Three developers have tried to build on this Hollywood site. None broke ground. Affiliated Development thinks it can be different, but the financing is still not locked.
- The Jax would bring 394 apartments to 400 South Dixie Highway in Hollywood, with half reserved for workforce housing.
- Affiliated Development is seeking $6 million in public incentives from the city to close a financing gap on the $126 million project.
- Priority would go to "hometown heroes": first responders, teachers, and veterans.
The Jax shows the difficult side of workforce housing in South Florida. Affiliated Development has the experience, the Hollywood location, and the workforce housing playbook, but the project still needs public incentives to make the numbers work. According to Florida YIMBY, a large share of the $126 million must come from municipalities and public entities, which "could prove difficult." At the same time, the surrounding Hollywood market is drawing investor interest. Still, buyers need to understand the rules, especially around short-term rentals, before betting real money on the area.
What is The Jax?
The Jax would be an eight-story, 394-unit apartment complex on a 3.08-acre site at 400 South Dixie Highway, near Young Circle in downtown Hollywood. Affiliated Development has the site under contract. Total project cost is estimated at $126 million.
Half the units would be reserved for households earning between 100% and 120% of area median income, with the remaining units at market rate. Priority would go to what Affiliated calls "hometown heroes": first responders, teachers, and veterans. The architect, general contractor, rents, and timeline have not been disclosed.
This is not a Live Local project. Unlike The Cove in Fort Lauderdale, which qualified for Live Local's by-right approvals, The Jax requires a discretionary rezoning (from DH02 to DH03) and is seeking public subsidies. That is the opposite of Live Local's no-subsidy, streamlined path.
Why does The Jax need public money?
Workforce housing is expensive to build and does not generate the same rental income as market-rate projects. The math only works when you layer multiple funding sources: private loans, tax credits, city incentives, county partnerships, and sometimes state programs. Even then, the margins are thin.
Affiliated's The Era in Fort Lauderdale required 100% city tax reimbursement for 15 years plus a $5.5 million Broward County deal. The Tropic in Hollywood, Affiliated's earlier 223-unit project, received approximately $9.5 million in city incentives. The Jax would need $6 million to move forward.
The challenge is timing. Municipal budgets are tight, and cities have competing priorities. Florida YIMBY noted that securing the $6 million "could prove difficult." Without that public money, the project does not pencil.
Considering investing in Hollywood real estate? Talk to a real estate agent in Broward County who understands how workforce housing, zoning, and short-term rental rules affect property values. Reach out to The Mastropieri Group or call (954) 833-1468.
What happened to the previous plans for this site?
The 400 South Dixie Highway parcel is a serial redevelopment target. The site currently holds low-rise office and industrial buildings from the 1950s and 1960s. Multiple developers have tried to build here, and none have broken ground.
In 2023, Mill Creek Residential proposed "Modera Hollywood," a market-rate rental complex. It was never built. In March 2026, New York-based Bridge Asset Management floated a 387-unit plan (mostly one-bedrooms) contingent on a DH02-to-DH03 rezoning. That did not move forward either. Now Affiliated has taken over, rebranded the project as The Jax, bumped the unit count to 394, and added the workforce housing component.
The pattern tells you something about the site: it is attractive enough that developers keep trying, but challenging enough that deals keep stalling. Affiliated's track record in Hollywood gives this attempt more credibility than the previous ones.
How does The Tropic show what is possible?
Affiliated already has proof of concept in Hollywood. The Tropic, an 18-story, 223-unit tower at 303 South Federal Highway, is complete and in active pre-leasing as of mid-2026. Half the units are workforce housing, and the project received approximately $9.5 million in city incentives.
The useful signal is that The Tropic's rents are genuinely 14-18% below comparable Hollywood apartments. The below-market workforce pricing is real and delivering. But the project is not yet stabilized. Concessions are running (free rent plus a "cruise incentive"), which points to steady rather than instant absorption.
If The Tropic leases up successfully, it strengthens Affiliated's case for The Jax. If absorption remains slow, it makes the $6 million ask harder to justify.
What should investors know about the Hollywood market?
Hollywood is positioning itself as the next growth market in Broward County, with more than $1 billion in new private investment and public-private partnerships driving development. Alonzo Mourning's Villa Jordana senior housing project is under construction nearby on South Dixie Highway. University Station, a $100 million affordable housing project, delivered in 2025.
But investors need to understand the rules before betting on Hollywood. Short-term rental regulations have caught buyers off guard.
As Larry Mastropieri explained on the Discover South Florida Podcast: "I cannot tell you how many homes I have sold for people who were once Airbnb operators, got shut down, and then had to sell. If that short-term rental model was the whole plan and the city stops you, what else are you going to do? The annual rental usually does not generate the income they projected."
The lesson: do your due diligence on local regulations before assuming a property can generate short-term rental income. Hollywood has specific rules that vary by zone, and enforcement has increased.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Workforce Housing in Hollywood
What is The Jax project in Hollywood?
The Jax is a proposed 394-unit, eight-story apartment complex at 400 South Dixie Highway near Young Circle in Hollywood. Affiliated Development is seeking $6 million in public incentives to build the $126 million project. Half the units would be reserved for workforce housing, with priority for first responders, teachers, and veterans.
Is The Jax a Live Local Act project?
No. Unlike Affiliated's other projects that use Live Local's by-right approvals, The Jax requires a discretionary rezoning (from DH02 to DH03) and is seeking public subsidies. Live Local projects typically do not need public incentives because the zoning preemptions and tax benefits built into the law make them financially viable without additional city funding.
What is The Tropic in Hollywood?
The Tropic is an 18-story, 223-unit apartment tower at 303 South Federal Highway in Hollywood, developed by Affiliated Development. It is complete and in active pre-leasing as of mid-2026, with half the units reserved for workforce housing. The project received approximately $9.5 million in city incentives and offers rents 14-18% below comparable Hollywood apartments.
What are the short-term rental rules in Hollywood?
Hollywood has specific short-term rental regulations that vary by zone. Enforcement has increased in recent years, and some investors who planned to operate Airbnb-style rentals have been shut down. Before purchasing investment property in Hollywood, verify whether short-term rentals are permitted in that specific location and understand the licensing requirements.
Who is Affiliated Development?
Affiliated Development is a Fort Lauderdale-based firm founded by Jeff Burns (CEO) and Nick Rojo. The company focuses on mixed-income and workforce housing, often in partnership with local governments. Affiliated is raising a $250 million fund to build mixed-income apartments across Florida and has completed or is building projects in Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Boynton Beach, and Lake Worth Beach.
Local help for buyers and investors in Hollywood
If you are buying, selling, or investing in Hollywood, understanding how workforce housing projects and short-term rental regulations affect the market matters. Reach out to The Mastropieri Group, Realtors®.
For practical, hands-on support across Broward County, call (954) 833-1468.
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