Steve Ross (Photo-Illustration by Paul Dilakian/The Real Deal)

During the pandemic, Steve Ross took refuge in his historic Palm Beach estate, known as the Reef. But the now 84-year-old wasn’t just weathering the coronavirus nor relaxing on the two sprawling oceanfront acres in his golden years.

Ross — billionaire, developer, lawyer, philanthropist, and Miami Dolphins owner — was there to reimagine West Palm Beach, the city over the bridge from his island home. He found in West Palm an appeal few other areas possess, a canvas on which to do more than paint the skyline, where he can play a major role in sculpting the city’s future and community.

“This is more like city-building, and it’s complex and challenging,” he said last year to Bloomberg. “And I still love a challenge.”