09/09/2026
Downtown Master Plan Update (DMPU): Major Changes at a Glance
1.
Flagler Waterfront District (FWD). The earlier proposal to allow buildings up to 25 stories through incentives has been removed. Most of the district will remain limited to five stories, as it is today. North of Banyan Boulevard, the existing incentive will remain unchanged and will continue to allow buildings up to eight stories.
2.
Where taller buildings could be allowed. The base height is what can generally be built without using an incentive. The incentive height is the maximum a project may reach only if it meets the plan's additional requirements. Most proposed height changes are in the center of downtown:
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Transit Oriented District (TOD), between Tamarind and Sapodilla: base height of 10 stories; incentive height of up to 25 stories.
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Quadrille Garden District (QGD), between Dixie Highway and Olive Avenue: base height of 10 stories; incentive height of up to 15 stories.
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Quadrille Garden District (QBD), between Sapodilla and Rosemary, from Datura to Fern: base height of eight or 10 stories, depending on the property; incentive height of up to 25 stories.
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Quadrille Business District (QBD), between Banyan and Datura and along Clematis: base height of 10 stories; incentive height of up to 15 stories.
Note: These are the main proposed changes. Other incentives already exist and are shown in Figure IV-36, “Incentive Receiving Sites.”
Main Areas Where Taller or Larger Buildings Could Be Allowed
3.
Downtown parks remain protected. City-owned parks along Flagler Drive and elsewhere downtown are zoned Urban Open Space (UOS). Examples include the Meyer Amphitheatre, the Great Lawn, Jose Marti Park, Trinity Park, Howard Park, Post Park, and Gateway Park. UOS property does not carry building height or development rights. It is intended for public recreation, civic activities, and special events.
4.
Reducing traffic from larger projects. The update includes Transportation Demand Management (TDM) requirements.
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A new project or change in use must meet these rules if it is larger than 25,000 square feet or is expected to create more than 20 vehicle trips during its busiest hour. The project must use measures expected to reduce 25% of the vehicle trips it would otherwise create during that hour.
5.
Parking requirements for nonresidential uses. Businesses, offices, and other nonresidential uses in the downtown core south of Banyan Boulevard will be required to provide 20% fewer parking spaces than under the current rules. Residential parking requirements will not change.
6.
More publicly accessible open space. Public open space is the part of a private development set aside for places the public can use, such as plazas, courtyards, and walkways. The update increases the amount some projects must provide.
In the TOD, for example, the requirement will be 3%, 10%, or 12% of the lot, depending on lot size. Today, the comparable requirements are 3%, 5%, or 7%.
7.
Stronger workforce-housing requirements for projects using incentives. Projects that use downtown development incentives must provide housing affordable to households earning 60% to 100% of Area Median Income (AMI), the federal benchmark for typical household income in the area. The update would make the following changes:
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Keep the workforce-housing units affordable for 30 years instead of 20 years.
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For projects using City Development Rights (CDRs), increase the share of the incentive tied to workforce housing from 20% to 40%.
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Require new commercial development to provide workforce-housing units at another location or pay a City-calculated fee instead.
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Allow off-site workforce-housing units anywhere within the city limits east of I-95.
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Require rental projects to provide the units; rental projects could no longer pay a fee instead.
8.
Separate rezoning request for the Jaguar properties. A private applicant has asked the City to add the Jaguar dealership properties at 915 S. Dixie Highway and 420 Okeechobee Boulevard to the area governed by the Downtown Master Plan.
