At the ocean end of Worth Avenue, two big buildings face each other across the 100 block. On the north side, 151 Worth Ave. was built in 1998 as a department store of roughly 49,000 square feet, with two levels of underground parking. It has been empty since Neiman Marcus left in September 2020. On the south side is The Esplanade at 150 Worth Ave. Saks Fifth Avenue filled much of its western side until the store closed on April 19, 2025.
Neither building is going back to being a single big store. Under the plans now in front of the Town of Palm Beach, the 151 building would get a 165-seat restaurant upstairs. The Esplanade would get a 270-seat restaurant, two membership clubs and a bakery. On the Avenue's most visible block, the anchor is becoming dining.
Two Buildings, Two Very Different Clocks
Both properties have new owners. TZ Capital paid a recorded $80.5 million to buy 151 Worth Ave. from Ken Griffin, a purchase the Daily News reported in March 2026. Since the sales, one building has moved quickly through Town Hall. The other has barely started.
| Date | 151 Worth Ave. (former Neiman Marcus) | 150 Worth Ave. (The Esplanade) |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 2020 | Neiman Marcus leaves; building goes vacant | |
| April 19, 2025 | Saks Fifth Avenue closes | |
| Feb. 11, 2026 | Town approves conversion to multi-tenant use | |
| March 26, 2026 | Reuben Brothers and Crown Onyx Investments buy for $200 million | |
| Aug. 13, 2026 | "Burlington Arcade at Palm Beach" plans filed | |
| Sept. 9, 2026 | Town Council approves Starr restaurant | |
| Sept. 23, 2026 | Architectural Commission passes it on consent, 7–0 | |
| Oct. 14, 2026 | Use agreement for "Starr Restaurant" on Council docket |
The Architectural Commission vote comes from the Sept. 23 draft minutes, which the commission has not yet formally adopted. The Daily News reported in late August that construction at 151 was already underway. The Oct. 14 Council docket also includes a request to waive working-hour limits at the site.
What Stephen Starr Is Actually Building At 151
CBS12's Sept. 23 report describes the layout. The old store is being divided into smaller boutique spaces on the first two levels, with the restaurant on the second floor. Town staff described it as a standalone concept, not a chain location. No public name has been reported. Town records list it only as "Starr Restaurant."
The seat count shows what kind of room it will be:
- 126 indoor dining seats
- 7 bar seats
- 32 outdoor seats on a balcony along Worth Avenue
The latest plan changed from the earlier version in a few ways. The outdoor dining area in the trellised arcade grew from 1,091 to 1,495 square feet, but outdoor seats dropped from 48 to 32. The space got bigger and the seating got sparser. A first-floor tea and coffee station that had been planned was removed.
Most of the growth is in the kitchen. A 1,350-square-foot third-floor addition holds kitchen, storage and staff space, and diners won't use it. Back-of-house space now totals 3,425 square feet, up 2,475 square feet from the earlier plan. Under the town's zoning code, that bigger service area raised the parking requirement even though customer seats went down, so the Council granted a variance for three spaces. Town staff said the addition sits behind the existing building and won't be visible from Worth Avenue.
No opening date has been announced.
Across The Street, A London Arcade On Paper
The Esplanade proposal is bigger and less settled. The Palm Beach Daily News first reported the filing on Aug. 28. The plans would rename the center Burlington Arcade at Palm Beach, after the London arcade Reuben Brothers also owns. The same company already owns the ground floor of the Tiffany building on Worth Avenue and the Vineta Hotel on Cocoanut Row. Island diners know the Vineta from this summer's weeknight rotation.
Here is what the filed plans propose:
| Proposed use | Size | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Casa Tua restaurant, first floor | 6,500 sq ft | 270 seats |
| Casa Tua private club, second floor | 4,855 sq ft | Up to 300 members |
| Social club led by Robin Birley, second floor | 12,291 sq ft | 300 members |
| Luxury lifestyle retail, west side, first floor | 7,800 sq ft | |
| Day spa and boutique, second floor | 5,325 sq ft and 2,000 sq ft | |
| Birley Bakery, east side, first floor | About 520 sq ft |
Casa Tua already operates in Miami Beach, Aspen, New York, Capri and Paris. Birley Bakery has one shop in London's Chelsea and another on New York's Upper East Side. According to town records, the Birley club would serve Palm Beach residents as well as "hotel guests."
The center doesn't currently allow this mix of uses. The developers have asked for special exceptions covering a restaurant, outdoor café seating, shared on-site parking, a retail space over 4,000 square feet, take-away food and beverage, and membership clubs. They still have to respond to town staff comments before going to the Architectural Commission and Town Council. October was the earliest possible date for that review. As of today, the posted agendas for the Oct. 14 Council meeting and the Oct. 28 Architectural Commission meeting don't include the redevelopment.
In the meantime, The Esplanade is still a working shopping center. In March, the Daily News listed Hublot, Emilio Pucci, Carolina Herrera, J.McLaughlin and Piaget among its tenants. That list is seven months old, so check before you walk over for a specific store.
If the plan is approved as filed, the two buildings would have 435 restaurant seats between them, plus clubs with up to 600 members combined. Before the Starr approval, the 100 block had two dark anchors and no restaurant in either one.
Why The Big Boxes Aren't Coming Back As Stores
The rest of the Avenue helps explain why. Stores are moving all along Worth Avenue, and much of it comes down to rent. Michael James of The Silver Fund told the Daily News he left 330 Worth Ave. when his lease ended rather than pay a new rent more than twice what he had been paying. Vineyard Vines took that space. The company expects to open there the first week of November, two and a half years after closing its old store at 305 Worth. Isaia now occupies the 305 space.
Other moves this year:
- Cavalier Galleries moved into Via Bice, and Van Cleef & Arpels expanded into the gallery's former space.
- Bottega Veneta left Worth Avenue and opened a 2,784-square-foot store at 70 Royal Poinciana Way on July 13. That's the same redeveloped Playhouse site covered in our Royal Poinciana Way piece.
- Bulgari received conditional design approval in March for a 3,479-square-foot store at 237–239 Worth Ave. No opening has been confirmed.
- Kapsiki closed its shop at 235 B Worth Ave. on May 31 when its lease expired, and its owner said she planned to reopen elsewhere on the island this fall.
- The RealReal left the Avenue for a 2,100-square-foot store at 700 S. Rosemary Ave. in West Palm Beach.
Some brands are paying more to get in, and others are leaving for cheaper space. The tenants signing are mostly single-brand boutiques of about 2,700 to 3,500 square feet. Vineyard Vines' new store is about 2,700 square feet. No current tenant in that size range could fill a 49,000-square-foot former Neiman Marcus. Splitting the building into smaller boutiques and putting a destination restaurant upstairs is the plan that got through Town Hall.
"Clearly they have a following here, and they wanted to come back."
Michael Maus, treasurer of the Worth Avenue Association, was quoted in the Palm Beach Post.
The Avenue Is Also Guarding Its Sidewalks
As landlords bring in more activity, the town is limiting one kind of it. A December 2024 ordinance requires Town Council approval for commercial filming and photography and caps shoots at seven days per month. In August, the Council used that power to cut back several requests. Vineyard Vines had asked for a four-hour shoot with as many as 35 crew. It was approved for eight people between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., with handheld equipment only and no changing tent. Mac Duggal's request went from two days and 15 crew to one day with eight. Still photos are allowed on the 200 and 300 blocks, and video is limited to the corner of Worth Avenue and Cocoanut Row. Council members cited the effects on pedestrians, storefronts, residents and traffic.
These are the conditions any new restaurant will open into. The town is working to keep the Avenue walkable for the people already on it.
The Dates To Watch This Season
- Oct. 13: Mac Duggal's shoot is permitted on either Oct. 12 or 13. The Worth Avenue Association's Turtle Tuesday cleanup is Oct. 13.
- Oct. 14: The Town Council reviews the draft use agreement for the Starr restaurant and the working-hours waiver at 151 Worth.
- First week of November: Vineyard Vines' target opening at 330 Worth Ave.
- Not yet scheduled: Town review of the Burlington Arcade plans, and the Avenue's 2026 tree lighting. The Association hasn't announced a date yet. Last year's was Tuesday, Dec. 2.
Our Palm Beach neighborhood page covers more of the island.
If you own near the east end of Worth Avenue and want to know how a busier ocean block could affect your property's value, Greg Forest Group follows these Town Hall filings closely. Request a private market consultation and we'll go over the 150 and 151 Worth plans with you.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
