07-04-2025
More than 200 new apartments planned off Federal Highway in Deerfield Beach
Developers are planning to break ground later this year on a 237-unit apartment building in Deerfield Beach, bringing activity to a mostly vacant lot whose southern tip is home to a two-story office building on the northwest corner of Federal Highway and Northwest Second Street.
The new housing, at 201 N. Federal Highway, would rise near a prominent stretch of the city, just north of East Hillsboro Boulevard and Federal Highway, also known as U.S. 1.
The Axis project in Deerfield has been under consideration for years, passing through the application process in the city over the past five years, according to city records. Through the process, it also reportedly drew residents' concerns about traffic. Its most recent hurdle was a routine approval recently before the Broward County Commission.
The plan, spearheaded by the Chicago-based Centrum Partners development group, calls for a five-story building with an internal parking garage accessible through Federal Highway, said Eric Power, director of planning and development services for the city.
The apartments will be fair-market rentals, but the developers have committed to contributing $138,500 to the city's affordable housing trust fund as well as additional $100,000 contribution of the fire fund.
Developers also have promised to pay for the repaving of Federal Highway to create a dedicated left-turn lane for access to the building. They also will be responsible for some nearby landscaping, public art and the removal of some above-ground power lines, Power said.
Children whose families move into the development will be zoned to attend Deerfield Beach Elementary, Deerfield Beach Middle and Deerfield Beach High School. Plans anticipate the addition of just 14 additional school-age students.
A building on the southern end of the land, known as the Eller Building, was set to be demolished. Groundbreaking on the project is expected to take place in late 2025.
Calls to Centrum were not returned as of Friday afternoon.
Rafael Olmeda can be reached at rolmeda@ or 954-356-4457. Follow him on
