Avenir Town Center
Resilient pavement designed to perform before, during and after the storm.
Background
Avenir Town Center serves as the commercial hub of the 4,000-acre Avenir community in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Home to approximately 2.4 million square feet of retail and office space, the walkable destination connects more than 30 businesses, including boutiques, coffee shops, grocery stores and more. As a gathering place for residents and visitors alike, the development needed hardscapes that complemented its contemporary architecture while providing lasting performance for both pedestrian and vehicular traffic.
The Challenge
Commercial developments in coastal Florida must withstand more than daily traffic. Hurricanes, heavy rainfall and severe weather can damage pavement systems, increase maintenance needs and disrupt business operations. Like any coastal development, Avenir Town Center was designed with the expectation that storms would eventually test its infrastructure.
In October 2024, Hurricane Milton brought EF-3 tornadoes and heavy rainfall to Palm Beach Gardens, putting the town center’s infrastructure to an unexpected real-world test.
The Solution
To achieve the project ’s design and performance goals, the team selected Belgard Catalina Grana® pavers in a 50/50 blend of Charcoal and Slate, with Pewter accents defining pedestrian crosswalks. Catalina Grana was selected for its smooth, contemporary appearance, ADA-compliant surface and rating for vehicular traffic. The dark color blend also helped minimize the visible impact of vehicle traffic over time.
Precise Paving installed approximately 160,000 square feet of interlocking concrete pavers, including 90,000 square feet in vehicular areas and 70,000 square feet in pedestrian walkways. The overall design required precision to handle the patterns, custom cuts and tight joint alignment needed throughout the project. Pattern changes, Pewter accent pavers and 12-inch white striping helped delineate the crosswalks and improve pedestrian visibility.
The pavement system incorporated edge restraints in high-traffic areas, polymeric joint stabilizing sand and a high-performance sealer. The pavers were installed on a 1-inch sand bedding layer over an 8-inch dense-graded aggregate base engineered to support commercial traffic over the pavement’s design life.
The Result
When Hurricane Milton impacted the Palm Beach Gardens area, the Belgard interlocking concrete pavement system maintained its structural integrity despite the severe weather. While asphalt used in other sections of the town center showed visible scarring and damage from the heavy winds and force of the tornadoes, the parking areas and walkways throughout Avenir Town Center required little to no repair.
The project demonstrates how interlocking concrete pavement systems can provide a sustainable solution for long-term commercial performance, helping reduce rebuilding efforts while delivering lasting aesthetics and dependable durability.
