Boca Raton Approves The Sanborn, an Eight-Story Private Club in the Heart of Downtown

BOCA RATON, FL — Downtown Boca Raton is set to welcome a new private members' club after local officials granted final public approval for The Sanborn, an eight-story hospitality and lifestyle development at 100 N.E. First Avenue.

The Boca Raton Community Redevelopment Agency voted unanimously on October 13 to approve the project, clearing its final required public hearing.

Developers Steven Newman and Scott Kerner plan to transform the approximately 0.3-acre property into an exclusive venue combining restaurants, social spaces, fitness facilities and rooftop amenities.

The approval represents another significant private investment in Boca Raton's increasingly active downtown district.

A New Destination for Dining, Wellness and Social Life

The Sanborn is planned as an approximately 54,681-square-foot, invitation-only private club designed to offer members a comprehensive collection of hospitality and lifestyle experiences.

Plans include two restaurants, a bar, wine cellar, speakeasy, library, card room, cigar room, game room, fitness center and spa.

A rooftop pool deck will provide additional recreational and gathering space.

Rather than operating as a conventional restaurant or standalone wellness facility, The Sanborn will combine multiple uses within one membership-based property.

The concept reflects a hospitality model centered on convenience, exclusivity and recurring member engagement.

Membership pricing and the intended number of members have not yet been publicly disclosed.

A $10 Million Downtown Property Acquisition

Newman and Kerner acquired the property through an affiliated entity for $10 million in March 2026, according to Palm Beach County property records cited in local reporting.

The site is currently occupied by a low-rise commercial building that will be replaced by the proposed development.

Boca Raton-based HDA Architects designed the new structure, while attorney Ele Zachariades of Miskel Backman represented the developers during the approval process.

The project also incorporates an approximately 11,200-square-foot, two-level underground automated parking facility with 85 spaces.

Automated parking can provide a practical solution for dense downtown parcels where conventional parking ramps would consume significant space.

For a development occupying just 0.3 acres, the parking system forms an important part of the property's overall design.

Part of Downtown Boca Raton's Broader Transformation

The Sanborn will rise near Sanborn Square Park and several other major projects contributing to downtown Boca Raton's development activity.

Nearby, The Aletto is under construction at 125 East Palmetto Park Road.

The 10-story project is planned to include approximately 117,000 square feet of office space, 23,000 square feet of restaurant uses and a parking structure with 550 spaces.

Members of The Sanborn are also expected to have access to designated parking at The Aletto.

The two developments illustrate how complementary commercial uses can contribute to a more active downtown environment.

New office buildings can attract businesses and professional tenants, while dining and hospitality venues create additional destinations for meetings, entertainment and social activities.

Other projects in the area include the planned Mizner Plaza Hotel and Glass House Boca Raton condominium tower.

Together, these investments are reshaping the character of Boca Raton's urban core.

The Growing Business of Private Members' Clubs

The Sanborn enters a South Florida hospitality market increasingly interested in private membership concepts.

Such venues offer an alternative to traditional country clubs and standalone luxury restaurants by bringing multiple experiences together under one roof.

For developers and operators, the model may provide opportunities to cultivate recurring relationships with members while creating demand across food and beverage, events, wellness and other services.

For members, the attraction often lies in access to curated environments that can serve both professional and personal purposes.

Boca Raton's concentration of executives, entrepreneurs and affluent households provides a potential audience for the concept.

The Sanborn's final operating model, including its membership structure and pricing, will become clearer closer to opening.

What Comes Next

With its final public hearing completed, the development team can move forward through the remaining construction preparation and permitting requirements.

A firm opening date has not been announced.

For downtown Boca Raton, the approval marks another step in the emergence of a more diversified luxury district, where offices, residences, hospitality and private gathering spaces increasingly complement one another.

The Sanborn's addition reflects confidence in the city's growing role as a business and lifestyle destination within South Florida.