Another entry from the Ritz Carlton luxury brand is planned for the Fort Lauderdale beach area in the form of a dual tower private residences project, its backers announced Tuesday.
The condo-only Ritz-Carlton Residences, Fort Lauderdale Beach, is envisioned for 551 Bayshore Drive on the Intracoastal Waterway side of the barrier island. Its two 13-story towers would contain 83 private homes on the waterway’s east bank.
Sales opened this month with prices starting at $2.5 million, according to a statement distributed by Admire Capital of Miami and Man Infraconstruction Limited (MICL), a real estate development firm based in Mumbai, India. MICL says it has more than 3 million square feet under development, including India’s tallest residences called Aaradhya Avaan — at more than 980 feet.
“Fort Lauderdale is having a genuine moment as a national luxury coastal market, reflecting the kind of lifestyle buyers are seeking today, defined by design-forward living, intuitive service and a strong connection to the water,” Diana Ulis, CEO and founder of Admire Capital said in a joint statement. “This project carries that sensibility, while offering the distinctive luxury and service known of The Ritz-Carlton brand.”
“From the beginning, this project was about creating homes that feel connected to the rhythm of Fort Lauderdale and its waterfront setting,” Vatsal Shah, director of MICL, said in the statement. “Every residence was designed to take advantage of the light, views, and the openness that defines the city’s coastal experience, creating a sense of ease for everyday living.”
Neither executive was available to take questions Tuesday, a media representative said.
A Ritz blitz?
The Ritz-Carlton brand is becoming a familiar name along Broward County’s coastline, which for decades has undergone a gradual transformation from hard-scrabble seasonal Spring Break haven in the 1980s to a lineup of upscale luxury brand hotels and private residential enclaves along and across from the beach.
Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner Steven Glassman, whose District 2 is home to the project, said the size and scope of the project were previously approved by the city for a developer who did not follow through.
“This has been a vacant parcel for a couple of years now,” he said. “We approved the project in 2024. It’s now taking on a different name and different partners.”
“What it does solidify is the momentum we have seen in Fort Lauderdale on the luxury end and in downtown as well,” Glassman added. “Most people in the real estate world will admit we are in a bit of a slowdown now. We’ll take this project during the slow periods because you’d be crazy not to.”
Amy Ballon, director of sales for the recently completed Pier Sixty-Six Residences on the 17th Street Causeway, said the luxury condo market “has proven to be durable.”
“In the $10 million plus range, demand for highly amenitized, new-construction product remains intact,” she said.
“Today’s buyers in Fort Lauderdale, like other lifestyle destination markets, are gravitating towards vertical residences that balance exceptional design with privacy, ease, sophistication and comfort,” said Jay Phillip Parker, CEO of Brokerage, Florida Region and President of Douglas Elliman Development Marketing, Florida. “The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Fort Lauderdale Beach speaks directly to that demand, offering a boutique experience with the Ritz-Carlton’s notable high-caliber service and amenities that reflect how discerning buyers want to live.”
The Ritz-Carlton condo project is slightly to the northwest of The Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale at 1 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., a 192-room luxury hotel that opened in 2007 as a St. Regis before being rebranded the following year and renovated in 2015.
To the north, the Ritz-Carlton Residences Pompano Beach by The Defortuna Group is under construction with a 32-story tower on the beach and a 14-story “marina tower” to the west of South Ocean Boulevard on the Intracoastal. Combined, the two buildings will offer 205 residences.
In Pompano Beach, a beachfront Waldorf-Astoria Residences by Related Group is rising slightly to the north of the Ritz-Carlton project.
A rendering shows the lap pool that will be situated between the two towers at the proposed Ritz-Carlton Residences Fort Lauderdale Beach. (The Boundary/Courtesy)
Penthouses, private elevators
The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Fort Lauderdale Beach will contain two- to three-bedroom homes with dens, ranging from approximately 1,550 to 3,480 square feet. There will be six penthouses with ceilings rising to 11 feet.
“Each home is appointed with wide-plank white oak flooring, floor-to-ceiling sliding doors, and spacious terraces, with select residences capturing both Intracoastal and Atlantic Ocean views,” the statement says.
Some residences will offer private elevator lobbies and separate service elevators. The penthouses will include private rooftop terraces with plunge pools.
Between the two towers, the statement says, “lush gardens frame a tranquil lap pool and a separate leisure pool, along with private cabanas, an outdoor bar pavilion, and a select number of dock slips along the Intracoastal.”
Inside the buildings: “a resident lounge with a catering kitchen, screening room, multi-sport simulator, conference room, and a dedicated children’s playroom.”