If you’ve driven down Babcock Street north of Palm Bay Road, near Hardee’s, you’ve undoubtedly noticed the cleared trees, the bulldozers, and the dirt piles on both sides of the road.
And if you know what I know, you’re probably thinking the same thing I am: How are the roads in this area going to handle the extra traffic?
In case you don’t know, here’s a quick rundown of what’s happening.
Welcome to “Melbourne City Center”
On the east side of Babcock Street is a massive, 318-acre mega-development under construction by the Miami-based business SH Communities. I drove by today and took a few pictures. It appears the entire area has been cleared and graded.
Here’s a short excerpt from their company website detailing what is coming:
The subject property is a proposed, sustainable mixed-use development that will consist of single-family homes, apartments, a retail center, medical and professional campuses, a senior living facility, university sites, a charter school, and restaurants and entertainment options.
Along this stretch of Babcock Street, there’s already a daily traffic count of roughly 36,000 vehicles. This should be interesting.
To try and manage the influx, an overhaul of the intersection at Babcock Street and Eber Boulevard/Pirate Lane is planned. The developer is also tasked with widening parts of Pirate Lane and realigning the intersection over at Lipscomb Street—where there’s currently just a stop sign.
Goodbye Go-Karts, Hello Apartments
Meanwhile, on the west side of Babcock Street—specifically the nearly 17-acre site where the iconic Andretti Thrill Park operated for 27 years—another major development is happening at the exact same time.
The go-kart tracks, arcade buildings, and mini-golf courses have been entirely demolished to make room for a 324-unit apartment complex. The community will be spread across 11 separate three-story buildings.
The Neighborly Verdict
So, between the sprawling new Melbourne City Center on the east side of Babcock and the 324 new apartments on the west side, this single stretch of road is about to inherit thousands of new neighbors.
Pirate Lane is getting widened, but anyone who frequently drives this corridor knows that the real test will be how the Babcock bottleneck handles the influx of school traffic, college students, and daily commuters.
I’ll be adding frequent updates.
What are your thoughts on losing a local landmark for more housing? Hit reply or leave a comment below to let me know!
—Nathan