Jeff Greene Proposes Tallest Mass Timber Tower in West Palm

Illustration of a mass timber tower at sunset beside a giant wooden 25, titled West Palm Beach, 25 stories of mass timber, Florida's tallest if built as proposed — Illustration: a mass timber tower at sunset beside a giant wooden 25. Not an architectural rendering of the proposed building.

Local Development

Billionaire Jeff Greene has proposed a 25-story mass timber tower in downtown West Palm Beach under the Live Local Act. If built as proposed, it would be Florida's tallest mass timber building.

By Brian D'Antoni July 16, 2026 5 min read

Updated Oct. 8, 2026.

Billionaire developer Jeff Greene has proposed a 25-story mass timber tower in downtown West Palm Beach under Florida's Live Local Act. If built as proposed, it would be the tallest mass timber building in Florida.

High-Rise Timber and the Live Local Act

The proposed development at 120 South Dixie Highway and adjacent parcels at 321, 324, 325 and 333 Datura Street sits in the Clematis Waterfront District, where zoning allows 10 stories and 128 feet. Live Local lets a qualifying project skip that local cap, along with the rezoning and city commission vote a request of this size would normally require, as long as at least 40 percent of the units serve renters earning up to 120 percent of area median income, The American Developer reported.

The project would include 366 apartments, with 148 units, or 40 percent, reserved for workforce housing for residents earning up to 120 percent of area median income. Florida YIMBY put Palm Beach County's area median income at $104,000. The mix includes 75 studios, 199 one-bedroom units, 72 two-bedroom units and 20 three-bedroom units, according to The Real Deal. Florida YIMBY reported residences ranging from 505 to 1,320 square feet. An earlier Florida YIMBY report on the filings listed 399 apartments, so final counts may change.

Shared Amenities and Unit Layout

The design avoids separate facilities for different income groups. In an interview with The Real Deal, Greene said the workforce and market-rate units will use a single lobby and a single entrance.

All residents would share the fifth-floor amenities, which include a swimming pool, a fitness center and grilling stations. Florida YIMBY, citing the filings, reported that workforce units would occupy floors 2 through 4 and 6 through 11, with market-rate units on floors 12 through 25. Greene told The Real Deal that workforce and market-rate units "are going to be mixed throughout the building." The final layout will be set in the site plan the city reviews.

Navigating a Strict State Code

A 25-story mass timber tower in Florida also faces regulatory steps. The Florida Building Commission voted down 22 mass timber provisions for the 2026 Florida Building Code that its fire and structural advisory committees had recommended, out of 29 proposed by the American Wood Council, Wood Central reported. Because the statewide code does not address tall timber, a local mass timber project goes through an alternative means and methods review, Building Design + Construction reported. That puts the evaluation with West Palm Beach building officials on a project-by-project basis.

To assist local regulators, the American Wood Council issued a Florida mass timber guide for building officials reviewing projects under the code's alternative materials and methods process. Other projects have used the same case-by-case route. Hines topped out the six-story T3 FAT Village mass timber office building in Fort Lauderdale in fall 2025, and approved plans at Pensacola's Maritime Park include the 16-story Rhythm Lofts and the 11-story Reverb by Hard Rock hotel.

Engineered mass timber uses large wood panels, such as cross-laminated timber or glue-laminated timber, to support heavy structural loads. Nexus Systems is collaborating with Greene to provide the prefabricated mass timber engineering. Utilizing panels manufactured off-site reduces construction timelines and on-site labor requirements. Proponents state these panels offer high strength-to-weight ratios that withstand lateral wind forces. Heavy wood components also char on the outside during a fire, forming a protective layer that preserves the inner structural core.

Preserving West Palm Beach History

The development site contains the 111-year-old former Datura Fire Station. The design by Turin- and New York-based architecture firm Carlo Ratti Associati, which calls the project MiMar, preserves two of the station's historic facades at the base of the tower and uses a hybrid mass timber and concrete structure.

Plans call for about 7,550 square feet of retail and 236 parking spaces, according to Florida YIMBY, with retail facing Datura Street. Carlo Ratti Associati previously designed the 20,000-square-foot campus of the nearby Greene School, and the city has approved a mass timber expansion at the school, Nexus Systems' Myk Murashko told The Real Deal.

Greene has been buying land in West Palm Beach since 2010, and The Real Deal reported in 2016 that he owned more than 75 acres in the city. He told The Real Deal he is developing the nearby two-tower One West Palm without investors or lenders. The city's Plans and Plats Review Committee heard the MiMar pre-application on May 14, 2026. Greene said the city's feedback was generally positive, and city staff still must sign off on the design through administrative site plan review.

Sources

Key Facts for Owners and Search

What is the proposed West Palm Beach tower?

MiMar, a 25-story residential tower at 120 South Dixie Highway and adjacent Datura Street parcels, proposed by developer Jeff Greene under the Live Local Act. Designed by Carlo Ratti Associati with Nexus Systems, it would use a hybrid mass timber and concrete structure and would be Florida's tallest mass timber building if built. It is not yet approved.

How many homes, and how many are workforce housing?

The Real Deal reported 366 apartments: 75 studios, 199 one-bedrooms, 72 two-bedrooms and 20 three-bedrooms. Of those, 148 units, or 40 percent, would be workforce housing for households earning up to 120 percent of area median income. An earlier Florida YIMBY report on the filings listed 399 apartments, so counts may change.

Where do the workforce and market-rate units sit?

Residents would share one lobby, one entrance and fifth-floor amenities including a pool, fitness center and grilling stations. Florida YIMBY reported workforce units on floors 2 through 4 and 6 through 11 and market-rate units on floors 12 through 25, while Greene said the unit types would be mixed throughout the building.

What is the building code hurdle for mass timber?

The Florida Building Commission voted down 22 committee-backed mass timber provisions for the 2026 code, so tall timber projects go through an alternative materials and methods review by local officials. The American Wood Council publishes a Florida guide for that review. The city's Plans and Plats Review Committee heard the pre-application on May 14, 2026.

What historic element is included?

The site holds the 111-year-old former Datura Fire Station, and Carlo Ratti Associati's design preserves two of its historic facades at the base of the tower. Plans also call for about 7,550 square feet of retail facing Datura Street and 236 parking spaces, according to Florida YIMBY. Final details depend on the city's site plan review.

Filed Under Local Development Palm Beach County West Palm Beach Mass Timber Live Local Act