Demolition Begins Along Dixie Highway for 306-Unit ‘Modera Boca’ Complex

Demolition at 400 S. Dixie Highway, Boca Raton, FL, to make room for the ‘Modera Boca’ project, Feb. 2026. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

An excavator tore through the multi-story office building at 400 S. Dixie Highway on Tuesday, kicking off the demolition of the property that will make way for a 12-story high rise that is set to contain 306 apartments.

The “Modera Boca” project will be built on the site that, until this week, was home to “The Arbors,” an office complex that consisted of four connected, square-shaped buildings. By mid-afternoon Tuesday, about half the complex had been demolished between SE 3rd and SE 5th streets along Dixie. Just east of the site where Modera is slated to be constructed is the future site of the unrelated “Mr. C” luxury high-rise, which will bring 133 multi-million dollar condominiums to the same three-block area between Dixie and Federal highways.

A rendering of of Modera Boca, a 12-story apartment complex at 400 S. Dixie Highway. (Planning Document via Boca Daily News)

The city’s planning board approved the Modera project in June 2025, representing one of the first major private development projects along Dixie Highway, home to aging properties beside the Florida East Coast Railroad tracks that have historically been overlooked by major developers. The company behind Modera, Mill Creek Residential, is based in Boca Raton and has pitched the complex as its first foray into the market in its hometown. Mill Creek representatives said at planning board meetings over the summer that the growing downtown district, as well as its proximity to to the city’s Brightline station, attracted the company’s interest.

A mixed use building currently standing at 400 S. Dixie Highway, Boca Raton, FL, Oct. 2024. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

Demolition at 400 S. Dixie Highway, Boca Raton, FL, to make room for the ‘Modera Boca’ project, Feb. 2026. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

Demolition at 400 S. Dixie Highway, Boca Raton, FL, to make room for the ‘Modera Boca’ project, Feb. 2026. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

Demolition at 400 S. Dixie Highway, Boca Raton, FL, to make room for the ‘Modera Boca’ project, Feb. 2026. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

Modera will include approximately 416,137 square feet of residential space. The building will stand 141-feet tall and include studio units from 700 square feet to penthouse units at 2,200 square feet. Modera’s developer plans to offer studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom, three-bedroom and penthouse units. But one of the most visible aspects of the project for the city as a whole will be the installation of a new streetscape along Dixie Highway amidst its two-block swath, plus the transformation of a wooded lot owned by the city into a walking path with native trees, shade canopies and decorative features. The public area will be located near the northern portion of the site adjacent to SE 3rd Street.

“We’re creating a beautiful pedestrian corridor along Dixie Highway,” said Zachariades. “We would like all ingress to happen in the [rear] alleyway, as well as all egress. It can then provide 26-feet of pure pedestrian corridor, but also allows us to move the sidewalk in and plant shade trees on each side. Currently, the sidewalk is literally on Dixie Highway – there is no barrier between the pedestrian and the highway.”

A rendering of of Modera Boca, a 12-story apartment complex at 400 S. Dixie Highway. (Planning Document via Boca Daily News)

A rendering of of Modera Boca, a 12-story apartment complex at 400 S. Dixie Highway. (Planning Document via Boca Daily News)

A rendering of of Modera Boca, a 12-story apartment complex at 400 S. Dixie Highway. (Planning Document via Boca Daily News)

Modera will be constructed on a 1.07 acre parcel of land, inclusive of a self-contained seven-story parking deck with one subterranean level. The parking deck will direct traffic to an existing alleyway so vehicles will not have to enter or egress the property from busy Dixie Highway. John Donaldson, a traffic engineer who testified on behalf of the developer, said traffic patterns favor residential traffic traveling in the opposite direction of commercial traffic at peak times, relieving some concerns of congestion downtown.

The nearby Mr. C complex will result in the abandonment of the vast majority of what will remain of SE 4th Street between Federal and Dixie, as well as two alleyways that run north-south through the area.

The Modera complex will feature numerous amenities, including internal office space, a clubhouse, fitness center, yoga lawn, putting green, dog park, bocce court, and arcades. The site will host 468 parking stalls, including 27 electric vehicle charging stations, plus the capability to add another 70 EV spaces in what is known as a “make-ready” configuration. Mill Creek’s representatives said a power transformer dedicated to the EV charging apparatus is built into the complex. A zoning deviation was granted for parking, since the city’s code would normally require 538 off-street spaces for a building of Modera’s size.

All of the building’s exterior active uses will be located underneath a covered loggia, which is only accessible via gate access for residents. Modera will also feature a rooftop pool built into the side of the building on a 7th floor sub-roof, providing an aerial view of Boca Raton looking west. The pool deck will include cabanas and an interior lounge space.

In terms of greenery, proposed street trees include 12 Bridal Veil trees along South Dixie Highway, and three sprawling Live Oaks along SE 3rd Street. Mill Creek has retained an arborist to save and transplant a gigantic mahogany tree that already exists on the property.