Cornerstone Is Creating a New Downtown Coral Springs: What It Means for Homeowners

Updated September 2026 with the latest from the City of Coral Springs, Coral Springs News and Coral Springs Daily.

Coral Springs Finally Has a Downtown Corner

For a city of more than 130,000 people, Coral Springs went a long time without a real downtown. It was built in 1963 as a planned suburb, with wide roads, strip plazas and neighborhoods, but no town center. That's changing at the busiest corner in the city: University Drive and Sample Road.

The project is called Cornerstone, a roughly $250 million mixed-use development on the old Coral Springs Financial Plaza site, right next to City Hall. It's been slow, and it's still not finished. But 2026 is the year it started to feel like a real place. If you own a home in Coral Springs or you're thinking about buying here, this is worth understanding.

How We Got Here

The city set up its Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) in 2002 to build a downtown, but for years it stayed on paper. In 2018, developer Rod Sheldon of Predesco Property Investments bought the roughly seven-acre Financial Plaza site, a tired 1974 office center. The plan went through several rewrites, then COVID hit, and the office piece shrank. The old plaza finally came down, and construction took off.

What's Built

• Modera Coral Springs (South Block): 351 luxury apartments with ground-floor retail, open since 2023.
• Modera Coral Springs II (North Block): About 353 more apartments with roughly 32,000 square feet of retail, now leasing. Together the two buildings add more than 700 apartments.

That's a lot of new neighbors at one intersection, and they're the ones who keep the restaurants busy on a Tuesday night.

What's Open and What's Coming

• Tacocraft Taqueria and Tequila Bar has been open since August 2024.
• Gary Rack's Farmhouse Kitchen opened in June 2026 at 3314 N. University Drive.
• Let's Chill Homemade Ice Cream moved into Cornerstone in September 2026.
• Mitch's Downtown and How Ya Dough'n are also open, according to the city's Cornerstone business list. How Ya Dough'n opened in April.
• Big Whiskey's American Restaurant & Bar received a CRA grant in April; its opening is still to come.
• Still coming: Paris Baguette and Pilar Coffee Bar, whose proposed build-out grant was up for CRA consideration this month. Check directly with a business before planning a visit; opening schedules can shift.

The Museum Is Planned for Fall

The Coral Springs Museum of Art is moving into an approximately 8,100-square-foot space at Cornerstone. An August report said the public grand opening was planned for October 9, 2026, but the museum's current exhibition page lists the Picasso show only for fall 2026, and the city's relocation page still has an older August date. Confirm the actual opening with the museum before you go. The first exhibition is planned to feature 57 original Picasso prints. The city approved a $3.4 million build-out, and the CRA will help cover the lease. It's a big deal for a suburban downtown to have its own art museum.

The Hotel Is Still the Open Question

The plan has always included an eight-story Hyatt Place hotel with a rooftop bar, often called the "crown jewel" of the project. The financing hasn't been easy. In 2025 the CRA board first approved a bigger tax rebate for the hotel and then reversed itself in a 4-3 vote, keeping the rebate at 50%. As of now the hotel is still a future piece of the project. I'd treat it as a maybe until there's a groundbreaking.

The Rest of Downtown Is Moving Too

• Downtown rezoning: In September 2026, the City Commission unanimously approved a "downtown mixed-use" zoning district along Sample Road and University Drive, allowing buildings up to four stories plus sidewalk cafés and artisan businesses.
• City Village: The mixed-use project planned for the old City Hall site is moving forward, with part of an aging shopping center set for demolition this year.
• The northeast corner: A separate mixed-use project with about 377 apartments has been proposed across the street.

Put those together and the corner of University and Sample could hold well over 1,000 new apartments, plus shops, restaurants and a museum, within a few years.

What This Means for Coral Springs Homeowners and Buyers

• Homeowners: Coral Springs has always sold on schools, parks and space. A walkable downtown adds something the city never had. Homes within a short drive of University and Sample could benefit over time, though no one can promise a number.
• Buyers: Inventory is still tight. MIAMI Realtors' August 2026 market table lists 4.1 months of Broward single-family supply and a $650,000 median sale price. Those are countywide figures, not a price for a particular Coral Springs home. Ask for neighborhood comparables before you set your budget or list price.
• Downsizers and first-time buyers: The new apartments and future mixed-use buildings give people another way to stay in Coral Springs without a big yard to take care of.
• Everyone: Expect more traffic at University and Sample, and more construction nearby for a while.

Thinking About Buying or Selling in Coral Springs?

I'm in Coral Springs every week, and I'm happy to walk you through what the new downtown could mean for your home or the one you're eyeing. Call or text me at (561) 289-9305 or email chris@homesbycusi.com.

Sources: City of Coral Springs Cornerstone business list; Coral Springs Museum of Art exhibitions; Coral Springs Daily museum update (August 17, 2026); Coral Springs Daily Pilar update (September 23, 2026); Coral Springs News (April 28, June 11, September 3 and September 14, 2026); Coral Springs Daily (August 17, 2026); TAPinto Coral Springs (June 15, 2026); South Florida Business Journal (September 10, 2026); MIAMI Realtors August 2026 Broward market table; The Friendly Scoop, "The Corner That Changed Coral Springs" (thefriendlyscoop.com/news/cornerstone-coral-springs).