Steve Ross, in partnership with Leisure Resorts LLC, is planning a new private membership club in downtown West Palm Beach. The development will be located on a city-owned parking lot adjacent to the Palm Harbor Marina. Leisure Resorts, which operates the marina and holds a long-term lease on the one-acre site along the Intracoastal Waterway, is working with Related Ross on this project.
The name of the club has not yet been disclosed. The planned four-story building will be situated just south of Waterview Towers at North Flagler Drive and Second Street, across from the Ben hotel. Related Ross is reportedly under contract to purchase this hotel. The location is also near other city-leased waterfront properties, including Elisabetta’s Ristorante and a University of Miami Health System clinic.
According to Kenneth Himmel, president of Related Ross, the building’s lower two floors will include retail space and two ground-floor restaurants open to the public. The upper floors and rooftop are reserved for club members only and will feature amenities such as a rooftop pool, spa, fitness center, and business center. There are no plans for hotel rooms in the development.
The building height is capped at 75 feet due to a 2023 settlement that resolved a longstanding legal dispute between Leisure Resorts and Waterview Towers over control of the marina and parking lot.
Himmel said: “The club is designed to meet pent-up demand from Palm Beach and West Palm Beach residents shut out of long-established island clubs by long waitlists and steep initiation fees that can run into the hundreds of thousands — or more than $1 million at Mar-a-Lago.”
Membership for Related Ross’ club is expected to exceed 500 people, targeting a diverse group that includes artists, musicians, athletes, and families. Himmel described membership pricing as “affordable,” but did not provide specific figures.
This project joins other private clubs planned for downtown West Palm Beach as interest grows among affluent newcomers following an increase in local business activity and residential development since the pandemic. Two additional clubs — Biba Social and Bellini Rooftop Lounge — are also being developed nearby.
