera, Mill Creek Residential, is based in Boca Raton and has pitched the complex as its first foray into the market in its hometown. Mill Creek, representatives said at the meeting, sees opportunity in the growing downtown district, as well as with its proximity to to the city’s Brightline station, representing an evolution in concept to development near the railroad tracks.

The future site of Modera Boca, a 12-story apartment complex at 400 S. Dixie Highway. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

The board unanimously recommended approval of the project, which would replace an office complex that now stands at 400 S. Dixie Highway, spanning the area between SE 3rd Street and SE 5th Street. The office complex would be demolished in favor of the 306-unit, 12-story building which will include approximately 416,137 square feet of residential space. The building will stand 141-feet tall.

“Any application that comes on my desk on downtown for my review, we demand that the buildings be beautiful – that goes without saying,” explained Ele Zachariades, the attorney representing the developer. “We have studio units from 700 square feet to penthouse units at 2,200 square feet. We’re hoping a wide array of individuals will live there, from a single person in a studio to a family in one of the larger units.”

Modera’s developer plans to offer studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, three-bedroom and penthouse units. But one of the most visible aspects of the project for the city as a whole will be the installation of a new streetscape along Dixie Highway amidst its two-block swath, plus the transformation of a wooded lot owned by the city into a walking path with native trees, shade canopies and decorative features. The public area will be located near the northern portion of the site.

A rendering of of Modera Boca, a 12-story apartment complex at 400 S. Dixie Highway. (Planning Document via Boca Daily News)

The future site of Modera Boca, a 12-story apartment complex at 400 S. Dixie Highway. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

“We’re creating a beautiful pedestrian corridor along Dixie Highway,” said Zachariades. “We would like all ingress to happen in the [rear] alleyway, as well as all egress. It can then provide 26-feet of pure pedestrian corridor, but also allows us to move the sidewalk in and plant shade trees on each side. Currently, the sidewalk is literally on Dixie Highway – there is no barrier between the pedestrian and the highway.”

Modera will be constructed on a 1.07 acre parcel of land, inclusive of a self-contained seven-story parking deck with one subterranean level. The parking deck will direct traffic to an existing alleyway so vehicles will not have to enter or egress the property from busy Dixie Highway. John Donaldson, a traffic engineer who testified on behalf of the developer, said traffic patterns favor residential traffic traveling in the opposite direction of commercial traffic at peak times, relieving some concerns of congestion downtown.

“They’re not going to be competing with each other,” Donaldson said.

The apartment complex will feature numerous amenities, including internal office space, a clubhouse, fitness center, yoga lawn, putting green, dog park, bocce court, and arcades. The site will host 468 parking stalls, including 27 electric vehicle charging stations, plus the capability to add another 70 EV spaces in what is known as a “make-ready” configuration. Mill Creek’s representatives said a power transformer dedicated to the EV charging apparatus is built into the complex. A zoning deviation is required for parking, however, since the city’s code would normally require 538 off-street spaces for a building of Modera’s size.

A rendering of of Modera Boca, a 12-story apartment complex at 400 S. Dixie Highway. (Planning Document via Boca Daily News)

The future site of Modera Boca, a 12-story apartment complex at 400 S. Dixie Highway. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

A rendering of of Modera Boca, a 12-story apartment complex at 400 S. Dixie Highway. (Planning Document via Boca Daily News)

All of the building’s exterior active uses will be located underneath a covered loggia, which is only accessible via gate access for residents. Modera will also feature a rooftop pool built into the side of the building on a 7th floor sub-roof, providing an aerial view of Boca Raton looking west. The pool deck will include cabanas and an interior lounge space.

Units will range from a 727 square foot studio to a 1,327 square foot three bedroom apartment. The penthouse units are two-story townhome-style units that include a private, unenclosed terrace area on the uppermost story, totaling 2,200 square feet.

A rendering of of Modera Boca, a 12-story apartment complex at 400 S. Dixie Highway. (Planning Document via Boca Daily News)

The future site of Modera Boca, a 12-story apartment complex at 400 S. Dixie Highway. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

In terms of greenery, proposed street trees include 12 Bridal Veil trees along South Dixie Highway, and three sprawling Live Oaks along SE 3rd Street. Mill Creek has retained an arborist to save and transplant a gigantic mahogany tree that already exists on the property.

Having been advanced by the planning board, the development application requires a second vote from the city council before building permits can be obtained, and demolition and construction can begin. That vote is expected to occur at a council meeting in the near future.