Housing demand and new laws continue to fuel residential development in Boca Raton. Two recent projects are proposed for the Park at Broken Sound, the 700-acre, job-heavy northwest neighborhood near the city’s Tri-Rail station.
At 791 Park of Commerce Blvd., an entity of Fortis Investment wants to construct 243 units—226 apartments in an eight-story building and 17 townhomes in a three-story building. The residential would be on the west side of the 10-acre property, home now to a two-story office building.
As the project narrative notes, current zoning does not allow residential. But the project is being filed under the state’s Live Local Act, which allows commercial industrial multi-family development (CIMD) in certain areas that are not next to single-family homes. Under a complementary law that the city council passed in February, 10 percent of the units would be classified as affordable housing and five percent would be workforce housing.
The Legislature passed Live Local to address the state’s housing crisis. Under this submittal, the project would get 25 units to the acre, not the usual 20. It also would include a restaurant and “recreation” space. The property sold in February 2023 for $20 million. On the current schedule, the developer estimates completion by the end of 2026.
Nearby, at 900 N.W. Broken Sound Parkway, a joint venture wants to build 289 apartments that would “complement” and “create significant synergy” with an existing office building on the roughly 12-acre site. It also uses that CIMD designation and would allocate the same percentages to affordable and workforce units.
Because the apartments would be close to the Tri-Rail station, the developers want to build 20 percent fewer parking spaces than normally required. To qualify, developers must meet certain conditions to reduce dependency on cars, such as providing subsidies for employees who use transit.
Both projects are still in staff review. The city has not scheduled either for an advisory board hearing.
Residential projects to go before Boca P&Z Board
Two other residential projects are farther along and will go before the Planning and Zoning Board tonight. Their next stop will be the council.
The Villas on Fifth Avenue consists of 120 units on eight acres at 2600 N.W Fifth Ave. There would be 22 buildings, all of them three stories. The community appearance board recommended approval.
A previous owner sought to develop the property as student housing. Florida Atlantic University is just to the west, across the El Rio Canal. Another earlier iteration sought to combine this site with the church to the south and build housing.
The developer would make improvements to the road, such as landscaping. To secure approval, the developer needs a rezoning and a land-use change. City planners recommend approval if the developer meets conditions. The property sold in December 2022 for $12.6 million. Seven years earlier, it had gone for $6 million.
In addition, the planning and zoning board will consider the 295-unit, six-story residential project proposed for Boca Center on North Military Trail.
The developer also filed this proposal under Live Local. It would have the same percentages of units considered affordable and workforce, aimed at middle-class workers who have been priced out of the local market. City planners recommend approval with conditions.
Boca Center is in Midtown, where housing has been prohibited. Nearly a decade ago, Midtown’s large property owners proposed a remake of the area that would have added residential and created what the owners envisioned as a dynamic new neighborhood. The city would have acquired a second Tri-Rail station for that job cluster.
For political reasons, the plan became controversial. The council killed it, missing a big opportunity. City politics have changed. This project has drawn little opposition as the owner seeks to revitalize Boca Center.
Development plan for former Ocean Breeze golf course
But not all the projects are for housing.
Another item on the planning and zoning board agenda is the Greater Boca Beach and Park District’s master plan for what the city calls a “vacant and dilapidated golf course” in the north-end Boca Teeca community.
This plan is for 69 acres of the roughly 200-acre site, once the Ocean Breeze course. It closed in 2016. According to the staff memo, the area will feature multi-purpose trails, community garden, a two-acre dog park, two playgrounds, pavilions, one restroom and a maintenance building.
There would be 327 parking spaces. According to the staff memo, the plan would work even if the city extended Jeffrey Street from Federal Highway, to provide an east-west route across northern Boca Raton. The staff recommends approval.
A related item is approval of a racquet facility to be called Boca Paddle. It would be 46 feet high instead of the currently allowed 25, but the staff recommends approval.
Butters Construction & Development will build and operate Boca Paddle. CEO Malcolm Butters told me Wednesday that if approval comes promptly, the company could break ground in January and open the facility at the end of next year.
Boca Bash case moving toward trial
The criminal case stemming from Boca Bash 2022 appears headed for trial.
On Friday, Palm Beach County Circuit Court Judge Caroline Shepherd heard arguments regarding a motion by Cole Preston Goldberg to exclude evidence. Goldberg faces an attempted second-degree murder charge—to which he pleaded not guilty—for allegedly trying to strangle his girlfriend at the time, Caroline Schwitzky. She has filed a civil lawsuit seeking damages from Goldberg. A calendar call in that case is scheduled for Sept. 16.
One point of contention was whether witnesses could use the phrase “attempted to murder.” Another was whether witnesses could refer to “abuse” of Schwitzky. Still more contentious was the argument over the reported statement of a witness that Goldberg “had murder in his eyes.”
Goldberg’s attorney claimed that the remark would not be “probative”—in support of the state’s case. Shepherd responded, “It’s extremely probative.” She delayed a decision.
In a comparatively lighter moment, the assistant state attorney agreed not to call Goldberg “The Wolf of Boca Raton” if the defense team didn’t call Schwitzky “The Queen of Miami.” News coverage of Goldberg’s arrest included Schwitzky’s appearance on the reality show “90-Day Fiancé.”
Boca Raton officials have no control over Boca Bash, because it happens in Lake Boca, over which the state has jurisdiction. They issue that disclaimer every year. If the city had its way, Boca Bash would never happen.
Shepherd also denied Goldberg’s motion to dismiss the case. He has asked Shepherd to reconsider. The judge could schedule the trial at an Oct. 28 calendar call.
Controversial former Delray commissioner weighs in on a “bad look” for the city
During public comment at the Aug. 19 city commission meeting, Mary McCarty rose to speak. Her political career began on the commission in the late 1980s. She then served nearly three decades on the county commission.
McCarty vented about stumps of dead palm trees. Why wasn’t the city removing them after people had complained? McCarty clearly was implying that City Manager Terrence Moore hadn’t responded to the complaints. All those stumps amounted to a “bad look” for the city.
Yet as is often the case with such rants, Moore was doing something: A plan was in the works to take out the stumps and plant new trees. It began Wednesday.
During the March elections, McCarty worked to elect Mayor Thomas Carney and Commissioners Juli Casale and Thomas Markert. One could argue that it’s not a “good look” for Delray Beach to have a governing majority aligned with and indebted to someone who pleaded guilty to public corruption and did time in a federal prison.
New addition to Delray P&Z Board
During Tuesday’s meeting, the city commission named real estate agent Jeff Meiselman to the Delray Beach Planning and Zoning Board. He will complete the term of Morris Carstarphen that expires next August. The city removed Carstarphen because he missed more than the allowed number of meetings.
Local soccer team wins national title
During last week’s meeting, the Boca Raton City Council honored a local soccer team that just won a national title.
On July 28, Team Boca Elite defeated a team from Fort Wayne, Indiana, 4-2 to win the US Youth 16 and Under championship in Kissimmee. Team Boca Elite is coached by Patrick Baker, the women’s coach at Florida Atlantic University.
FAU search committee hosts “listening sessions”
FAU’s presidential search committee held its first in-person “listening sessions” last week in Boca Raton. Today, committee members will hold virtual sessions with faculty, staff and students. Community members can participate from 8 a.m. until 9:45 a.m. To register, click here. To watch the live stream, visit fau.edu/webcast/vclive/.
An open, virtual session is set for 1 p.m. Friday. Another round of in-person sessions will take place at the Boca Raton campus on Monday from 8 to 11:45 a.m. Community members can participate in the 8 a.m. slot.
