Why the Flagler waterfront stays low and the towers go inland
Every tower on the Flagler waterfront is an exception to a rule
- Downtown Flagler waterfront height limit
- 5 stories
- Downtown Flagler waterfront height limit
- North Flagler overlay maximum with bonuses
- 350 feet
- North Flagler overlay maximum with bonuses
- Cap on new buildings north of 44th Street
- 300 feet
- Cap on new buildings north of 44th Street
- Expected final Downtown Master Plan approval
- January 2027
- Expected final Downtown Master Plan approval
Voters have held the downtown waterfront to 5 stories for decades. Every tower is an exception: the 2018 Okeechobee Business District behind One Flagler, overlays allowing up to 350 feet on North Flagler with paid bonuses, and South Flagler rezonings approved one at a time. In 2025 the city capped new buildings north of 44th Street at 300 feet. In 2026 it dropped 25-story waterfront buildings, recommended denial of Alba Reserve and paused South End rezonings. Approved towers are scarcer than the pipeline suggests.
The short answer
- The downtown Flagler waterfront remains at 5 stories south of Datura Street and up to 8 north of Banyan Boulevard.
- The Okeechobee Business District of 2018 lifted the cap for One Flagler over objections from the Town of Palm Beach.
- North Flagler towers rely on overlays allowing up to 350 feet with height bonuses, and a 300-foot cap now applies to new filings north of 44th Street.
- The Downtown Master Plan rewrite went to the City Commission on October 26, 2026, with final approval expected in January 2027.
- Each South Flagler tower was approved by individual rezoning and drew neighborhood opposition.
One Flagler rose through a 2018 exception
The waterfront cap gave way once, for an office tower. In August 2018 the City Commission unanimously created the Okeechobee Business District along Okeechobee Boulevard, from CityPlace to Flagler Drive. It allowed a 25-story tower on a waterfront that voters had limited to 5 stories.
The Town of Palm Beach objected, and litigation alleging spot zoning was dismissed. One Flagler was the result: the Related Ross office tower that now houses Goldman Sachs, BlackRock and Wells Fargo's wealth division.
The 2026 master plan kept the waterfront low
The Downtown Master Plan update first proposed 25-story buildings along Flagler from Datura Street to Lakeview Avenue, and 12 stories from Banyan Boulevard to Datura. After public outcry and a 65-day pause, the city withdrew the waterfront heights in September 2026.
Most of Flagler stays at 5 stories, with existing incentives allowing 8 north of Banyan. Taller buildings are steered to designated inland districts with workforce-housing benefits. The Holy Trinity church's hope for a waterfront condo tower on Trinity Place died with the change.
The approvals are moving in sequence. The Downtown Action Committee advanced the plan on September 9 and the Planning Board on September 15. The City Commission heard it on October 26, and final approval is expected around January 18, 2027.
North Flagler towers rise through overlays and paid bonuses
North of downtown the rules differ. The Currie Corridor Mixed-Use District and the North Flagler overlay allow towers up to about 350 feet in return for public benefits and paid height bonuses. That is how Olara, Shorecrest, the Ritz-Carlton, Rosewood and the Terra and BH site are possible.
In 2025 the city capped new buildings east of North Flagler and north of 44th Street at 300 feet. Alba Reserve was filed before the cap at 378 feet and later reduced to 360. In May 2026 it drew a 6-1 denial recommendation from the Planning Board, on the same evening Rosewood was recommended at 306 feet.
South Flagler towers were approved one at a time
There is no overlay on South Flagler. Each tower was approved by rezoning to a residential planned development: the Bristol, La Clara, Forté, South Flagler House, Edgeworth's church-campus plan and Maison d'Or. Each drew neighborhood opposition.
Maison d'Or's 194-foot approval in May 2025 came with warnings from a commissioner that it was what would happen the rest of the way on the street. Fourteen months later the Commission froze 7 neighboring properties for 6 months to study an overlay. What is approved on South Flagler is approved; what is not will be harder.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Statutes change and the sources are dated. For every new tower with its figures and floor plans, open the index.
Questions this article answers
What is the height limit on the Flagler Drive waterfront in West Palm Beach?
The downtown Flagler waterfront stays at 5 stories south of Datura Street, and existing incentives allow up to 8 north of Banyan Boulevard. Voters set the 5-story limit decades ago. The 2026 master plan rewrite kept it after the city withdrew a proposal for taller waterfront buildings.
How did One Flagler get built on a 5-story waterfront?
Through an exception. In August 2018 the City Commission unanimously created the Okeechobee Business District along Okeechobee Boulevard from CityPlace to Flagler Drive, allowing a 25-story tower. The Town of Palm Beach objected, and litigation alleging spot zoning was dismissed.
How tall can condo towers be on North Flagler Drive?
Up to about 350 feet. The Currie Corridor Mixed-Use District and the North Flagler overlay allow that height in return for public benefits and paid height bonuses. A 300-foot cap now applies to new buildings east of North Flagler and north of 44th Street.
Did West Palm Beach approve 25-story buildings on the downtown waterfront?
No. The Downtown Master Plan update first proposed 25 stories along Flagler from Datura Street to Lakeview Avenue. After public outcry and a 65-day pause, the city withdrew the waterfront heights in September 2026. Taller buildings are steered to designated inland districts instead.
When will the West Palm Beach Downtown Master Plan be final?
Final approval is expected around January 18, 2027. The Downtown Action Committee advanced the plan on September 9 and the Planning Board on September 15. The City Commission then heard it on October 26, 2026.
How were the South Flagler Drive condo towers approved?
One at a time. South Flagler has no overlay, so each tower was approved by rezoning to a residential planned development. That includes the Bristol, La Clara, Forté, South Flagler House, Edgeworth and Maison d'Or, and each drew neighborhood opposition.
Why was Alba Reserve recommended for denial in West Palm Beach?
It exceeded the new height cap. Alba Reserve was filed at 378 feet before the 300-foot cap and later reduced to 360. The Planning Board recommended denial 6-1 in May 2026, and Rosewood was recommended at 306 feet the same evening.
Are new rezonings on South Flagler Drive paused?
Yes, for a group of properties. The City Commission froze 7 neighboring properties for 6 months to study an overlay. The freeze came 14 months after Maison d'Or's 194-foot approval in May 2025, which a commissioner warned was what would happen along the rest of the street.
What do West Palm Beach height rules mean for condo buyers?
Approved towers are scarcer than the pipeline suggests. The city withdrew taller waterfront heights, and a 300-foot cap applies north of 44th Street. South Flagler rezonings were paused, so what is approved on South Flagler is approved and what is not will be harder.
SourcesShow
- West Palm City Commission votes to OK Okeechobee Business DistrictPalm Beach Civic Association · August 14, 2018
- Keeping height limitsStet News · September 8, 2026
- West Palm Beach downtown master plan moves forward after changes remove 25-story waterfront buildingsWPTV · September 2026
- 18-story Flagler House across from Mar-a-Lago gets preliminary approvalPalm Beach Post via Yahoo · May 14, 2025
