Emerald Lakes Palm Bay: 1.1M SF and 652 Apartments Clear P&Z

The Emerald Lakes Palm Bay project east of I-95 went to the Planning and Zoning Board on October 7, 2026. The board recommended that City Council approve the final development plan for Emerald Lakes East Phase I, case FD26-00001, with no opposition, according to The Palm Bayer's recap of the meeting.

The city staff report puts the plan at 1,106,700 square feet of nonresidential space and 652 multifamily units. The land is on both sides of St. Johns Heritage Parkway SE, east of the interchange. The owner and applicant is Excess Land Investment, LLC.

What the Emerald Lakes Palm Bay East Phase I Plan Allows

The staff report splits the nonresidential space two ways: about 906,700 square feet of commercial, office, research and light industrial, and 200,000 square feet of hotel or motel. The staff findings describe the hotel as 400 rooms.

The plan sets aside about 115 acres of open space, including conservation areas next to the county's Environmentally Endangered Lands preserve on the east boundary.

The acreage is stated two ways in the city's own file. The agenda and the staff report cover page list three tax parcels totaling about 250.96 acres. The background section and the phasing table of the same report describe East Phase I as about 328 acres. I am giving both until the council packet settles it.

This Phase Uses the Rest of the Commercial Entitlement

Emerald Lakes was approved in 2018 as a 1,561-acre Regional Activity Center with a cap of 3,760 homes and 2,820,000 square feet of nonresidential space. The staff report says the side west of I-95 already holds 1,713,300 square feet of that allowance.

Subtract it and 1,106,700 square feet is left. East Phase I asks for exactly that number. Once this plan is approved, all of the commercial square footage the city allowed at this interchange in 2018 is assigned to a plan.

According to The Palm Bayer, a principal of the development group told the board that three anchor users are ready to move forward on more than 800,000 square feet of retail and corporate headquarters space, with roughly 1,000 jobs. He did not name them.

Timeline: 2027 Through Early 2031

The phasing table in the staff report has four infrastructure phases.

• Phase 1A: extend St. Johns Heritage Parkway about 700 feet east and build the first section of Workforce Boulevard to the south. Second quarter 2027 to second quarter 2029.

• Phase 1B: carry Workforce Boulevard south to a roundabout. Same window.

• Phase 1C: build Workforce Boulevard north of the parkway and add a traffic signal when the counts warrant one. Third quarter 2027 to third quarter 2029.

• Phase 1D: take the parkway east and south. First quarter 2029 to first quarter 2031.

The earliest window on that table opens in the second quarter of 2027, and the roads come before the buildings.

What Is Still Open Before City Council

The board's vote is a recommendation. City Council makes the decision. The item, case FD26-00001, is on the agenda for the October 15, 2026 regular council meeting.

Three things in the staff report are unresolved. The fire rescue plan has not been accepted by the city. The preliminary plat is a separate approval. The first amendment to the master development agreement, DA26-00001, is also separate, and The Palm Bayer reports it is still being negotiated and needs two council readings.

Staff also asked the applicant to revise the architectural design guidelines before the council hearing. The Palm Bayer reports the guidelines came back for amendment to add standards for big-box and headquarters buildings.

RCRE Take

For owners of retail and commercial land in Palm Bay: 1,106,700 square feet of nonresidential space is what the city is being asked to allow at one interchange, 200,000 of it hotel. If you plan to sell or lease up in the next five years, put that number and the 2027 to 2031 schedule next to your own timeline. A lease you sign before the first Emerald Lakes East building opens is one that building cannot take.

For tenants and buyers looking at south Palm Bay: none of this space exists yet, and the schedule depends on a council vote, a development agreement, and road construction. If you need to open in the next two years, you are choosing from buildings that are standing today. See what is available in retail space for lease in Brevard and commercial land for sale in Brevard.

For multifamily owners: 652 units is the count in this phase, and the same staff report shows 2,192 units approved on the west side of I-95 and 443 more under review there.

If you own commercial property in Palm Bay and want to know where it sits against this pipeline, call 321-514-0876 or see our Palm Bay commercial real estate page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Emerald Lakes East Phase I in Palm Bay?

East of Interstate 95, on the north and south sides of St. Johns Heritage Parkway SE. The agenda lists Parcel IDs 30-37-01-00-500, 30-37-12-00-251, and 30-37-12-00-250. County preserve land is to the east and vacant land with a Parkway Flex Use designation is to the south.

How much traffic will Emerald Lakes East add?

The September 2026 traffic study in the city packet estimates 21,845 net new daily external trips at 2035 buildout, with 1,136 in the morning peak hour and 1,627 in the evening peak hour. It calls for a signal at St. Johns Heritage Parkway and Emerald East Boulevard once the eastbound approach reaches 600 vehicles.

Are there enough school seats for the 652 apartments?

Brevard Public Schools issued capacity determination SCADL-2026-13 for the 652 units. The Palm Bayer reports a district planner told the board the phase generates 118 students. The same recap says the school concurrency report shows the three zoned schools are not projected to have enough capacity.

Sources

• City of Palm Bay, Planning and Zoning Board agenda and packet, October 7, 2026: item FD26-00001, including the staff report prepared by the Growth Management Director. Source for the applicant, parcel IDs, both acreage figures, the unit count, the square footage and its split, the 400-room hotel, the 2018 entitlement, the west-side allocations, the phasing table, the traffic study figures, the open items, and the school determination number. Read October 8, 2026.

• The Palm Bayer, P&Z Recap, published October 8, 2026: source for the board's vote, the anchor-user statement, the student count, the status of the development agreement, and the design guideline amendment. Minutes of the meeting were not yet posted when this was written.

• City of Palm Bay public meeting calendar, read October 8, 2026: upcoming council meeting dates.

Written by Cassandra Hartford, founder and CEO of Reach Commercial Real Estate. She has worked in Brevard County commercial real estate for 17 years, representing buyers, sellers, landlords, and tenants across Florida's Space Coast.