Florida’s ‘Sleepy Fishing Village’ Gets a $2 Billion Makeover as Luxury Buyers Swoop In

Located between Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, the former "sleepy fishing village" of Pompano Beach, FL, has transformed into a haven for luxury-branded residences, while still retaining much of its old-world charm.More than a dozen major real estate projects are currently underway in the city (population of 118,000), spanning branded luxury complexes, commercial development, and even a $2 billion 70-acre transformation of the downtown area."It's been an area that I wouldn't say was overlooked, but is more like a sleepy town that has woken up," Patrick Campbell, senior vice president of Related Group, tells Realtor.com®.Related Group, founded by billionaire developer Jorge Perez, has poured roughly $2.5 billion into luxe oceanfront developments in Pompano Beach. Projects include the recently completed Solemar and Casamar, and the forthcoming Waldorf Astoria Residences Pompano Beach and W Pompano Hotel & Residences.Campbell says it wasn't always easy to convince major brand names that the "sleepy town" was worth investing in. Related Group snapped up the land for Solemar in 2011, at a price he says was a "steal," then sat on it for many years, waiting to "see some signs of...