In March, Hines broke ground on its FAT Food Art Technology Village project, an 850,000-sq-ft mixed-use development in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The 5.6-acre urban development, known as FAT Village, will introduce housing, retail, restaurants, entertainment and office space to the Flagler Arts and Technology Village Arts District, known as F.A.T.

Cresset Real Estate, Las Americas, Hudson Capital, Halmos Holdings and Urban Street Development are in partnership with Hines, which secured a $220-million construction loan for the project in December. SB Architects and EDSA lead the design team. Hooper Construction is the general contractor. The first of two phases is scheduled for completion in 2027.

“FAT Village will pay homage to and retain the neighborhood’s creative spirit and artistic presence, while creating a lively destination that will engage the community and enhance Fort Lauderdale’s urban fabric,” said Alan Kennedy, managing director of Hines, in a statement. “We look forward to advancing our plans for the project as it becomes a valuable component of the broader Flagler Village community.”

Plans call for more than 850 residential units across three towers; office space with an industrial aesthetic; more than 80,000 sq ft of food, shopping, entertainment, art studios and galleries; and a 1,200-space commercial parking structure.

Hines will use mass timber construction for its office development, dubbed Timber, Transit and Technology. T3 will include nearly 180,000 sq ft of office space. South Florida-based Blanca Commercial Real Estate is the leasing partner for the T3 buildings.

The first phase includes the T3 FAT Village office building, 601 apartment units in two multifamily towers, nearly 74,000 sq ft of ground-floor retail and a parking structure. Construction of phase two will commence once phase one is fully occupied, says Hines.

The development is two blocks from Brightline’s Fort Lauderdale high-speed commuter rail station, which connects the city to Miami, West Palm Beach and Orlando.

FAT Village currently represents one of six mixed-use “placemaking” destinations that Hines has under development throughout the Southeast.