Palm Bay approves massive 2,360 home development

The Palm Bay City Council has given final approval to the proposed 2,360-home Everlands West development.

The project has been seen as both a major boon for the local economy, but many have expressed concerns about the load put on local infrastructure and schools as the corridor along the St. Johns Heritage Parkway continues to see explosive growth.

Lennar Homes has been working with the city to develop 1,600 single-family homes and 760 multifamily units across 1,198 acres at the northwest corner of Pace Drive and St. Johns Heritage Parkway. The project will also include 145,000 square feet of commercial space.

The developer projects the city will take in $36.4 million in total impact fees upon completion and has committed more than $19 million in water and sewer infrastructure investment.

The full buildout of the community is expected to last through 2036. The council approved the project in a 4-1 vote with councilman Mike Hammer casting the sole dissenting vote.

Gregory Pettibon, vice president of land development with Lennar Homes, told the city developers have worked hard to ensure the community will maintain the character of the area.

"We've really tried very hard, particularly with this phase of the community create something quite special, whether it's the significant preservation of wetlands, whether it's partnering with you guys for roadway construction, and just different parts and pieces that we think are are major additions to the city," Pettibon said.

He also added that Lennar would deliberately limit the density of the development as part of the efforts to manage the overall growth.

"Both the existing and proposed future land use designations allow for significantly higher residential densities than what's being proposed with this community. But even with the flexibility, this project is being designed at just a low overall density of 1.96 dwelling units an acre. In addition, the plan preserves over 310 acres of wetlands in conservation areas, helping maintain that natural character of the site," he added.

Palm Bay mayor Rob Medina said receiving impact fees in advance to offset the infrastructure and public safety costs to the city was a sign of the developer's willingness to work with the city on its concerns and needs.

"It's the first time that we have received impact fees prior to a project's phase in the city. So, we are definitely blessed for that," Medina said."This is a worthwhile project," Medina said. "What a beautiful project, I'm looking forward to seeing it come to fruition."

Tyler Vazquez is the Growth and Development Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Vazquez at 321-480-0854 or tvazquez@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @tyler_vazquez.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Palm Bay approves massive 2,360 home development

Reporting by Tyler Vazquez, Florida Today / Florida Today

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This story was originally published July 13, 2026 at 5:03 AM.