Abacoa

Coordinates: 26°53′27.17″N 80°6′53.64″W / 26.8908806°N 80.1149000°W Abacoa is a community in Jupiter, Florida; construction began in 1997 on land once owned by the American businessman John D. MacArthur.

History

Abacoa was conceived in 1993, when the MacArthur Foundation proposed the plan to the city of Palm Beach, to be executed on land from MacArthur's endowment. The Foundation opted to partner with a developer, maintaining a 35% minority stake in the project.[1]

Initial home sales were brisk, with 4,000 of 6,000 units built as of 2009. However, tenancy of retail spaces in Abacoa Town Center were sluggish, with a third of 40-some storefronts, as well as the center's movie theater, shuttered as of 2007. Also noted was residents' displeasure that a number of the open establishments were bars that locals found disruptive.[2]

Culture

Beginning in 2002, Abacoa hosts the annual Fiesta Maya, based on the traditions of the highland Guatemala town of Jacaltenango, with the participation of the local Jacaltec community as well as students from Florida Atlantic University's Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College.[3]

Planning

Abacoa is split into 17 different neighborhoods, each containing its own style of architecture. At peak, management anticipates Abacoa will contain 6,073 residences, and about 3 million square feet of commercial space.[4]

Abacoa is also home to Roger Dean Stadium, which is located near the Town Center part of the community, an urban open air street with multiple restaurants.[5] The stadium is designed with cream stucco and green aluminum roof, paralleling the style of other buildings in Abacoa.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Green Development: Integrating Ecology and Real Estate. John Wiley & Sons. 23 January 1998. pp. 263–. ISBN 978-0-471-18878-0.
  2. ↑ Charles Fountain (2 February 2009). Under the March Sun: The Story of Spring Training. Oxford University Press. pp. 241–. ISBN 978-0-19-974370-4.
  3. ↑ Philip Williams; Timothy Steigenga; Manuel Vâsquez (3 March 2009). A Place to Be: Brazilian, Guatemalan, and Mexican Immigrants in Florida's New Destinations. Rutgers University Press. pp. 113–. ISBN 978-0-8135-4698-8.
  4. ↑ "History of Abacoa". Abacoa Live Work Play. Abacoa POA. Retrieved 20 June 2012.
  5. ↑ "Abacoa: 15 years later, is it a success?". Palm Beach Post. 10 July 2010.
  6. ↑ Josh Pahigian. The Ultimate Minor League Baseball Road Trip: A Fan's Guide to AAA, AA, A, and Independent League Stadiums. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 205–. ISBN 978-1-59921-627-0.