Vanderbilt Campus Plan Tests South Florida Deal Pace
Panelists say public-private partnerships in South Florida take decades because projects move only as fast as officials can vet them.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Remote Work
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Panelists said public-private partnerships in South Florida take decades to realize, since projects move only as fast as public officials can vet them. Vanderbilt University is starting construction on a satellite campus in West Palm Beach early next year.
Why it matters
The West Palm Beach campus, built on 7 acres of donated public land, illustrates how land decisions and vetting timelines shape regional development across Florida. Voters in Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood have moved to give up control over public land sales and leases, a shift officials expect to speed deals.
The Vanderbilt project involved 7 acres of donated public land, while the CityPlace site spans 72 acres through an imminent-domain process. Its planning has taken 20 to 30 years, and the outcome of the land-control shift in Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood remains unknown.
The players
Vanderbilt University
A private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, known for its medical center and academic programs, which is expanding into South Florida.
Related Ross
A real estate development firm that has built major mixed-use projects in South Florida, including the CityPlace complex in West Palm Beach.
The details
The Vanderbilt plan gained traction after a deal with the University of Florida collapsed, and the city and county donated 7 acres for the campus. Related Ross is building two CityPlace offices, the 23-story 10 CityPlace and the 26-story 15 CityPlace, in downtown West Palm Beach.
Timeline
2016: A Hilton hotel was built in downtown West Palm Beach.
2024: Bernard Mack became a Florida state senator.
Early 2027: Vanderbilt begins construction on its West Palm Beach campus.
Big Picture
The Vanderbilt campus follows the path of the CityPlace project, which assembled 72 acres in downtown West Palm Beach through imminent domain. Projects of this kind in South Florida have historically moved at the speed of public review.
Florida residents who rely on local permitting and public land decisions may see faster or slower approvals depending on how their city handles land sales and leases. Buyers and tenants in the region could feel the effects of accelerated commercial development in coming years.
The takeaway
Development timelines in Florida depend heavily on how quickly public officials can review and approve land deals, so residents who follow local land votes can better anticipate changes in their communities.
What happens next
Vanderbilt is scheduled to begin construction on its West Palm Beach campus in early 2027.
Further reading
For broader context on how work is changing across the state, see Remote Work coverage in Florida.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Real Deal New York.
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