Projects that are redefining West Palm Beach’s Clear Lake District
- Jake Nicholas
- Jul 24
- 3 min read
A new chapter is unfolding along the shores of Clear Lake in West Palm Beach, where a once-overlooked stretch of waterfront is emerging as one of the city’s most dynamic and connected districts. What was long considered a transitional zone is now the focus of major institutional investment, infrastructure upgrades, and thoughtfully scaled residential development.
At the center of this momentum is The Berkeley Palm Beach—a 25-story condominium tower designed by Arquitectonica and developed by Al Adelson, the visionary behind The Bristol. Rather than replicate the boutique scale of its predecessor, The Berkeley takes a more expansive and livable approach, offering 193 for-sale residences with flow-through layouts, refined interiors, and the largest private terraces in the Palm Beaches. Its setting—just west of downtown—positions it squarely within one of West Palm’s fastest-growing and most strategically planned neighborhoods.
One of the clearest signals of long-term investment in the district is the Cleveland Clinic’s $500 million expansion, which includes a 150-bed hospital and a new outpatient center just blocks from The Berkeley. It marks the health system’s first inpatient facility in downtown West Palm Beach in over a century and sets a tone for sustained civic and healthcare-driven growth.
Vanderbilt University is also setting down roots downtown with a cutting-edge graduate campus planned near South Tamarind Avenue and Fern Street. Local and county officials have donated a total of seven acres for what will be a roughly 300,000-square-foot academic complex led by Elkus Manfredi Architects. The design features a mass-timber Executive Education building, an Academic & Innovation facility, rooftop solar panels, and a tropical arboretum showcasing native South Florida species—emphasizing sustainability, collaboration, and connection to place.
With programming focused on business, data science, AI, and engineering, and capacity to serve around 1,000 graduate-level students, this will mark Vanderbilt’s first physical presence outside Tennessee. Fundraising is underway with construction expected by 2029, if not sooner.
At the same time, the City is moving forward with the Fern Street extension—a long-awaited east-west connection that will link downtown directly to Australian Avenue, easing congestion and improving daily access to I-95 and Palm Beach International Airport. These kinds of infrastructure improvements aren’t just cosmetic; they’re game-changing for both livability and long-term value.
The CRA remains committed to supporting the redevelopment of the site known as the “wedge piece,” located just west of the Seaboard Train Station. This parcel, designated by Palm Beach County as the future site of an Intermodal Facility, has been transferred to the South Florida Regional Transit Authority (SFRTA) to guide its redevelopment.
The vision for the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) centers on creating a walkable neighborhood village with a mix of uses, green pathways, and active public plazas—all seamlessly integrated with pedestrian and transit connections. Proposed components include a multimodal transit hub, a range of housing options (including workforce, market-rate, rental, and ownership), educational facilities, government and office space, hotel accommodations, retail, and structured parking. The CRA is actively collaborating with the developer to explore public incentives that will support the project's community-serving elements.
The Berkeley is uniquely positioned to benefit from this evolution. It offers the only new luxury condominium product directly fronting Clear Lake, delivering a level of design and finish that feels rooted in the legacy of The Bristol, but scaled for today’s needs. Residences feature Italian-crafted Snaidero kitchens, spa-inspired bathrooms, smart-building features, and floorplans that emphasize indoor-outdoor living. The amenity program spans three levels, including a rooftop pool deck, private cabanas, wellness studios, children’s areas, and even a golf simulator—all supported by full-time concierge and valet teams. A fully furnished model is now open on the 9th floor of the on-site Sales Gallery, giving prospective buyers a clear sense of the lifestyle already taking shape.
The Clear Lake District offers walkable proximity to the Kravis Center, The Square, Eataly (coming this fall), and the new Vanderbilt University graduate campus. It also sits at the edge of a proposed 36-acre transit-oriented development surrounding the historic Seaboard Train Station—a future hub that could connect Brightline, Tri-Rail, and regional transit in a way that redefines how West Palm Beach moves.
As West Palm continues to mature into one of Florida’s most ambitious and well-connected urban centers, the Clear Lake district stands out for its balance of scale, accessibility, and long-term investment. And at the heart of it, The Berkeley offers more than just a new residential option—it offers a chance to be part of a neighborhood on the rise.
Learn more about The Bristol, and visit their sales gallery today.
