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DDA approves Uptown Park mixed‑use renovation for West Settlers District
Summary
The Downtown Development Authority approved a site plan for a three‑story mixed‑use building that will expand an existing boxing gym, add retail space, and create three one‑bedroom residential units with rooftop amenities on a roughly 0.09‑acre corner lot in the West Settlers District.
The Downtown Development Authority on April 14 approved a site plan for Uptown Park, a mixed‑use redevelopment on a corner lot at Northwest Fifth Avenue and Northwest First Street in Delray Beach.
The project will renovate an existing 1,300‑square‑foot boxing gym and build a roughly 10,000‑square‑foot, two‑story (with rooftop) building that includes an enlarged gym, a standalone retail/office shell, a 10‑foot arcade wrapping the corner storefronts, and three one‑bedroom residential units above the ground floor. "I'm the principal planner and designer with Upton Park Mixed Use here in the city of Delray Beach," the project presenter said during the meeting.
The developer and design team told the board the building sits on a lot just under 4,000 square feet (50 by 76 feet) and that Delray Beach land‑development rules allow projects of two stories and below to proceed without providing on‑site parking. The presentation described private entrances to the residences from the arcade, rooftop amenities including a summer kitchen and fire pit, and storefront maximization to increase visibility for street‑level tenants.
Board members raised parking as a recurring concern during the discussion. One member asked whether the residential units would be rentals or condominiums; the presenter said that decision is the owner's to make. A senior preservation planner on staff confirmed the project met relevant code provisions and that, even before the incentive in question, the proposed residential units would not have triggered a parking requirement because of the parcel size and the two‑story limit.
The board voted to approve the site plan after a motion and second; members voted "aye." No vote tally by name was recorded in the public minutes.
The board and staff noted the project could improve retail activation in the West Settlers District and might serve as a catalyst for neighboring properties to extend a continuous arcade along the block. The developer and owner were invited to continue coordination with Development Services and the Central Business District review process as the project moves to permitting.
Action items recorded at the meeting list the motion to approve the Uptown Park site plan as passed by unanimous voice vote.
Uptown Park is expected to move next into permitting and tenant build‑outs; staff noted additional details (unit tenure, final tenant leases, construction schedule) were not specified at the meeting.
