Olara vs. Alba vs. Mr. C: West Palm Beach’s Boutique Waterfront, Compared
Alba Palm Beach is the immediacy play — completed in 2026 at 95 percent sold, with 55 residences on direct Intracoastal frontage. Olara is the resort-scale marina tower delivering in 2028 from $1.7 million. Mr. C Residences is the Cipriani-branded downtown hotel-residence, from $1.6 million, targeting 2027 delivery.
West Palm Beach’s condo market has matured from a Palm Beach spillover story into a destination in its own right, and three projects define its waterfront moment: Savanna’s Olara on North Flagler Drive, BGI’s Alba Palm Beach in Northwood, and Terra and Sympatico’s Mr. C Residences downtown.
Each answers a different question. Here is how they compare on value, timing, waterfront position, and buyer fit — with sourced figures throughout.
Which offers the best value per square foot?
Mr. C has the lowest entry price — one-bedrooms from $1.6 million, per Manhattan Miami brokerage data (2026). Olara starts at $1.7 million but delivers larger residences of 1,500 to 4,200-plus square feet, making it the strongest dollars-per-foot proposition. Alba, nearly sold out, now trades on scarcity rather than value.
Olara’s entry residences begin at two bedrooms, so buyers get materially more space per dollar than Mr. C’s 830-to-1,000-square-foot one-bedrooms at a similar price point. Olara’s range runs from $1.7 million to roughly $10 million at the top (Haute Residence buyer’s guide, 2026), while Mr. C climbs from $1.6 million for one-bedrooms to $5 million-plus for four-bedrooms (Manhattan Miami, 2026).
Alba’s remaining inventory was priced from roughly $2.5 million as of spring 2026, per Manhattan Miami, with its six-residence Lower Penthouse Collection launched from $6.95 million in November 2025, per Florida YIMBY. With the building completed and 95 percent sold as of June 2026 (PROFILEmiami), the value conversation there is about finished-product certainty, not preconstruction discounts. Whichever tower you choose, model the monthly carry with our guide to HOA fees at South Florida luxury developments — amenity-rich buildings price their service into the assessment.
Which delivers first?
Alba already has. The 22-story tower completed in June 2026 at 95 percent sold, per PROFILEmiami — buyers can close and move in now. Mr. C, which broke ground in August 2025, targets 2027 per its sales team. Olara, under vertical construction, targets 2028.
Timing is not a footnote; it is a pricing mechanism. Alba’s finished status removes construction risk entirely but also removes the preconstruction entry discount. Mr. C broke ground with a $285 million construction loan from TYKO Capital and roughly 70 percent of residences sold, per Florida YIMBY (August 2025) — strong execution signals for its 2027 window.
Olara closed a $380 million construction loan in March 2025 that fully funds the build, and had passed the 15th floor with more than $100 million in sales recorded within 60 days of launch, per Traded (February 2026). For a full view of what is arriving when across the region, consult our South Florida luxury condo delivery calendar, and pressure-test any target date against our completion-risk framework for South Florida preconstruction.
Which has the strongest waterfront position?
Olara, decisively — it is the only one of the three with a private marina. Its 192-foot marina offers dedicated resident slips with direct Intracoastal access, per Traded (February 2026). Alba fronts the Intracoastal directly in Northwood; Mr. C sits downtown near the water at Lakeview Avenue, but not on it.
Olara occupies 1919 North Flagler Drive with unobstructed water frontage, and its dock-to-dining concept — four on-site restaurants including South Florida’s first José Andrés signature restaurant — is built around the boating lifestyle. For owners who arrive by water as often as by car, no competing West Palm Beach project matches it.
Alba’s position at 4714 North Flagler Drive puts all 55 residences on a stretch of Intracoastal that its developer described as a rare, untouched piece of waterfront, looking across to Palm Beach island — and the building sweetens the boating story with a one-year Palm Beach Yacht Club membership for buyers, per Florida YIMBY (November 2025). Mr. C trades direct frontage for downtown position: at 320 Lakeview Avenue, it is steps from Worth Avenue’s bridge approach, The Square, and the Brightline station, with Intracoastal views from upper floors and corner terraces.
Which suits a seasonal buyer versus a full-time resident?
Seasonal buyers gravitate to Mr. C: Cipriani hotel service, a rooftop Bellini restaurant, and 110 hotel suites mean the building runs at full staff whether you are there or not. Full-time residents favor Olara’s 80,000-plus square feet of daily-life amenities, or Alba’s intimate, 55-residence privacy.
A branded hotel-residence is purpose-built for lock-and-leave ownership — housekeeping, in-residence dining, and a managed arrival experience travel with the flag. Mr. C’s Arquitectonica-designed tower, with interiors by Meyer Davis, packages that hospitality with a private members’ lounge and spa. Our complete guide to branded residences in South Florida covers how these programs work and what they cost.
Olara reads as a primary-residence resort: a 13,000-square-foot fitness center, five-star spa with Japanese onsen, multiple pools, and those four restaurants serve a household living there twelve months a year. Alba is the connoisseur’s answer — 22 stories, 55 residences, private elevator arrival in the penthouses, Sollis Health urgent-care access, and a Mount Sinai concierge-medicine partnership. Whichever profile fits, review the escrow mechanics in our guide to preconstruction deposits before wiring the first payment.
How do the three projects compare head-to-head?
The matrix below assembles the verified numbers: Olara is the largest at 26 stories and 287 condominiums; Mr. C pairs 146 residences with 110 hotel suites over 27 stories; Alba is the boutique outlier at 22 stories and 55 residences — the only one already complete.
Olara vs. Alba Palm Beach vs. Mr. C Residences — head-to-head matrix (sources and as-of dates in copy)
| Metric | Olara | Alba Palm Beach | Mr. C Residences |
| Developer | Savanna | BGI | Terra + Sympatico Real Estate |
| Stories | 26 | 22 | 27 |
| Residences | 287 condos (+170 rentals) | 55 | 146 (+110 hotel suites) |
| Pricing | $1.7M–~$10M | From ~$2.5M; penthouses from $6.95M | $1.6M–$5M+ |
| Delivery | 2028 (target) | Completed June 2026 | 2027 (target) |
| Sales status | $100M+ in first 60 days | 95% sold | ~70% sold at groundbreaking |
| Signature amenities | 192-ft private marina; José Andrés restaurant; onsen spa; 80,000+ SF amenities | Palm Beach Yacht Club membership; Sollis Health; Mount Sinai concierge medicine | Rooftop Bellini restaurant; Cipriani hotel services; members’ lounge |
Read alongside our overview of West Palm Beach’s luxury new developments, the three towers form a complete decision set for the city’s waterfront.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is more expensive, Olara or Alba Palm Beach?
Entry pricing is lower at Olara, which starts at $1.7 million for two-bedroom residences (Haute Residence, 2026). Alba’s remaining finished inventory was priced from roughly $2.5 million as of spring 2026, per Manhattan Miami, with lower penthouses from $6.95 million.
Who is the developer of Olara West Palm Beach?
Olara is developed by New York-based Savanna, led by Chris Schlank and Nicholas Bienstock, with architecture by Arquitectonica. The project closed a $380 million construction loan in March 2025 that fully funds construction.
Is Alba Palm Beach finished?
Yes. Alba completed construction in June 2026 at 95 percent sold, per PROFILEmiami. That makes it the only one of the three where buyers can tour finished residences and close immediately.
What is Mr. C Residences West Palm Beach?
Mr. C is a 27-story Cipriani-family-branded tower at 320 Lakeview Avenue in downtown West Palm Beach, developed by Terra and Sympatico Real Estate. It combines 146 residences with 110 hotel suites, a rooftop Bellini restaurant, and full hotel services, targeting 2027 delivery.
Which project has a private marina?
Only Olara. Its 192-foot private marina offers dedicated resident slips with direct Intracoastal access, per Traded (February 2026). Alba fronts the Intracoastal without a marina, and Mr. C sits near — but not on — the waterfront downtown.
When will Olara be completed?
Olara targets delivery in 2028. Vertical construction was past the 15th floor in 2026, and the build is fully funded by its $380 million construction loan, which meaningfully reduces completion risk.
Which building is best for a seasonal, lock-and-leave owner?
Mr. C, in most cases. Its hotel platform keeps housekeeping, dining, and concierge staff active year-round, so a residence used ten weeks a year is fully serviced the other forty-two. Alba’s boutique scale also suits seasonal owners who prioritize privacy over hotel services.
Are these buildings on Palm Beach island?
No — all three are in West Palm Beach, on the mainland side of the Intracoastal. Olara and Alba sit on North Flagler Drive facing Palm Beach island, and Mr. C is in the downtown core near the Royal Park Bridge approach to Worth Avenue.
The right answer depends on your timeline, your boat, and how many weeks a year you will be in residence. Compare these three against the full Palm Beach-to-Miami pipeline at Haute Residence New Developments.