On Monday, the team behind the ultra-private Shell Bay club in Hallandale Beach went back to City Hall with a big pivot: scrap the hotel towers and let the Residences at Shell Bay function as true full-time homes. Company representatives say the shift would cut hotel-driven traffic and reshape who actually lives and works inside the roughly 150-acre enclave. It is a sharp turn for a project that has long been sold as a resort-meets-residential private club.
According to the South Florida Business Journal, the developers have formally asked the city to delete the previously approved hotel towers from the plan and to allow permanent residency in the 20-story condominium building. In their filing, they argue that turning planned hotel rooms into owned units would meaningfully cut peak vehicle trips tied to check-ins and other short-term hotel stays.
What developers once planned
Earlier plans called for a mixed-use setup built around a 20-story, 108-unit condominium tower and a 21-story, 60-key Auberge-branded hotel, according to The Real Deal. The broader Shell Bay enclave, led by Witkoff Group and PPG Development, spans about 150 acres and features a Greg Norman-designed golf course and a slate of private-club amenities. Marketing materials from Douglas Elliman also tout a 48-slip marina and Auberge-service programming, both central to the original resort-style pitch.
Developer pitch: fewer cars, steadier neighbors
Developers told the South Florida Business Journal that trading hotel keys for owner-occupied units should cut transient traffic and ease pressure on nearby roads. Their argument is that more full-time residents inside a members-only environment would create a steadier ownership base and reduce the constant churn of short-term visitors.
Market and timeline
The development team previously secured a roughly $273 million construction loan and reported solid presales for the condo piece of the project, per The Real Deal. The condominium tower reached its topping-out milestone earlier this year as crews wrapped up vertical construction, according to Florida YIMBY, and the homes are still being marketed with prices starting around $2 million.
Next steps and what to watch
Any formal change to Shell Bay's existing approvals must run through Hallandale Beach's standard planning review track. That includes internal staff review and the Development Review Committee, followed by advisory input from the Planning & Zoning Board and a final decision by the City Commission, according to the city's Development Review Process and Planning & Zoning Board pages. Residents who want to keep tabs on the proposed amendments can track upcoming agendas and public notices through the city's online planning portal.
