Boca Raton has ambitious plans for a new downtown government complex—perhaps with private money.
City council members authorized $300,000 for a consultant that will offer recommendations about the area that includes City Hall, the police station, the tennis center and other city-owned property on or near Northeast Second Avenue just north of Palmetto Park Road. One idea could be to designate the area for so-called “transit-oriented development” tied to the Brightline station east of the downtown library.
In 2019, a previous council hired a consultant for the same purpose. The estimate for a new City Hall, community center and police station, plus other projects was $150 million. Council members considered the cost excessive, and discussion stopped.
It’s back now, because of necessity and timing.
Start with the Brightline station. It already had caused the sale of some nearby properties to investors who see potential for residential projects within walking distance of the station. On a larger scale, the city could offer land in that area to a developer in return for the developer paying for some public projects.
In addition, City Hall—parts of which date to the 1960s—continues to deteriorate. Severe leaks prompted short-term improvements, but as Councilman Marc Wigder said, “At some point, you run out of Band-Aids.” The police station, Wigder added, “is near the end of its useful life.”
Finally, Wigder said, the city’s bonds are nearly paid off. The obligation then will amount to just two cents of Boca Raton’s overall property tax rate of $3.67 per $1,000 of assessed value. New bonds could help to finance the plan.
“Things are aligning a little better this time, “Wigder said. As chairman of the community redevelopment agency, Wigder ran last week’s meeting at which council members discussed this and other downtown aspirations. The CRA oversees downtown.
Mayor Scott Singer said several factors have changed in the last four years. The station, he said, “gives people a whole new reason” to come to the west side of downtown. The pandemic also offered new ideas on how to use public space.
As an example, Singer cited the cramped council chambers at City Hall. Since the pandemic, all meetings have shifted to the city’s northern complex on Congress Avenue. Other cities have begun using their chambers for more than meetings of elected officials. “I believe we need much more community space.”
There are many parts of the roughly 30 acres that make up the government cluster. It also is home to the city’s tennis center, two athletic fields and a skateboard park. A related issue is the children’s museum, which is on land where the city wants to house the building department.
Another element is a possible pedestrian bridge to connect the west side of Dixie Highway with the rest of downtown. Again, the Brightline station is a new factor. If the bridge ran along Second Avenue, the northern border of the CRA boundary, the project could get money from the city and the CRA. Each entity is paying $150,000 for that consultant.
Could the consultant’s report be ready by the end of the year? “That sounds pretty aggressive,” Wigder said. But the new complex, he said, is “a strategic priority.” Singer said Boca Raton has “a great moment.”
A more mobile Boca
Speaking of downtown Boca Raton, the city council finally has made a decision on how it wants people to get around.
Acting as the CRA, council members approved $500,000 for a service that will provide short trips around downtown and to and from downtown. This test program, with a company the council will choose, will last for a year. Rides could be free, or passengers might pay a charge of no more than $2.
Council members now have acknowledged that no such on-demand service—similar to Uber and Lyft—can exist without public money. Like the Freebee service that Delray Beach has offered for years, it requires a subsidy and amounts to an investment in the area it serves. Delray Beach budgets roughly $400,000 for Freebee.
Because the CRA is financing the service, each ride must begin or end downtown. Council members hope that after 12 months the city will have a better way to gauge interest compared to other services. Brightline already offers so-called “last-mile” options at its stations.
It’s all part of the council’s push for mobility—offering options beyond cars. Wigder noted that Boca Raton has added roughly 3,000 residential units downtown in the last two decades. “Those people should not need to drive,” he said, to enjoy downtown amenities. “We want to decrease vehicular dependency downtown.”
Brightline to increase number of service trains
Speaking of Brightline, the company announced that next week it will increase from 16 to 30 the number of trains providing service between Miami and Orlando. When Brightline started in 2018, officials stated that the goal was 36 trains—18 in each direction—at full capacity.
Financing for Boylston’s mayoral run
Delray Beach City Commissioner Ryan Boylston raised roughly $86,000 between July and September for his campaign to be the city’s next mayor.
Under new state rules, candidates only have to report fundraising totals every three months. Boylston had raised about $25,000 through June, so this new total is beyond impressive for an election that won’t happen until March. Boylston’s contributions now total about $111,000.
Boylston has lots left to spend, since his expenditures have been only $9,000. His only announced opponent is former Commissioner Shirley Johnson. She left office this year because of term limits.
Among Boylston’s notable contributors are the city’s police and firefighter unions, which have supported Boylston in his commission races. He received $4,000 from the Grieco group of car dealerships in the city. Former Commissioner Jordana Jarjura, now president of Menin Development, gave $1,000.
Other donors include former Mayor Jeff Perlman and Debra Dowd. Both are on the board of Old School Square Center for the Arts. Boylston opposed the termination of the group’s lease for Old School Square and has supported a role for the group in running the complex with the Downtown Development Authority. Community activist Yvonne Odom, grandmother of Coco Gauff, donated $100.
Though many donors who gave the maximum of $1,000 are part of the real estate industry, such as land-use lawyer Neil Schiller and investors Anuj Grover and Reggie Corlew, a news release from Boylston’s campaign noted the “wide range of contributions.” It also referred to the “diversity and breadth of support” for the campaign.
Third-quarter fundraising reports are due Tuesday. The city clerk’s office hadn’t posted any as of Wednesday, but I obtained Boylston’s through a separate link. When reports come in for other candidates, I’ll report them.
Sweeping changes to PBC’s criminal justice system
Significant change will come this year to Palm Beach County’s law criminal justice system.
State Attorney Dave Aronberg already had announced that he would not run in 2024 for another four-year term. Aronberg has held the office since 2012. Then Carey Haughwout, who has been the public defender since 2000, said she also would not seek another term next year.
Even more change could come. Ric Bradshaw, who has been sheriff since 2004, is running for a sixth term. But Bradshaw, a Democrat, faces his strongest challenge yet in Republican Mike Gauger. He was the sheriff’s office chief deputy before retiring in 2021.
Bradshaw had raised $160,000 through June. Gauger had taken in $94,000, including a $10,000 personal loan. Republicans did surprisingly well in Palm Beach County last year. I’ll update when new fundraising reports are in.
Mizner Park Amphitheater’s new look
The Mizner Park Amphitheater is about to get a paint job.
It will cost $50,000, and city officials want to coordinate the look with the Boca Raton Museum of Art next door. The proposed colors, according to a city spokeswoman, are Chantilly Lace White and Sugar Cane Pink.
The group seeking to build a performing arts center on the east side of the amphitheater want to incorporate the facility into their project, but there is no timetable for any construction, so the city must keep up the amphitheater in the meantime. Before building, the group must raise enough money to satisfy conditions of its lease.
