[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6564491,"mediaKeyId","3281603-bbf8dad38e5b4e47c9a9328ae9b355eb","parentId",3281603,"title","Resident urges denser, visionary development in Congress Avenue district","audioSeconds",215,"startMs",1107000,"endMs",1322000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3281603-bbf8dad38e5b4e47c9a9328ae9b355eb&start=1107&end=1322","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3281603-bbf8dad38e5b4e47c9a9328ae9b355eb/thumbnail_1107000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6564491/Boca-Raton/Palm-Beach-County/Florida/Resident-urges-denser-visionary-development-in-Congress-Avenue-district","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6564491-b430573c7f7cdd83bbef2e52f85403cc/orig.mp4?Expires=1775190668&Signature=kn3C6Cj5cJj0i6EO36EmHpHMvRkqgZYaboTNH6Wvf~eVWA-AoERyKodZBPLoC98Xv3Yi6WanLIi5YmNFx~tz0U~6jpG8ULBUmqEVnPPeQIv4tA0xzdegv3Tg2oTbnBRkiusdY4kYNJhaECXLNnDygycN~Dx1quFB-0dawukZA2-4vZ2Gp9nlDmqeJX8mi31Hg5lgxg~VkPdhyCwFVyoN7jwiyUWg9Vht9exRZKC3yABRMTXIf2qb1qSiRex2-1gGMyymmMpHQPkwwd5NalawPfCLtC46D67DiNRR-plBLDIlqBhkxfjIV5GEK99uhyaoxdbZ4XP3ongnTj7FL8cyZw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Boca Raton","date","2025-05-12T14:33:00Z","article","During public requests at the May 12 workshop, resident Jonathan Ongine urged Boca Raton officials to pursue more aggressive redevelopment in the Congress Avenue corridor and to apply transit‑oriented and new urbanist principles to create a denser, mixed‑use district.

Ongine said the area near Congress Avenue and I‑95 is \"the ripest part of town\" for development and criticized current zoning that he said effectively keeps older buildings in place while smaller parcels are redeveloped. He argued that zoning set at 20 units per acre is not producing the density envisioned, urged creation of a \"downtown 2 or 3\" in the area and suggested removing barriers to economic incentives for property owners to redevelop.

Ongine also asked the council to empower staff to study alternative development scenarios that would make redevelopment financially viable for property owners, and to consider infrastructure and traffic implications when envisioning build‑out to 2050. The council did not take action on his remarks; they were entered as public comment for staff consideration.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Boca Raton - City Council Workshop - May 12, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Resident Jonathan Ongine called on council to adopt a more ambitious development vision for the Congress Avenue area, criticized current density limits and urged the city to enable redevelopment that replaces older buildings rather than leaving them in place next to new construction.","taxTitle","Boca Raton, Palm Beach County, Florida","taxId",3932,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6564495,"Resident raises climate research and condo‑district concerns during public requests",214,871000,1085000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3281603-bbf8dad38e5b4e47c9a9328ae9b355eb&start=871&end=1085","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3281603-bbf8dad38e5b4e47c9a9328ae9b355eb/thumbnail_871000.jpg","/articles/6564495/Boca-Raton/Palm-Beach-County/Florida/Resident-raises-climate-research-and-condodistrict-concerns-during-public-requests","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6564495-1aa2dd7e2f16718179e9efd40c9b6710/orig.mp4?Expires=1775190668&Signature=oxoLXusRFc~EH2J1meYHVzmrCnEaq0dhRNvKFv0Gk5OJN0w4N3IomgeTlJ28CrNdgjDaE7gTFBvKwpESuXTEEKc03CTsgIUFNs4oMHlCj6wEuZ7k1oXYy1dQlSMB0nDXPkdvtyEUh1amezwgbu1uVI-09-4ZNvm6kGV0gzCXhARMha7MrLCIgjBjBGenuxNeYog1WBt3RyhRfdI8cti4d33wr6rup-rMbfg2qKwhMGGRCIE9-ISvi-i9bc69B43YJ3lzp22gzDbfutXeOjdVmQVAl5rwaZ7-DHydm1VGYbXPYC3Ryy1mwnTt8zsKAFDZbsb0S-K7vdxh2GbgddxLDA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the May 12 workshop public‑request period, resident Josh Joffe described research and publications he said address climate policy and condominium governance and offered to meet with city officials to present his findings.

Joffe said he has two draft books—titled Climatosis and Condo Whistleblower—and that his work examines climate‑related assumptions such as carbon capture and embodied carbon. He said he had developed “algorithms for green zoning” that draw on transit‑oriented development and new urbanist principles and that he had previously presented to a senior official at the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU). He also mentioned a rumor about a skateboard park adjacent to the future North Park and recommended the application of transfer‑of‑development‑rights principles for balancing hardscape and greenspace.

Joffe said he contacted the city’s sustainability department and offered two presentation formats (a 15‑plus‑15 minute briefing or a one‑hour lecture) and said he has professional licenses and references. He asked city officials to follow up if they are interested in hearing his findings.

Council members did not take action on the request during the workshop; the item was recorded as public comment and staff did not commit to a follow‑up during the meeting.","A resident, Josh Joffe, used his public‑comment time to describe two books he has drafted on climate and condominium issues, offer green‑zoning ideas and ask to present to city sustainability staff about algorithms he said he developed.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6564499,"Festival of the Arts Boca says 2025 festival drew thousands and generated local spending",460,313000,773000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3281603-bbf8dad38e5b4e47c9a9328ae9b355eb&start=313&end=773","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3281603-bbf8dad38e5b4e47c9a9328ae9b355eb/thumbnail_313000.jpg","/articles/6564499/Boca-Raton/Palm-Beach-County/Florida/Festival-of-the-Arts-Boca-says-2025-festival-drew-thousands-and-generated-local-spending","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6564499-fb7b19a994d841982f00bc4d09bafeed/orig.mp4?Expires=1775190668&Signature=Umwn-l8lzAL6KbSpT4IMjS2LSYs4eQCCCPQC7~wtS-EU8cSemRFiX0DhEIL0AC8zmFskrPIYY8f16JvEQg3-iJl5g5bvxYDxcl5uzkjdvnxuwTFoIBtjmmCIJbFyKtfuOgmJi0QNYba2q1Efcw25SKfoXCZX7MG~FlVmn76jTD378WSpMgMFD7I67CJ-bl~Wjvbk9JZ7daU3bo49HslaFp9Xk9RNkNz8mtdJy1ZQoIf4X3sHSUPnxV1G5I~N5glZQhFgN6sPcSHZej-KQJv4898n8woM0oxcxdhgpA8~hb~toYPhqr4Jk~iQf89oZfnfQQbILGCfywPjOZPkLOPOQg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Joanna Marie Kaye, executive director of Festival of the Arts Boca, briefed the Boca Raton City Council on May 12 about the festival’s 2025 results and plans for the festival’s 20th anniversary in 2026.

Kaye said the 2025 festival welcomed more than 6,700 attendees and that Americans for the Arts data estimate those attendees spent $260,048 locally on items beyond tickets, such as dining and lodging. Kaye reported about $213,000 in ticket sales and said the festival spent more than $200,000 on local businesses (hospitality, printing and other vendors). She said total economic impact exceeded $1.2 million and that 21% of attendees came from outside Palm Beach County; the transcript also records “61 came from out of Boca Raton,” which staff said they can clarify if council members want a precise breakdown.

Kaye reviewed programming highlights: a Dallas Brass opening that included 103 students from local high schools, a Pavarotti Voices Opera Gala collaboration with Opera Naples that included the widow of Luciano Pavarotti, a world‑premiere Néstor Torres performance, an Authors & Ideas series featuring Doris Kearns Goodwin and Carl Hiaasen, student music competition winners performing on the main stage, community workshops with local visiting artists and partnerships with FAU for dance workshops.

She thanked the city for tent provision at Mizner Park and noted the festival’s media reach — television and radio impressions with local stations and trade deals — plus a digital audience and more than 5,000 subscribers to the festival’s communications. Kaye asked council members to advocate to legislators to preserve the bed‑tax funding used by the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County and the Tourist Development Council, which support significant festival grants.

Council members asked for clarification on visitor transportation data (Council Member Nackles asked whether attendees used Brightline or local Boca Connect transit); Kaye said the festival does not have specific Brightline usage data and said she would consider promoting Boca Connect in festival communications to help with event parking and mobility.

Kaye said the festival has already begun booking acts for its 20th anniversary in 2026, with return performances from known artists and possible additional headline attractions under negotiation.","Executive Director Joanna Marie Kaye reported the 2025 Festival of the Arts Boca drew about 6,700 attendees, generated ticket sales and local spending, and highlighted community outreach, student participation and dependence on tourism‑related bed‑tax grants.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6564505,"City outlines plan, timeline and financing path for new Boca Raton police headquarters",1497,3655000,5152000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3281603-bbf8dad38e5b4e47c9a9328ae9b355eb&start=3655&end=5152","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3281603-bbf8dad38e5b4e47c9a9328ae9b355eb/thumbnail_3655000.jpg","/articles/6564505/Boca-Raton/Palm-Beach-County/Florida/City-outlines-plan-timeline-and-financing-path-for-new-Boca-Raton-police-headquarters","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6564505-2fd31f334c547e6c7577908806055365/orig.mp4?Expires=1775190668&Signature=VoAoQH5IhnyxTy9PSjhIeAY4Ll0UyzQ0zDagxvIM4a95uf6z6uj8LMgzXs9blWz7fXojapdkdfzlXzGVd8HC8qZOfxIRYnzZMI86~J3YmRK0YbD3O2KUx4BWfowDYpThjgRhER7qPWrqG3~EjJLjcjdQaY5dHXCsBGI14vJhQ1l~nzlJhjDmFIJQ469Eqn-5o~OGH9mX1K2KLbpy0BBL7pD4a0AUkrap0AAdpgaU8sfTuR9HfQVn8YxXwzPkyp3aW7-wklAHhnzEB8E5cITsnxaOtYcNUjLsqXf9YQArvnX~5ARbI8ge4MZSJrB1cUBCa2G0GImcsKwr0YkCkU4Vxw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff updated the Boca Raton City Council on May 12 about progress toward replacing the downtown police headquarters, describing a preferred footprint adjacent to the Spanish River Library, functional space needs, a multi‑year schedule and an anticipated bond financing plan.

Deputy City Manager and CFO Jim Zervos said the current police headquarters was built in 1987 and that the department has outgrown the facility as the city’s population has risen toward 100,000. Chief Muccio and Public Works Director Zach Beer described operational constraints, including distributed equipment and specialized units that staff said would be more efficient if co‑located in a single, modern facility.

Staff presented a map showing the existing headquarters (downtown) and a prospective site near the Spanish River Library. Zervos said the library‑adjacent site would provide a larger footprint, better access to transportation corridors and more room for specialized elements such as a secure vehicle garage, evidence and property rooms, a safe swap zone, a community room and space for modern units (computer crimes, drone unit, threat assessment).

Zach Beer confirmed the existing downtown police facility is approximately 30,000 square feet on about 4.39 acres and that equipment and training functions are currently spread across multiple city sites. Chief Muccio said decentralization adds time and complexity to responses and reduces opportunities for operational coordination.

Staff gave a high‑level schedule: space‑needs refinement and schematic work through the remainder of 2025, design and permitting in early 2026, and construction starting late 2026 or early 2027 with an expected two‑year build (staff described a roughly 48‑month overall timeline). Staff said they expect to have ballpark budget options and illustrative plans by fall 2025.

On financing, staff described a likely approach that would include a 30‑year, tax‑exempt general obligation (ad valorem) bond to be considered by voters; staff identified March 26 as a likely election date to place the question before voters (staff said the date aligns with a municipal election to reduce costs). Staff also said a reimbursement resolution to preserve the city’s ability to reimburse design expenditures from future bond proceeds will appear on the next meeting agenda; that resolution would not obligate the city to issue bonds.

Council members asked when ballpark costs would be available (staff said late summer or fall), whether the project would require a voter referendum and how the new facility would integrate with existing downtown substations and training uses. Staff said the new headquarters would centralize most police operations while maintaining a downtown presence and some training and communications functions at the existing site.

Staff said it will return with schematic design, cost ranges and financing options, and reminded council that the project will require detailed due diligence and further public review.","City staff presented a site concept adjacent to the Spanish River Library, space needs and a multi‑phase schedule for a new police services headquarters; staff described a likely financing path using a general obligation bond and said a reimbursement resolution will be on the next meeting agenda.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6564510,"Boca Raton staff to deliver interim master plan; council presses for square‑foot and cost data ahead of June decision",803,1406000,2209000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3281603-bbf8dad38e5b4e47c9a9328ae9b355eb&start=1406&end=2209","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3281603-bbf8dad38e5b4e47c9a9328ae9b355eb/thumbnail_1406000.jpg","/articles/6564510/Boca-Raton/Palm-Beach-County/Florida/Boca-Raton-staff-to-deliver-interim-master-plan-council-presses-for-squarefoot-and-cost-data-ahead-of-June-decision","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6564510-d45d9a43459438c03f77db2d173595a5/orig.mp4?Expires=1775190668&Signature=LosqMeWgo9fmBorLnGM0joGnyeP2-WX0QWXjcC61k7P-Ba9qVxBmVd4sVOUktjtKgNXstnpWhfYArcx1zIIuMm6DbxOTy5sZ5U1B~S8MGF2MDFNMFkdPb6ratL6IAnQRrNpCojLbX7OD6DZuWsF0hoKY1bQVTM5zBduS6sx0~s99MUSBrl4UMR-R79VFoncssmPhvGkq9G~xv4ZUZEW8YoCef0xbUVXyneNfOrOyOC3XcTpY2911Zf0hx9Qx5dtNFmqDJ9DNQASG~aCRCCfRMHcWb0MBDzlcq3kI98gWHI5Fw5YA2BpQtjpW2vMSp8Nj4s~nThJyd88O1x1jPPvPCA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff told the Boca Raton City Council at a May 12 workshop that an interim master plan from development partner Terra and Frisbee should be delivered to the city the same day, beginning a compressed review schedule that could require policy direction by June 10.

City Manager Andy Brown and staff described a process of individual briefings for council members, analysis of short‑term “swing space” options for a temporary relocation of City Hall, and continued work on a long‑term City Hall sizing and financing model. Will Portfolio, a tenant representative with CBRE, said staff has shortlisted four relocation options and has negotiated initial landlord proposals.

The interim master plan matters because the location, size and timing of City Hall and a broader downtown campus will determine the city’s financial commitments and the scope of the Terra and Frisbee development agreement. Council members repeatedly pressed staff for order‑of‑magnitude construction and relocation costs before making policy choices, saying the timeline must be informed by those financial assumptions.

Portfolio told the council that CBRE has presented 13 space options and has narrowed them to four being negotiated in parallel; current planning favors keeping departments together in about 65,000–75,000 square feet, though some landlords would offer larger floorplates that might be leased in whole rather than subdivided. Portfolio said sublease rights and early‑termination options are being sought in all proposals.

Staff emphasized that some analyses remain incomplete. Consultant Eva Garza (CBRE Americas Consulting Group) is developing long‑term space scenarios and staffing projections that staff said will be used to translate policy direction into financial models. Deputy city staff said they expect to have models and additional details this week and that they will hold one‑on‑one briefings with each council member to refine options before the May 27 workshop; if council members need more time, staff said the June 10 meeting remains the decision deadline to keep Terra and Frisbee’s schedule on track.

Council members asked for clarity on sequencing, contingency plans and how interim space costs and build‑out estimates will feed into longer‑term options such as partial relocation, bifurcation of departments, purchase versus lease, and potential retention of City Hall during redevelopment. Several members urged staff to share CBRE and consultant documents with the full council as they arrive.

Staff described multiple project work groups that are already meeting: a master‑plan group with Terra and Frisbee, a mobility/traffic group, an infrastructure and utilities group, a civic buildings and facilities group, a financing and capital plan group, and regulatory and communications teams. Those groups will produce analyses that staff said will inform both the interim master plan review and the long‑term master partnership agreement.

The council set an early start time for the May 27 workshop (8:00 a.m.) to allow more time for the campus discussion and agreed to hold individual briefings this week. Council members also asked staff to identify possible special meeting dates between May 27 and June 10 (June 3 and June 9 were discussed as tentative options) in case additional public deliberation is required.

Staff repeated that they will not ask the council to approve policy direction without providing the requested cost and sizing data, but they cautioned that not all infrastructure cost estimates will be complete in the two‑week window and that iterative decisions may be necessary.

Questions and next steps: staff said the interim master plan, once received, will be distributed to council and staff for review; CBRE will update financial models when the final landlord proposals are returned; and Terra and Frisbee will be asked to present the interim master plan and rationale at the May 27 workshop.","City staff said an interim master plan from developer Terra and Frisbee is due to the city and that council members want detailed square‑footage, cost and lease options before policy direction; staff is negotiating four short‑term relocation options and seeks council input at individual briefings before a possible June 10 decision.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Resident urges denser, visionary development in Congress Avenue district

Resident raises climate research and condo‑district concerns during public requests

Festival of the Arts Boca says 2025 festival drew thousands and generated local spending

City outlines plan, timeline and financing path for new Boca Raton police headquarters

Boca Raton staff to deliver interim master plan; council presses for square‑foot and cost data ahead of June decision