GL Homes is doubling down on Westlake, snapping up a major chunk of one of Palm Beach County’s fastest-growing master-planned communities.
The Sunrise-based homebuilder bought 220 acres in Westlake for $40 million this week, public records show. That’s $182,000 per acre. The builder plans to acquire another tract for $40 million next year, the South Florida Business Journal reported.
Minto Communities USA, Westlake’s master developer, was the seller.
The acquisition gives GL Homes control of one of the largest undeveloped tracts in the county, as residential and commercial development continues to push westward. Housing, retail and civic amenities have taken shape in Westlake, said Misha Ezratti, GL’s president.
GL Homes plans to combine the newly acquired land with a 120-acre site it already owns in the city, creating a development footprint large enough for more than 1,000 homes. The builder bought the 120-acre parcel for $29.4 million in 2024 and later completed a land swap with Minto to make the site contiguous, Ezratti said.
Design work for the community is still underway, and GL Homes has not yet disclosed the mix of homes or pricing.
Westlake spans about 3,800 acres and is entitled for 4,500 homes and 2 million square feet of commercial space. Multiple builders are active in the city. The community includes a water park, skate park and sports courts.
The deal further cements GL Homes’ growing presence in northwest Palm Beach County. The builder previously developed homes at Arden, south of Westlake, and controls the nearby 5,000-acre Indian Trails site, which is entitled for just under 4,000 homes.
Large‑scale master‑planned projects dominate development activity in the area. They include Minto’s 4,800‑acre Avenir community in Palm Beach Gardens, which includes nearly 4,000 homes, a hotel, medical offices, retail space and a 2,400‑acre nature preserve.
Developers such as Minto and Lennar are investing heavily in the area, but face infrastructure limits and increasing scrutiny from municipalities concerned about preserving home‑rule authority over zoning.
— Rachel Stone