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Related Companies announces Rosemary Square

Building on a twenty year legacy, the $550 million planned investment in downtown West Palm Beach creates expanded public spaces, modern commercial office opportunities, premiere residences, a new hotel and diverse cultural programming.

Related Companies today announced a five-year, $550 million planned investment in the evolution of downtown West Palm Beach that will transform CityPlace from a retail and entertainment center to a vibrant community and destination known as Rosemary Square. Located adjacent to the Brightline high-speed train station, the 72-acre Rosemary Square neighborhood will offer an array of amenities including expanded programmable public green spaces, state-of-the-art Class A commercial office space, modern residences, diverse, experiential retail and culinary offerings, a new hotel and robust arts and culture programs—culminating in an exceptional new district to live, work and visit in South Florida.

“Related has both a proven history developing dynamic neighborhoods that foster culture, commerce and community and a long-term commitment to West Palm Beach—their investment, vision and local ties bring the density and offerings to accelerate economic energy in the City,” said newly elected City of West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James. “With these changes in the coming years, Rosemary Square will be one of the most exciting neighborhoods in South Florida.”

“In the 20 years since we developed CityPlace, we’ve witnessed both incredible growth in West Palm Beach and a global renaissance of dynamic urban neighborhoods,” said Kenneth A. Himmel, president and CEO of Related Urban, the mixed-use division of Related Companies. "We’re thrilled to continue our legacy transforming CityPlace to a place in the city that simply cannot be missed on any trip to South Florida. Our plans for Rosemary Square reflect the way people live, work and travel, and fulfill the desire to spend time in places with shopping, dining and cultural experiences all within a short walk.”

“Our vision for downtown West Palm Beach is to create a sense of place with energy and culture that extends well beyond the boundaries of Rosemary Square,” said Stephen M. Ross, chairman of Related Companies. "It will be a model for sustainable urban cities, putting pedestrians and alternative transportation at the forefront, and a continued economic engine, welcoming new businesses. But most importantly, it will be a community that seamlessly connects the fabric of the area for residents and families across Florida."

In 2019, new inviting green spaces and outdoor public venues will be added throughout the neighborhood. This weekend, the new "Main Street" of the neighborhood debuted on Rosemary Avenue between Okeechobee Boulevard and Hibiscus Street featuring wider curbless sidewalks and lush landscaping that will become the hallmark of the neighborhood. Designed as a pedestrian oasis, dozens of newly planted trees create shaded spots to rejuvenate, relax and recharge. Later this year, the stretch from Hibiscus to Fern Streets along Rosemary Avenue will also be revitalized, completing the half-mile connection to the rest of downtown.

This summer, Related breaks ground on 360 Rosemary, a 300,000-square-foot LEED Gold Class A office building, adding to West Palm’s booming six million square feet of office space, solidifying the city as the new center of commerce in South Florida and creating 1,200 additional jobs. Over the next five years, Rosemary Square will also add a 21-story LEED Gold mixed-use tower to include state-of-the-art luxury residences and commercial space, as well as a second hotel adjacent to the Hilton West Palm Beach. These new residential and hospitality offerings, together with Rosemary Square’s shopping, dining and cultural experiences, will support and enhance the entire West Palm community, which has seen a 20 percent employment growth over the last seven years.

Serving the growing number of workers, residents and visitors to Rosemary Square, two trolley stops, convenient ride share locations, bike racks for 54 bicycles and a seamless parking garage experience via Park Mobile and Park Assist enhance accessibility in downtown West Palm. Hibiscus Street valet will also allow for an increased flow of vehicle traffic.

Rosemary Square welcomes an array of new dining and shopping offerings. Restaurants from notable chefs and restaurateurs include 6,000-square-foot, award-winning True Food Kitchen specializing in health-minded and seasonally-inspired fare by Dr. Andrew Weil; High Dive, a hip seafood spot featuring locally-sourced fish and produce from Jeremy Bearman, former executive chef of Michelin-starred Rouge Tomate, and wife Cindy Bearman, former pastry chef of Jean George’s ABC Kitchen; and Barrio Sangria Bar, a lively sangria and tapas concept by Big Time Restaurant Group. Additionally, several local favorites will be added including Tacos & Hip Hop, the beloved food and music concept by Ricky Perez of local taqueria Zipitios, in collaboration with local DJ Steve Pershad, and a new location for The Shack by Field of Greens, the popular, health-conscious grab-and-go that first debuted on the square in 2017.

Building on the success of experiential retail concepts that have quickly become sought-after destinations in the neighborhood, including the 80,000-square-foot RH West Palm: The Gallery, Casper and Capital One Café, Sur La Table will unveil a retail and cooking school in the winter of 2019. Additional technology-driven retail experiences are expected to join Rosemary Square in the coming years.

“We’re completely changing the DNA of what was formerly CityPlace,” said Gopal Rajegowda, senior vice president of Related Companies. “Working closely with a world-class team of architects, designers and artists, we’ve envisioned spaces that foster connections and create a whole new paradigm in West Palm.”

Urban design leader Gehl, renowned architect David Manfredi, landscaper Matt Hadden and sustainability consultants Spinnaker Group contributed to the architecture and green spaces. Local and international artists will be showcased at Rosemary Square, home to large-scale and interactive design installations.

In November 2019, Rosemary Square will unveil the lyrical and engaging Water Pavilion West Palm, created by Danish artist Jeppe Hein. Both children and adults alike will be invited to interact with the playfully ephemeral piece that Hein refers to as a “social sculpture,” allowing viewers to walk in and out of “rooms” created by the vertical columns of water. It is Hein’s first permanent installation in Florida.

This installation complements Rosemary Square’s existing 2,000+ feet of large-scale murals on display around the neighborhood by world-renowned and local artists Frankie Cihi, RETNA, Rico Gatson, Michael Craig-Martin and Greg Astro. These installations follow a successful cultural renaissance in downtown West Palm including the creation of Culture Lab, home to the recent international tour of Downton Abbey: The Exhibition. The historic Harriet Himmel Theatre, The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, the Palm Beach Convention Center and Norton Museum are all within walking distance.

“When art leads, everyone enjoys the impact that only culture can bring,” said Yvonne Force Villareal and Doreen Remen, co-founders of Culture Corps. "The collaboration with Jeppe Hein at Rosemary Square will bring the community together around engaging, site-specific creations. It’s incredibly smart of Related Companies to put art first in such a meaningful way.”

Related’s new investment builds on recent additions and enhancements to the neighborhood over the past few years, including the highly successful RH West Palm: The Gallery, an elevated concept that transformed the city since opening in November 2017; 400-room Hilton West Palm Beach connected to the Palm Beach County Convention Center; and The Regional, a contemporary bistro concept by James Beard nominee Lindsay Autry. CityPlace first opened in 2000 and was widely credited with West Palm’s urban renaissance, earning the Urban Land Institute’s Award for Excellence. Related continued investing in the area with CityPlace Office Tower in 2008 and opened the Hilton West Palm Beach in 2016. Due to the hotel’s success, the neighboring convention center did not require taxpayer funding to remain operational for the first time in its history.

Rosemary Square capitalizes on Related’s long and successful track record for developing large-scale, vibrant mixed-use neighborhoods, which include Hudson Yards and Time Warner Center in New York City, The Grand in downtown Los Angeles, the planned Related Santa Clara in Northern California, The 78 in Chicago and Brent Cross South and Tottenham Hale in London.

For more information about Rosemary Square, please visit RosemarySquareWPB.com. Imagery can be found here.

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About Related:
Related Companies is a global real estate and lifestyle company defined by innovation and the most prominent privately-owned real estate firm in the United States. Formed over 40 years ago, Related is a fully-integrated, highly diversified industry leader with experience in virtually every aspect of development, acquisitions, management, finance, marketing and sales. Headquartered in New York City, Related has offices and major developments in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, South Florida, Washington, D.C., Abu Dhabi and London, and boasts a team of over 3,800 professionals. With over $50 billion in assets owned or under development including the 28-acre Hudson Yards neighborhood on Manhattan’s West Side, The Grand and Related Santa Clara in California,  The 78 in Chicago and Rosemary Square, the reimagination of downtown West Palm Beach. Related was recently named to Fast Company Magazine’s list of the 50 Most Innovative Companies in the World. Related also has significant experience investing in operating businesses of the including its acquisitions of both Equinox and SoulCycle. For more information on Related Companies, please visit related.com.

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