Here is another way to look at the scale of the Azalea Cay development in progress at the former Raytheon site.

Years ago, this writer lived in a 24-story building containing 202 units. The building included studios and one- and two-bedroom units, with apartments on both sides of the building. The units were not particularly large.

Now imagine five of those 24-story buildings standing side by side.

Together, the five towers would contain 1,010 apartments spread over a combined 120 floors.

And they still wouldn't be enough.

The development approved for the former Raytheon property allows up to 1,058 apartments, more than the five high-rises combined.

Of course, nobody is proposing five 24-story towers in Azalea. The Raytheon site will be developed very differently, with its apartments spread horizontally across the nearly 30-acre property rather than stacked vertically in high-rises. This comparison isn't intended to represent the height, architecture or physical layout of the project.

For another way of looking at the same number, imagine putting those five buildings on top of one another.

The result would be a hypothetical 120-story tower containing 1,010 apartments, reaching so high that its upper floors might disappear into the clouds. Admittedly, that would be awesome!