Related Ross and Fort Partners Swapped Properties
The two developers exchanged West Palm Beach residential assets valued at $20 million each.
Updated on Sept. 21, 2026 in Residential
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Related Ross and Fort Partners completed a property swap in West Palm Beach, trading assets valued at $20 million apiece. The deal includes Fort Partners acquisition of 21 units at the Harbor Towers and Marina Condo complex.
Why it matters
The transaction resolves a long-standing competition for waterfront land in West Palm Beach between two major developers. It also enables Fort Partners to move forward with redevelopment plans for the Harbor Towers site.
Fort Partners has secured 60 of the 61 total units at the 2-acre Harbor Towers complex for a cumulative $79.7 million. Related Ross meanwhile acquired a 25-unit multifamily complex spanning 18,900 square feet across two locations.
The players
Related Ross
Related Ross is a real estate development firm active in the West Palm Beach market.
Fort Partners
Fort Partners is a development company currently focused on waterfront residential projects.
The details
Fort Partners acquired the units to facilitate a future redevelopment of the 61-unit Harbor Towers site at 3901 South Flagler Drive. In exchange, Related Ross took ownership of multifamily properties at 3906 Washington Road and 3907 South Flagler Drive.
Timeline
April 2025: Fort Partners began acquiring units in Harbor Towers.
October 2025: The parties settled a lawsuit over the Harbor Towers condos.
February 2026: Fort Partners closed the Harbor Towers buyout.
September 18, 2026: The property swap occurred.
Roadmap
This exchange follows the October 2025 Harbor Towers lawsuit settlement, effectively ending a competitive standoff for prime waterfront land. The deal reflects a broader trend of large-scale site assembly as developers clear legal hurdles to unlock redevelopment value.
Residents in the immediate vicinity of South Flagler Drive can expect upcoming site preparation and potential construction activity as Fort Partners moves toward redevelopment. The shift in ownership may also lead to changes in local leasing availability for the affected apartment properties.
The takeaway
Large-scale property swaps between developers often signal the end of protracted legal or competitive disputes over land rights. Stakeholders should monitor public planning filings as these new owners begin their respective development timelines.
Further reading
Learn more about the local market in West Palm Beach Residential.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Real Deal New York.
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