What’s being built there? 4,000 homes, 2 hotels and lots more in massive Pompano racetrack overhaul

This real-estate feature from the South Florida Sun Sentinel highlights the latest plans for new construction as demand rises for more housing, offices and stores across the region. You can submit questions through this form or by emailing buildings@sunsentinel.com, if you’re wondering about “what’s being built there?” in your community. Here’s one of the latest projects.

The location? The 223-acre project is south of Racetrack Road, east of Powerline Road, west of the Tri-Rail tracks, and north of Cypress Bend Drive. It’s south of West Atlantic Boulevard in southwest Pompano Beach.

What’s planned? “The Pomp” — named in homage to the Pompano Park racetrack — will feature 1.3 million square feet of retail and entertainment space, as well as 4,000 residential units, two hotels with a combined 500 rooms, and 1.5 million square feet of industrial space, such as warehouses and distribution. The project will include the existing Harrah’s Pompano Beach casino, which is owned by Caesars Entertainment.

The area that will be called “Live! at The Pomp” will include more than 25,000 square feet of food-and-beverage venues, including a Sports & Social and PBR Cowboy Bar, which will have a mechanical bull.

It’s being co-developed by Cordish Cos. and Caesars.

A three-level Topgolf opened on the property in December.

Now, the infrastructure is under construction including roadway and utilities, said Corey Long, who works as a vice president of development at Cordish, which is a real estate company. The industrial element will be the first part to break ground, as early as this summer.

This spot was among the largest continuous areas left to be developed in South Florida, in an ideal spot with close proximity to the highways, Long said. “In densely populated South Florida’s tricounty area, it’s difficult to find this amount of property within an urban environment,” Long said. “It’s unique in that regard.”

A Pompano Beach spokeswoman said the developer has proposed the residential apartments to top at five stories, but the approvals are still in process.

What will the apartments cost to rent and what are the amenities? There is no price point decided yet. Long said the apartment will be built in “numerous components” and units are expected to range between studios and three bedrooms. Amenities will include a pool within each individual community, a fitness center, pickleball court, dog areas and community rooms.

What’s being replaced? A Kentucky sportsman-socialite who was a Delray Beach snowbird was able to purchase and transfer the pari-mutuel license of a defunct dog track in Key West into Broward in 1963, according to a 1964 Miami Herald story.

Pompano Park opened in 1964. There were 500 horses ready to race and 600 workers on the ready, according to a January 1964 story in The Miami News.

In 2019, the harness track owners said they wanted to replace the horses with jai alai because it would free land for development.

But in 2021, the Florida Legislature approved decoupling, which meant Florida’s pari-mutuel facilities wouldn’t be required to “couple” slots and card games with harness races, quarter horse races, or jai alai matches. The House had amended the bill to save harness racing, but the Senate declined to go along.

So after the legislative decision, they didn’t need to do jai alai either, said Pompano Beach Mayor Rex Hardin.

“There was some angst when the announcement came from Tallahassee,” Hardin said. “That was a historical part of Pompano Beach we were sad to lose. But in exchange for the land that became available, we are getting a world-class destination, live entertainment district, residential.

“It’s truly a destination for entertainment and destination for employment and a destination for housing, all of which are needed in the South Florida region,” Hardin said.

The state’s two thoroughbred tracks — Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach and Tampa Bay Downs — still offer live racing.

What is the history of Pompano Park? Racers reclined in two-wheeled carts, akin to chariot races in ancient Rome, (or think of the scene in the iconic film “Ben-Hur”) and shook the reins, urging their horses to advance. Once considered the “Winter Capital of Harness Racing,” Pompano Park was Florida’s last remaining harness racing track. Its scores of visitors once included the likes of Jackie Gleason, Kaye Stevens, Rodney Dangerfield, and star athletes such as New York Yankees greats Mickey Mantle and Whitey Ford.

When will construction be finished? It will be “multi years.” “There is no end date in mind,” said Cordish spokeswoman Cari Furman.

What is the project anticipated cost? This is a $2 billion project.

Lisa J. Huriash can be reached at lhuriash@sunsentinel.com. Follow on X, formerly Twitter, @LisaHuriash