COMING SOON

NEW&NOW

COMING SOON ADAPTIVE REUSE

THE MASTERMINDS BEHIND THE NEW NORA DISTRICT LOOK TO BREATHE NEW LIFE INTO A LONG-OVERLOOKED AREA OF WEST PALM BEACH

BY LINDA MARX

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Named for its central location at North Railroad Avenue, the planned Nora District could transform West Palm Beach’s north end. The redevelopment project in two phases targets former industrial buildings, infrastructure and street upgrades, public space enhancements, and future vertical development between Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard and Quadrille Boulevard; the fi rst phase will focus on the adaptive reuse of more than 100,000 square feet of commercial properties. PBI recently spoke with developers Joe Furst of Place Projects in Miami and Ned Grace of NDT Development in West Palm Beach, who are partnering with Wheelock Street Capital on Nora. Furst’s company was critical in developing Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood, and Grace has an extensive fi nancial and business development background in New York and South Florida. Here, the partners discuss their plans for Nora, which breaks ground this fall after fi ve years of planning.

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Developers Joe Furst (below left) and Ned Grace (below) have partnered with Wheelock Street Capital on the new Nora District in West Palm Beach.

PBI: Why were you attracted to this area of West Palm Beach?

Grace: We see a desire for a new kind of neighborhood in West Palm Beach’s urban core. The migration of so many industry leaders from around the country is adding a demand for new kinds of retail, restaurant, and residential spaces. This area is the missing link to the downtown’s smart growth. Furst: We will honor architectural preservation and build the Nora District with integrity. With the clearly defi ned borders of this project, we can control the growth, which will allow for the creation of a confi ned and highly walkable urban environment where we can merchandise entire streets. It is a unique opportunity to detail main street.

The developers behind Nora are reimagining existing buildings to create spaces that better suit the needs of the community, including retail concepts, offi ce space, fi tness outlets, and food and drink destinations.

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What’s your vision for Nora?

Furst: The late Tony Goldman, my mentor from Goldman Properties, a national real estate development company where I was formerly managing partner, taught me to “seize the neighborhood.” We want to give Nora a unique sense of place by implementing adaptive reuse, which is repurposing existing structures for new use. By preserving the bones of existing buildings, adding green spaces and other beautifi cation, we will create a boutique urban environment with permanency of character.

What is your idea for a thoughtfully curated, vibrant restaurant and retail district for Nora and its main street? And why will this appeal to the type of cosmopolitan people moving to West Palm Beach?

Grace: We want to create an energized and exciting main street off ering unusual food and beverage concepts amid retail, offi ce, fi tness, and green space. This will be a complete neighborhood with a coff ee shop, all-day cafés, fi ne dining with chef-driven tenants, and operators from all over the U.S., including fi ve or six concepts from New York City. Furst: This is singularly the best opportunity in the country. When I started this project with Ned before COVID, West Palm Beach was a secondary market. But now with the growth cycle here regionally and nationally, we are in an exciting era.

Are any artistic interventions planned?

Furst: Nora will be diff erent from what we did for Wynwood. Here we have architecture and

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history, which we will preserve and celebrate— not mural art. Nora will be more sophisticated. We will celebrate the facades of the buildings and intertwine art into their design.

The second phase will include the addition of residential density and a variety of commercial spaces including a boutique hotel, correct?

Grace: Yes, and phase two will have the curated commercial environment created on North Railroad Avenue as the primary amenity. Some of phase two will be out as phase one is completed by early 2024. West Palm Beach lacks an authentic boutique urban environment with a cohesive residential and commercial offering. We envision Nora to fi ll the void.

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