The Plaza of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach: Twin-Tower Condo Resale Guide (2026)

The Plaza of the Palm Beaches is a pair of 32-story condominium towers at 525 South Flagler Drive, on the Intracoastal Waterway in downtown West Palm Beach, with views across the water to Palm Beach and the Atlantic. Armour Guider Development Corporation, a venture of Robert Armour and Michael Guider, built the towers to designs by Schwab & Twitty Architects, and they opened in October 1985. The complex holds about 220 residences.

For about 35 years the building was known as Trump Plaza of the Palm Beaches. Donald Trump bought it out of foreclosure in 1986, and in 2021 owners voted to restore the original name, legally The Plaza. Today it is an established full-service resale building in the middle of a major exterior restoration, and that work shapes what buyers pay and what they should check. This guide covers the history, the residences, recent prices and the questions to ask.

The Plaza of the Palm Beaches at a glance

Sources: the building's published history drawing on Sun-Sentinel and Palm Beach Post reporting from 1981 to 2021, The Palm Beach Post's October 2024 report on the building's inspection and MLS records as of October 2026.

A short history

The site was home to The Greenhouse restaurant, which Robert Armour bought in 1974. Armour announced the condominium in 1980, construction started in 1981 with Perini Corporation as contractor, and the second tower topped out in November 1984. Sales were slow. The towers opened in October 1985 with only a handful of units sold, and in January 1986 the Bank of New York foreclosed, with Armour owing nearly $94 million.

In July 1986 the bank bought the property at auction for $43.2 million and sold it to Donald Trump for about $40 million, financed with a $60 million loan from Marine Midland Bank. Trump renovated the towers and renamed them Trump Plaza. Sales again stalled: by 1990 occupancy was about half, and Trump auctioned the remaining inventory, 45 units in December 1990 (35 sold, at $185,000 to $265,000) and 63 units in April 1991, all sold for a combined $15.8 million.

Owners removed the Trump signs from the ground floor in 2020 after earlier votes against reinstalling them following a 2017 to 2019 exterior renovation. After the January 2021 Capitol riot the board voted to change the legal name, and in May 2021 more than two-thirds of owners voted for The Plaza. A roughly $6 million renovation of the roof, balconies, lobby and pools was completed before the renaming.

Residences and sizes

Most residences that trade at The Plaza fall into two plan types, and MLS records show them repeatedly:

These are the plans that have recently sold or listed, not a complete floor-plan catalog. The flow-through layouts are the main draw: living areas open east to the Intracoastal, Palm Beach and the ocean and west to the downtown skyline, with balconies on both sides in many plans.

Condition varies more than size. Some residences are close to original, and listings describe them as an opportunity to renovate. Others have been gutted and rebuilt with floor-to-ceiling glass, new kitchens with Sub-Zero, Wolf, Miele or Thermador appliances, and large-format porcelain floors. As the sales below show, that difference roughly doubles the price of the same floor plan.

Architecture and the current restoration

Schwab & Twitty's twin towers were among the first luxury high-rises on the downtown West Palm Beach waterfront. The complex includes a basement garage and an amenity deck with two pools, and the restoration contractor refers to the two buildings as the North and South Towers.

Images are drawn from MLS listing photography for the building.

The building is in the middle of a large repair and refresh program. In October 2024 The Palm Beach Post reported on a 119-page Phase One milestone inspection by SRI Consultants, which found degradation on balconies, in the basement garage and on the amenity deck, separation cracking where parapet walls meet the building walls, and problems in the east pool, and called for immediate remediation. The Post reported that the towers were considered safe to occupy, that a Phase Two inspection was required, and that owners were expected to face a special assessment for a multimillion-dollar repair bill. Management declined to comment on the extent of the work.

Since then, Structural Builders & Restorations has been carrying out exterior and structural restoration on both towers while they remain occupied, including facade and stucco replacement, expansion joints and demolition of the pool deck, with SRI Consultants as engineer of record. Listings from late 2025 describe every balcony being converted to all-glass railings with a refreshed facade. October 2026 listings add that a hospitality interior designer has been engaged to refresh the lobby, mezzanine and other common areas, and say the building passed its milestone inspection; ask the association for the actual reports rather than relying on listing language.

All three active sale listings in October 2026 flag a special assessment. The amount and payment schedule were not published, and they are the most important numbers to get before making an offer.

Amenities and services

• 24-hour staffed gate and lobby, concierge and doormen
• Valet parking and a garage
• Two heated pools with a whirlpool, cabanas and a barbecue area (the east pool and deck are part of the current work)
• Tennis court with pickleball
• Fitness room
• Conference room and mezzanine lounge
• Resident social calendar, which listings say has included yoga and aqua classes

Listings describe the building as pet friendly; confirm size and number limits in the rules. Lease listings note that the association must approve tenants.

Location: downtown on Flagler Drive

The Plaza sits on the downtown stretch of Flagler Drive, a short walk from the Royal Park Bridge to Palm Beach. Listings point to Rosemary Square (formerly CityPlace), the Kravis Center, the Norton Museum of Art, Clematis Street and the island's beaches and dining as nearby destinations. Downtown's new towers are going up around it, including Mr. C Residences on Lakeview Avenue and Banyan Tree Residences on Hibiscus Street. For the wider city, see our West Palm Beach guide.

Prices, recent sales and carrying costs

MLS-recorded sales, December 2025 to August 2026: closings ranged from $1.4 million to $3.6 million. The split by condition is stark:

MLS holds two closing records for 23A at the same price, in March and August 2026, which may describe one sale.

Active listings, October 2026: three residences, a renovated two-bedroom (14C) at $3.395 million, a renovated three-bedroom (11A) at $3.795 million and the combined four-bedroom 20B/C at $3.745 million, about $972 per square foot.

Association fees: The Plaza bills quarterly. Current listings show $9,000 a quarter (about $3,000 a month) for a 1,927-square-foot two-bedroom and $9,600 a quarter (about $3,200 a month) for a 2,091-square-foot three-bedroom, roughly $1.55 per square foot per month. Listings say the fee covers items including building insurance, cable and internet, water and sewer, security, the manager and pool service. The special assessment is billed separately.

How The Plaza compares nearby

The Plaza's appeal is a large, flow-through residence on the downtown waterfront at a price per square foot well below the new towers, with full staffing. The trade-off is a 40-year-old building working through the repairs that age and Florida's post-Surfside rules demand. The Bristol and the new projects cost far more per square foot but carry no near-term structural program. Our Edgeworth guide covers one of the new downtown alternatives.

What to check before you buy

1. The special assessment. Get the total amount, what it covers, the payment schedule and whether the seller will pay it or credit it at closing. Ask whether further phases are expected.
2. Milestone and SIRS documents. Request the Phase One and Phase Two milestone inspection reports, the structural integrity reserve study and the current reserve funding plan. Our milestone inspection and SIRS guide explains what each covers.
3. Construction timing. Ask when facade, balcony and pool work will finish on your tower and stack. Work outside a specific residence can limit balcony use for months.
4. Budget, insurance and minutes. Review the current budget, the master insurance policy and deductibles, and recent board minutes.
5. Renovation scope. For an original residence, price the renovation and check the association's alteration rules, contractor requirements and work hours.
6. Lease and pet rules. Listings note association approval for tenants; confirm minimum lease terms and pet limits in the documents.
7. HO-6 insurance. Get a quote for the specific residence before you commit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is The Plaza of the Palm Beaches?

At 525 South Flagler Drive, West Palm Beach, FL 33401, on the Intracoastal Waterway in downtown West Palm Beach. Some listings use 529 South Flagler Drive.

Is The Plaza of the Palm Beaches the old Trump Plaza?

Yes. Donald Trump bought the towers in 1986 and renamed them Trump Plaza of the Palm Beaches. Owners voted in May 2021 to restore the name The Plaza.

When was The Plaza built, and who built it?

Armour Guider Development Corporation built the two 32-story towers to designs by Schwab & Twitty Architects. Construction began in 1981, and the building opened in October 1985.

How big are the residences?

Most residences that trade are two-bedrooms of about 1,927 square feet and three-bedrooms of about 2,091 square feet, many with east-to-west flow-through layouts. Some residences have been combined.

What do condos at The Plaza sell for?

MLS-recorded closings from December 2025 to August 2026 ranged from $1.4 million for a two-bedroom needing renovation to $3.6 million for a renovated three-bedroom corner residence. Active listings in October 2026 asked $3.395 million to $3.795 million.

Is there a special assessment at The Plaza?

All three active sale listings in October 2026 indicated a special assessment, following The Palm Beach Post's 2024 report that owners faced a multimillion-dollar repair bill after the milestone inspection. Ask the seller and association for the amount and schedule.

What are the HOA fees?

Fees are billed quarterly. October 2026 listings show about $9,000 a quarter for a 1,927-square-foot two-bedroom and $9,600 a quarter for a 2,091-square-foot three-bedroom, before any special assessment.

Explore The Plaza of the Palm Beaches

Visit The Plaza of the Palm Beaches building page for current listings, recent sales and photos. Contact REHUB to review the assessment, compare renovated and original residences, or weigh The Plaza against other West Palm Beach condos.