Boca Raton is going small on its next city hall and big on its next community center.
Those were among the decisions city council members made during Tuesday’s workshop meeting. Over three-plus hours, they began shaping plans for the civic space of the project that will cover 30 acres for now and maybe more.
At between 26,000 and 30,000 square feet, the new City Hall will be roughly half the size of the current facility. It will house the council chambers and offices, along with offices for the city manager, attorney and clerk and other “forward-facing departments,” as Deputy City Manager Andy Lukasik put it.
That decision will have two effects. It will reduce the number of people who are in the newly redeveloped area every day, despite the goal of “activating” it. It also will force the city to buy or rent space elsewhere for displaced employees. That cost will be in addition to leasing temporary headquarters during downtown construction.
This will happen in part because under the agreement with developer Terra/Frisbie, the public will front the cost to build the new city hall and community center, with the city recovering the cost through lease payments from the project’s private development—apartments, shops, offices, a hotel.
City Manager George Brown suggested that the upfront money could be the $65 million Boca Raton received from selling the former municipal golf course. That money went into reserves and has not been specifically allocated. Lukasik acknowledged that Tuesday’s discussion would include “not much about the financial component” of the interim master plan that the council is set to review on June 9 and 10.
Councilmembers Marc Wigder said the city hall choice makes financial and civic sense. Construction costs are “sky high,” and the center of Boca Raton has shifted north and west since City Hall was built in the 1960s. All five council members live west of Interstate 95.
Council members were more bullish on the new community center, which with the new city hall will anchor the civic space. The new one will be roughly 30,000 square feet, more than double the size of the current building.
The city envisions both facilities as public friendly, with lots of programs and meeting space. On the continuing subject of recreation, council members said they didn’t want pickleball courts or a fitness center at the community center, but they do want a basketball court to replace the one near City Hall.
Vice Mayor Fran Nachlas made one last attempt to maximize the number of tennis courts. Redevelopment will displace the downtown tennis center and its 10 clay courts. Nachlas’ colleagues, however, favored having just four courts downtown and adding six courts at Meadows Park.
The staff also has proposed a new element—a “multi-modal” transportation hub. It would go behind the city hall and serve everything from buses to bicycles. The council made no decision Tuesday about adding it.
Though Lukasik said Tuesday’s meeting was not about “macro” issues, Councilmembers Andy Thomson and Wigder had a mini debate over the expected benefits to the city.
Thomson noted that the government phase will come first. During that time, he said, there will be no revenue from lease payments. How will the city work that? He again said, “These timelines are rushed.” Thomson added, “I’m not sure we have enough information to approve a plan like this,”
Lukasik said Thomson had offered “a reasonable conclusion” on the numbers. Financials are “to be negotiated.” That’s when Brown suggested using the golf course money.
Wigder, though, saw a “good work in progress.” A real estate lawyer, Wigder said anticipated lease payments can be “securitized” to finance the work. He anticipates “considerable financial benefits,” claiming that Boca Raton will receive $3 billion over the 99 years of the lease.
There seemed an assumption—probably well-founded—that several private parcels within the 30 acres around City Hall will be sold and absorbed into the new area. Terra/Frisbie has one under contract. The final master plan—set for approval in late October—will include a new downtown development agreement. It would cover those parcels.
I’ll have more before the June 10 meeting.
Uncertain future for Brightline in Boca
Brightline came up during Tuesday’s discussion, because one goal of the redevelopment is to attract people who will come by train. But what if Brightline isn’t there?
This week, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported that three ratings agencies this year have downgraded Brightline bonds. “While Brightline compares favorably in terms of travel speed, comfort, and reliability, competition from driving and existing low-cost rail alternatives will likely limit its market capture,” one report said. “As a result, ramp-up is expected to be comparatively longer for Brightline than for other new transportation development projects.”
Though the luxury train service doesn’t make money, the company continues its expansion plans, from Florida to California. The company’s pitch to investors remains that Brightline is a good long-term play.
Still, losing Brightline would greatly weaken the new downtown Boca Raton as a “transit-oriented development.” Wigder, however, points out that the station and parking garage—which the city paid for— would remain. “I think something else would be there.”
It might be worth a council member asking whether the city should—or even could—have a contingency plan.
More Subculture coffee talk
Last week’s city commission discussion of Subculture Coffee was relatively subdued, given the political issue that the Delray Beach business has become.
Development Services Director Anthea Gianniotes summed up the overall problem: Subculture’s approval did not anticipate that the coffee shop would hold events. Those events exacerbate the lack of parking. Some people are happy to park a few minutes away and walk. Others aren’t, so they park illegally.
Assistant City Manager Jeff Oris reported progress toward resolving the issue. All commissioners have met with owner Rodney Mayo. It appears, though, that Subculture may fall into a gap. As Commissioner Angela Burns asked, “Is it a coffee shop or a restaurant?” Each has different rules. No one seemed to have an answer.
City Attorney Lynn Gelin added that there needs to be clarity on those “events.” If they are “special events,” they require a permit. If they happen regularly, “They’re not special,” and the business may need an updated approval.
There was general agreement that while Mayo isn’t responsible for policing illegal parking, he is responsible for what happens inside Subculture. Thomas Markert said Mayo and the city need to agree on “what they can and cannot do.”
Commissioner Rob Long noted again that code enforcement rests with the staff, not the commission. He acknowledged, “There clearly are problems,” but he asked, referring to the commission dais, “Can we be done with this up here?”
No more fluoride for Delray Beach
Though the commission voted in February to keep fluoridating Delray Beach’s water, Gov. Ron DeSantis in May signed statewide legislation that bans fluoride in public drinking water.
In his May 23 information letter to the commission, City Manager Terrence Moore said the utilities department will stop adding fluoride on July 1. That’s when the ban takes effect. The change will save $100,000 a year in operating costs.
Community meeting for Hidden Valley golf course
Pennsylvania-based Toll Brothers, which bills itself as “America’s Luxury Home Builder,” wants to develop the former Hidden Valley golf course in northern Boca Raton.
In a May 13 letter, the company’s vice president for land acquisition said Toll will hold a “citizen participation community meeting” tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. at The Loft on Congress “regarding the proposed redevelopment” of the 55-acre site. The golf course closed nearly 20 years ago.
Toll has not submitted any proposal to the city. Before then, according to the letter, Toll “wants to connect with you, our neighbors. . .We are committed to open communication and a collaborative approach throughout this process.”
The company will hold a separate meeting for homeowners whose lots adjoin the site. “The proposal,” the letter says, “involves transforming the former golf course into a thoughtfully designed community of luxury homes.”
No charges against Delray police officer—for now
At a hearing Tuesday, the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office declined to file grand theft charges against Delray Beach Police Officer Matthew Cusson. He was arrested for allegedly taking $1,500 from a department fund.
A spokesman for the office, though, said, “Our review (of the case) is still pending.” Charges might still be filed.
Boca Bash strangler update
In other court news, the man accused of strangling his girlfriend at Boca Bash three years ago may go on trial soon for the second time.
Cole Preston Goldberg is accused of attempted second-degree murder and battery by strangulation. Last November, a prosecution error caused a mistrial. On Monday, the case is set for a two-hour trial. A spokesman for the state attorney’s office, however, said the case is set for the judge’s trial docket that runs until June 20. “This means that the case can be called up for trial at any point by the judge.”
