Stephen Ross Wants to Build a Massive Mixed-Use Commercial District in Wellington

After losing the bid for the big redevelopment of Boca Raton City Hall, Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has his sights set on Wellington, Fla.

The village’s Planning and Zoning Board will hear a proposal on Thursday to rezone 71 acres at 10400 Stribling Way from community facilities and commercial use to mixed-use. It will set the stage for a potentially massive development from Related Ross, the venture that Ross launched last year after stepping down as chairman of Related Companies, the New York-based development behemoth that he founded. 

The rezoning in Wellington, a town known as an equestrian hub, would allow the construction of 600 apartments, a 150-room hotel, a 1,200-student K-12 school, 250,000 square feet of retail space in addition to 82,000 square feet of restaurant space, though the exact details of Related Ross’s plans remain unclear. A representative for the developer did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

In January, Related Ross went under contract to buy 66 acres for the eastern portion of the site from the Village of Wellington. Under the deal, which is contingent on the rezoning, the West Palm Beach-based developer would pay $885,714 per acre, bringing the purchase price to $28.3 million.

Private school operator Education in Motion would acquire the remaining 5 acres. 

The application comes less than a week after Related Ross lost a bid to redevelop Boca Raton’s 30-acre City Hall, which was instead awarded to a joint venture between Terra and Frisbie Group. 

But Ross remains active in Palm Beach County, lobbying Vanderbilt University to open a campus in West Palm Beach, completing the One Flagler office tower, and launching sales for a luxury condo project after buying the site for $195 million in 2023. 

Julia Echikson can be reached at jechikson@commercialobserver.com.