FAA Approves 35-Story Residential Tower For 477 SW 1st Avenue In Fort Lauderdale

Permits have been approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for work on 477 Southwest 1st Avenue, a proposed 394-foot-tall residential building in Tarpon River, Fort Lauderdale. Located within the Downtown Regional Activity Center between Southwest 1st Avenue and Southwest Flagler Avenue with Southwest 4th Court on the North and Southwest 5th Street on the South, the project is being developed by Ellis Diversified, Inc. (EDI), a Fort Lauderdale-based firm led by real estate developer Jim Ellis, who acquired the 1.54-acre development site in September 2015 for $5 million. The FAA determination was approved on January 31, 2022 and will expire on July 31, 2023, meaning construction could occur relatively soon.

Determined Case. Photo from the FAA.

Determination. Photo from the FAA.

EDI has an official website for the development, currently referred to as 1st Avenue Residences, which is projected to yield a 35-story tower with 380 residences netting 377,000 square feet of residential space and 2,700 square feet of ground floor retail space. There would be be an attached 7-story parking garage north of the tower with space for up to 580 vehicles. The developer has already attained city approvals for the project and has it listed as a development opportunity on the website. 1st Avenue Residences would rise 394-feet, or 400-feet above sea level, and in a prime location due to the proximity to Fort Lauderdale’s riverwalk along the New River. The building would offer unobstructed 360-degree views of Downtown Fort Lauderdale. Residential units would come in one-, two-, and three-bedroom layouts ranging in size between 750 to 1,440 square feet, and tenants would have access to an expansive landscaped amenity deck on the 8th floor.