Related Ross has unveiled new plans and renderings for a mini-downtown at K-Park in Wellington, one that will no longer have residences and will use that space to add more restaurants, retail stores and offices.
The Miami-based builder announced this week the project, now named Village Landings, will no longer include 300 apartments. Instead, it will build a 180-room hotel, 320,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space and 90,000 square feet of offices at the largest undeveloped site along State Road 7.
The 25-acre development, estimated to open by fall 2028, will be anchored by a Main Street with over 80 retailers, a village square and a central garden with six interconnected plazas and a lakefront boardwalk, Related Ross said.
Village Landings will be Related Ross’ first major South Florida expansion beyond West Palm Beach as the company seeks to build a “walkable” dining and retail district for Palm Beach County’s western communities.
“The village of Wellington that has so much to offer but actually doesn’t have a village proper,” said Webber Hudson, Related Ross’ executive vice president of retail leasing.
Related Ross to build mini-downtown in Wellington’s K-Park
Wellington chose Related Ross, the builder behind CityPlace in West Palm Beach, to transform the 70-acre K-Park site, at the corner of Stribling Way and State Road 7, into a mini-downtown with a private K-12 school.
The land, just south of the Mall at Wellington Green, is now used for farming.
Past proposals for the site have included a senior-living complex, a Palm Beach State College campus, a botanical garden and even a horse park. Some 2014 and 2015 resident-led proposals favored keeping it as open space.
Related Ross tweaks plan for Wellington mini-downtown Village Landings
Related Ross has originally proposed to build a mixed-use development that featured four-to-five story buildings with up to 500 residences, restaurants, shops and a 180-room hotel.
Ryan said the project had evolved over the last 18 months and the company is now focused on expanding its retail center beyond the 200,000 square feet originally proposed. He added Related Ross might build residences in future phases, but none are currently for planned.
Ryan said Wellington Landing will serve as a “central hub” for area residents to dine, shop and gather for community events without having to drive 30 minutes to West Palm Beach.
Retailers and restaurants, he said, see the Wellington area “as a sort of zone of unmet demand,” partially because the mall does not providing customers with higher-end options.
Wellington’s new Village Landings district set open in 2028
Related Ross representatives said they expect Wellington Landings to open by October of 2028.
Hudson said the district will feature a mix of culinary offerings, local and national retail brands and entertainment venues. The central garden will also host year-round community events.
“It’s not going to be a luxury enclave,” Hudson said.”There’ll be a smattering of that, but there’s going to be price points for everybody and a fashion directory for everybody.”
The Village Council will to vote on the project’s final site plans this year. Related Ross said the company hopes to break ground on Village Landings this fall.
ElevateED, a West Palm Beach–based education company, is in line to operate a private K-12 that will serve up to 1,700 students on the remaining 45 acres of the property.
“Wellington has already been a destination of choice for families but, we’re really adding the missing ingredient that makes it a completely well-rounded experience,” Ryan said. “And I think that we will continue to see more and more people over time choosing Wellington.”
Valentina Palm covers immigration and West Palm Beach for The Palm Beach Post. Email her at vpalm@pbpost.com and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @ValenPalmB.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Apartments out, restaurants in at Wellington’s K‑Park project
Reporting by Valentina Palm, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
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