MacArthur Foundation

In 1996, the Abacoa Development Company (ADC) was formed through a partnership between Cypress Realty, Inc. and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. ADC is the master developer for the Abacoa project. Located in Jupiter, Florida, Abacoa is a 2,055-acre master planned, mixed-use community based on the concepts and principles of Traditional Neighborhood Development.



Today, Abacoa consists of numerous neighborhoods offering many types of housing for sale or rent, two college campuses, two public schools, a spring training stadium, a golf course, a main street style Town Center, community commercial centers, and a business district. The Abacoa plan is organized around a linked open corridor which incorporates hydrology systems for native species, wetlands, natural habitat and water storage. The ecological approach to the project was to enhance and restore the pre-existing conditions of the vegetation and watercourses on the site. A 60-acre area in the southeastern portion of the site hosts a complete ecosystem typical of the area in the past. Using this area as a model, a rehabilitation program was undertaken to create a greenway system that incorporates upland vegetation with wetland hammocks as well as habitat for protected species.

FAU professors and graduate students worked closely with the Abacoa Partnership for Community (APC) to apply for Florida Green Building Certification. The MacArthur Foundation and the state of Florida in partnership with CUES at FAU established a $4 million endowment known as the Abacoa Project to study the long-term outcomes of Abacoa as a model for South Florida. The Abacoa Project supports students, faculty, and staff to engage in education, research, and outreach activities and ensure a vital civil society and a responsible citizenry with a special emphasis on the Abacoa Community and the southeast Florida region.

Learn more at the Abacoa Visitors Center 

Research Reports

South Florida Community Satisfaction Survey
The State of Downtown West Palm Beach
Abacoa Spring Training Survey Report

APC Advisory Board

Nader Salour, Chair, Cypress Realty of Florida
Thomas Lanahan, Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council
Barry B. Byrd, Esq., Pineiro Byrd PLLC
Marcela Camblor-Cutsaimanis, Marcela Camblor & Associates, Inc.
Raphael Clemente, Palm Beach Venture Philanthropy
Tim Hernandez, New Urban Communities