Developer Charles Modica is moving forward with his Love Street mixed-use project now that the Jupiter Town Council has given him the approvals he needed.
On Tuesday, the city council gave Modica’s development team the OK to move forward with building their marketplace-style project on 3.8 acres of land at the corner of Love Street and A1A.
Plans call for 12,917 square feet of restaurant space, 15,000 square feet of offices, 20,728 square feet of retail and 215 parking spots. The nearby 13-slip marina is already in use by commercial fisherman and will be left untouched, according to a news release from the developer.
Modica calls his project “historically inspired,” with low-rise buildings and Old Florida architecture. Though no tenants have been announced, Modica wants to attract local store owners with an “artsy” vibe and restaurants who serve locally caught fish.
His plans were not without detractors: as the Palm Beach Post reported, Jupiter residents came out in force at city meetings both in favor and against the development. Among their chief concerns were limited parking and traffic. Modica had originally proposed a much denser project with 94,000 square feet of offices and a 45-story tower, but went back to the drawing board after facing stiff opposition.
The developer already owns 2 acres of land on the northern end of the street, for which he paid $4.2 million in 2011, according to county records. As part of his proposal, Jupiter’s Community Redevelopment Agency will grant him another two acres as part of a swap for parcels Modica owns at the southeastern corner of A1A and Parkway Street.
Modica plans on breaking ground by the end of 2016, with construction expected to take about 18 months. — Sean Stewart-Muniz