On the heels of the successful development of The Bristol, developer Al Adelson has kicked off a new luxury condo project in West Palm Beach.
Adelson, a seasoned real estate developer with over 50 years of experience, is the driving force behind The Berkeley, a 193-unit project which is currently under construction along Clear Lake. The tower is being designed by Arquitectonica founding principal Bernardo Fort-Brescia to take full advantage of its lakefront location. Adelson sat down with TRD to talk about how The Berkeley is positioned to capitalize on the influx of high-income families relocating to West Palm Beach for work.
New Housing to Meet Demand from “Wall Street South”
A resident of West Palm Beach, Adelson holds an MBA from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Adelson was the lead developer on The Bristol, a renowned luxury condominium in West Palm Beach, where he also serves as vice president of the board.
Although Adelson is building on his past success with The Bristol, The Berkeley is a distinctly different project. While there is still an appeal among retirees, The Berkeley is perfect for families. In addition to the large units, the project features a variety of family-friendly amenities and reasonable unit prices that start at $1.9 million.
Demand is being fueled in part by the tremendous boom in the office market in the region. In particular, West Palm Beach is earning a reputation as “Wall Street South” due to a growing concentration of jobs in the finance sector. Roughly 250 financial firms have relocated to Palm Beach County over the past few years, including operations for major firms such as Blackrock, Citadel and Goldman Sachs, among others.
Location Is Everything
Like with every great building, Adelson’s vision for The Berkeley began with the land on which it would be built.
“The Bristol gave me the expertise and experience of developing a West Palm Beach project, and then I had the opportunity to team up with the Morrison family, who owned the land on Australian Avenue,” says Adelson. “It’s a fantastic location, and we decided that it would make a wonderful high-rise condominium.”
Units at The Berkeley range in size from two to five bedrooms, with bonus outdoor space on large, covered balconies. The condos also capitalize on the lakefront location with floor-to-ceiling windows.
“Every unit faces the water,” explains Adelson. “Everyone has a lake view from their bedroom and their living room, and the higher floors also have a view of the Intracoastal and the Atlantic Ocean.”
“Geography Defines Design”
The project was designed by Bernardo Fort-Brescia, an award-winning architect and founding principal of Miami-based Arquitectonica.
Since establishing Arquitectonica in the late 1970s, Fort-Brescia has been associated with the use of innovative geometry, patterns, hues, and materials that define Miami’s urban character. At The Berkeley, the design of each residence was inspired by the beauty of the water,with the reflection of the water captured on the building’s facade.
“There is a sensuous form created by breezes as they reach water. They result in gentle undulations which inspired the building design,” says Fort-Brescia. “The horizontal bends of terraces shift from floor to floor to depict three waves that symbolize the setting along the lake.”
“I think the design is one of the most fantastic designs I’ve ever seen. It’s just a work of art,” says Adelson. “Bernardo is one of the most talented architects, if not the most talented architect designing condominiums in South Florida.”
Indoor/Outdoor Living for the Whole Family
All of the residences are designed to create connections to the outdoors with floor-to-ceiling windows and covered balconies that range in size from 385 square feet up to 1344 square feet for the penthouse.
Units also are designed with what developers are calling a “flex” room. Buyers can customize the space to fit their needs, whether they want it to be a home office, a toy room or exercise space.
“We really have strong amenity feature building for both young and old, and we think we designed something really magnificent,” says Adelson.
Project features that cater to families include a seventh-floor amenity level open to all ages that contains a resort-style swimming pool, world-class fitness center, spa and treatment rooms. An additional amenity floor on the 26th floor is designated for adults with a rooftop swimming pool, lounge and chef’s kitchen. Along with welcoming families and children, the property has no restrictions on pets.
The Berkeley broke ground in December 2024 and the tentative completion date is set for early 2027. Boston-based John Moriarty & Associates serves as the general contractor. The project is experiencing strong sales velocity. In its first month, the sales team sold more than 20 units.
“I’m a great believer in West Palm Beach,” says Adelson. “There is a tremendous amount of companies moving here, and I couldn’t be more upbeat about the economy in this area of the country.”
To learn more about The Berkeley, click here.