{Photos courtesy Mainstreet Live Better}
By David Volz
Coconut Creek will soon have a large new housing, business, and park project on more than 200 acres of vacant land.
Mainstreet at Coconut Creek is a new development that is comprised of 2,360 apartments, condominiums, townhomes, and villas. Additionally, plans include 225,000 square feet of commercial space for restaurants, retail outlets, and a grocery store along Lyons Road. There are also plans for a future charter school.
During the December 14 meeting, the Coconut Creek Commission agreed on a first reading to rezone more than 200 acres to allow the project to proceed. A second reading for final approval will take place on January 25. Mayor Joshua Rydell encourages residents to attend to speak on the issue or send an email of up to a 400-word message to commissioncomments@coconutcreek.net or call the city’s dedicated commission comments voicemail at 954-973-6772 and leave up to a three-minute message.
The commission also agreed to grant the project the status of “Development of Regional Impact.” This means the city can designate the area for specific activities and projects.
Rydell was pleased. “The developers are working to create a true downtown in Coconut Creek. We will have more upscale restaurants, more green space, and a mixture of apartments and condominiums,” he said.
According to a presentation by Scott Backman, the attorney representing the developers, the project will include 16 blocks of residential living that could be four stories to eight stories. This section will be between Lyons Road, State Road Seven, Wiles Road, and Sample Road.
According to the Mainstreet Live Better website, more green space will be provided, including roadways to alleviate traffic. There will be greenway walking paths, parks, playgrounds, a splash pad, and a dog park. Also included are new lakes, ample open green space, pocket parks, and a preserve for native species.
The land was once owned by Eva and Joe Johns, who moved to the area in 1918 and built their homestead in 1921, growing beans. Their son Earl Johns ran a farm there until he died in 2009.
According to Rydell, the project will benefit Coconut Creek. He is pleased the developers want to work with the city, and there will be a large amount of green space open to the public. He compared it to Uptown Boca, which offers upscale apartments.
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