Several major construction and redevelopment projects are underway at The Breakers in Palm Beach, including a $45 million utility plant and a restoration of the resort’s Mediterranean Courtyard. The resort is also planning workforce housing development in West Palm beach for is employees.
During the Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce’s final breakfast event of the season June 11, resort President and CEO Paul Leone outlined the projects, saying they reflect The Breakers’ long-standing balance of preservation and modernization.
Speaking to an audience of 500 at the resort, Leone said the Mediterranean Courtyard restoration was expected to open the week of June 15. The project includes a glass-and-metal conservatory connected to the main lobby, restored architectural details and new gathering spaces for events and guests.
“When you come in the lobby, the doors are going to be open to this air-conditioned conservatory structure, like you would see in some of the most beautiful elegant hotels in Europe,” he said, noting that the space was designed to function as a large indoor-outdoor gathering area.
He said original design drawings were uncovered during the project, part of what he described as a broader effort combining restoration and modernization.
“This project, to me, is going to be the icing on the restoration cake,” he said.
Leone also highlighted a $45 million central utility plant project that he said will increase efficiency, capacity and sustainability. Construction is expected to continue for about a year and has temporarily affected portions of the resort’s main parking area.
He said much of the work is centered “inside and below” the facility, adding that it represents a long-term investment in infrastructure designed to support the resort for decades.
The employee housing project calls for a 155-unit apartment complex in the 2400 block of North Australian Avenue in West Palm Beach that would be reserved for Breakers employees. Leone said the development is intended to help address housing challenges for staff, citing high local rental costs and the company’s broader focus on supporting its workforce.
He described the project as part of a roughly $60 million workforce housing initiative as the resort works to expand housing options for employees.
“I’ve been presenting projects to our board for my entire career,” he said. “And the board was more excited about this project than anything I’ve ever presented, because of how much we genuinely care about our employees and the situation today with the cost of living.”
Leone also touched on additional projects planned for the resort property, including a new family entertainment center and an expansive underground parking garage.
Leone said construction of the family entertainment center is expected to take 18 months to two years. The expanded center will serve resort guests and club members, with indoor and outdoor attractions, casual dining and new programming. It will replace the resort’s current center.
Looking ahead, Leone said, The Breakers expects to begin work next year on a six-acre underground parking garage designed to increase parking capacity while creating additional green space above ground. He said the project is expected to take about two years and would provide 580 employee parking spaces underground, 270 surface valet spaces and roughly 300 additional parking spaces overall.
The June 11 event was the chamber’s final membership breakfast event of the 2025-26 season. Meetings will resume in October at Mar-a-Lago Club.
Chamber CEO Doug Evans said The Breakers will be unable to accommodate the breakfast series next season because ongoing construction projects have limited parking and affected the resort’s ability to host groups as large as the chamber’s. He said the series will relocate for the next two years.
“We look forward to being at Mar-a-Lago,” Evans said.
Jodie Wagner is a journalist at the Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at jwagner@pbdailynews.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: The Breakers highlights redevelopment push, new projects in Palm Beach
Reporting by Jodie Wagner, Palm Beach Daily News / Palm Beach Daily News
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By Jodie Wagner, Palm Beach Daily News | USA TODAY Network
