Former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt and Discovery Land Company have received initial approval from the Wellington village council to proceed with a mixed-use development project on a former polo field. The proposal, called Isla Carroll Polo and Residences, would convert the 79.2-acre site at 3665 120th Avenue South into a community featuring homes, an equestrian complex, and a private club.
The council voted 3-2 in favor of moving the project forward during the first reading on Monday. Mayor Michael Napoleone supported the measure but emphasized that significant changes are necessary before final approval can be granted in February. “In the interest of preserving the [polo] field I am giving you another shot, but I don’t know how you are going to get there unless there are fundamental changes,” said Napoleone. Vice Mayor Tanya Siskin and Councilman John McGovern also voted yes, while Councilwoman Maria S. Antuna and Councilwoman Amanda Silvestri opposed.
McCourt Partners, based in New York, and Scottsdale-based Discovery Land Company aim to redevelop the property into an equestrian facility with a polo field, private club amenities such as restaurants, spa, racquet sports courts, gym facilities, and polo training simulators. The plan requests rezoning to allow for 40 single-family homes on half-acre lots instead of two-acre lots required under current zoning rules designed for equestrian preservation.
Frank McCourt addressed the council after traveling from Cairo to attend the meeting. He stated his intention was to ensure that the development would benefit polo rather than become “another soulless subdivision.” McCourt said: “We have gone to great lengths to comply with your code and not ask for a single thing we are not entitled to. This is a project we’re extremely proud of and we have a lot of people supporting it.”
Neil Schiller, attorney for McCourt’s group, reported that there are 120 letters of support for the project along with endorsement from Wellington’s planning staff. Stewart Armstrong, chairman of the United States Polo Association (USPA), confirmed an agreement allowing USPA to lease the property for $1 per year plus $250,000 annually in maintenance costs over renewable ten-year periods up to 45 years. Schiller compared this arrangement by saying: “That is like FAU [Florida Atlantic University] having a deal with the NFL to have games and programming at their stadium [in Boca Raton].”
Schiller also noted that further land use changes would require unanimous council approval if this deal moves forward.
Critics expressed concerns about demolition of one barn and only partial preservation of existing polo fields. They questioned whether horses could stay overnight on site and raised fears that if arrangements with USPA fell through, more residential development could replace equestrian uses.
Councilman John McGovern indicated he would not support final approval without further improvements: he urged developers to present plans that offer more than just “a polo field and a country club”—such as integrating farms alongside homes.
McCourt acquired East Isla Carroll for $52 million in 2022 after previously selling other Wellington properties following his sale of the Dodgers baseball team for $2.2 billion about ten years ago.
Discovery Land Company has partnered on other luxury developments in Florida including Atlantic Fields in Hobe Sound—a large-scale community featuring hundreds of homes and a golf course.
