[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-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],{"_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",6467015,"mediaKeyId","5811850-10bd6b6059f88c1e438bda78781006bf","parentId",5811850,"title","Boca Raton staff propose Spanish River site and up to $175 million bond referendum for new police headquarters","audioSeconds",3041,"startMs",7534000,"endMs",10575000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5811850-10bd6b6059f88c1e438bda78781006bf&start=7534&end=10575","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5811850-10bd6b6059f88c1e438bda78781006bf/thumbnail_7534000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6467015/Boca-Raton/Palm-Beach-County/Florida/Boca-Raton-staff-propose-Spanish-River-site-and-up-to-175-million-bond-referendum-for-new-police-headquarters","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6467015-935554321ff7c07faa1f3c149e4507c8/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437601&Signature=bJ~FSMUF1l972~YT3t2DMon-l1b3lgJljskOZvxO7PxiT8QopSGwUqdTA54bBp6Ku1xTEM6JDUKyqCh7xql~9ey4jQkKtm4DuV2dRm4xfW2CkCloy7O2U8ueQbkqNfzQb52VUkTHmrOD3JN9C6SftWuMoqejSt1Rx2UmrWhuAQWRhch4csGDYaDpGk~x1dl-0IV29CNwdqZhq7QZ~lNA7YpqVThHdVTiXfh646zzng-WSq0QfskRVExEQVpTiKfiwMwMMO7RB2fF6IKr3eRBgS3QwRwPThXIjIlgHcA5cVEPK4ZF4eEeYmIpwM1RUv-uCLKHVn0oeoOCGS6FSNThgw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Boca Raton","date","2025-09-22T10:43:00Z","article","City staff on Sept. 22 presented detailed plans and cost estimates for a replacement police headquarters and urged the City Council to allow Boca Raton voters to decide whether to approve bond financing for the project in March 2026.

Jim Zervis, the city\u0000deputy manager and chief financial officer, and project architects described a proposed new headquarters on city‑owned land near Spanish River Boulevard. The plan would replace the current downtown headquarters (built in 1986) with a larger, hurricane‑rated facility on a more central site; staff said the current building is undersized and uses multiple off‑site locations for operations and evidence storage.

\"The item that will come before you later today is simply the decision to place the item on the March 2026 ballot for the public to be able to vote on the financing of a new police headquarters project,\" Zervis told the council, emphasizing that no project approval or contract would be made by council at the workshop.

Key details from the staff presentation
- Site and layout: staff identified a city‑owned site on Spanish River Boulevard adjacent to the Spanish River Library. The proposed campus includes a 2.5‑story headquarters building, secure perimeter, public lobby entrance, vehicle and equipment parking areas, and room for future training and a firing range. Staff said the design leaves space for future parking garages and other expansions.
- Size and schedule: ADG, the architect, produced a space needs analysis that proposes about 163,000 square feet as a long‑term build target; staff presented a delivery schedule that would put move‑in around 2029 if design and construction proceed on schedule.
- Cost estimates and financing: preliminary (rough order of magnitude) cost estimates in the staff slides range from about $174 million to $193 million depending on scope and timing. Staff recommended a financing plan using a combination of tax‑exempt, AAA‑rated general obligation bonds and a cash contribution from the general fund. The staff recommendation presented to council called for a $175 million bond authorization and approximately $15.2 million in general‑fund cash contribution.
- Financial advisory board input: the city\u0000Financial Advisory Board (FAB) reviewed the proposal and recommended an alternative split: a $125 million bond plus $65 million in cash. FAB’s vote was 4–3; dissenting members favored a larger bond amount rather than more cash.

Budget and projected tax impact
City staff estimated the annual debt service on a $175 million bond at roughly $10.9 million, which the staff said would represent 0.2605 mills and would raise the average homeowner’s tax bill about $124 per year. The smaller $125 million bond recommended by FAB would have a lower annual cost and a smaller per‑household impact. Staff noted Boca Raton\u0000's total operating millage rate would remain below many comparable Florida cities even after the proposed bond.

Operational rationale and public safety considerations
City and police leaders argued the new facility responds to changed operational needs since 1986, expanding space for evidence, specialized units, technology, secure storage and to reduce the department’s current footprint across multiple sites. Chief Michelle Muccio told council members that patrol officers operate citywide and that a central, modern headquarters would not reduce patrol coverage; staff also proposed a roughly 10,000‑square‑foot downtown police substation to maintain a public presence in the downtown area.

Process and next steps
Zervis and staff stressed that the council’s vote later in the day (on the regular meeting agenda) would only place a referendum question on the March 10, 2026 ballot; a separate, later public process would be required for design, procurement and any bond issue. If the referendum were approved, the city would issue bonds in series as needed rather than drawing the full authorization at once, staff said.

Public and council reaction
Council members and members of the public raised questions about contingency, escalation allowances, and the effect on city reserves. Some council members supported the staff recommendation and emphasized the need to protect reserve levels; others said they wanted to preserve flexibility and avoid drawing down restricted funds. Council members asked detailed questions about operational consolidation, the planned substation downtown, the planned training and firing range, and whether phased construction or a partial \"shell\" build should be used to reduce near‑term cost exposure.

No formal council vote on the bond occurred during the workshop; the staff recommendation appeared as an item on the City Council\u0000's regular‑meeting agenda later the same day for formal consideration and possible action.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Boca Raton - City Council Workshop * Special Start Time","oneSentenceSummary","City staff presented a plan for a new, state‑rated police headquarters on city‑owned land near Spanish River Boulevard and recommended placing a general obligation bond referendum on the March 10, 2026 ballot; the Financial Advisory Board recommended a smaller bond plus larger cash contribution.","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},6467021,"Developer revises Boca Raton downtown campus plan; public raises concerns over Memorial Park and green space",6813,665000,7478000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5811850-10bd6b6059f88c1e438bda78781006bf&start=665&end=7478","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5811850-10bd6b6059f88c1e438bda78781006bf/thumbnail_665000.jpg","/articles/6467021/Boca-Raton/Palm-Beach-County/Florida/Developer-revises-Boca-Raton-downtown-campus-plan-public-raises-concerns-over-Memorial-Park-and-green-space","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6467021-a8adce1c6101328ca4f84976853dbed3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770437601&Signature=KVLnn6bot974vKzVpnQWes-MkQmE9LTuanScc24NCuDoc2HnOu9b4C-BkiK8aMHdrF~rHwNrWN163SbfxQ5ohUh3n6Uumr9DqJTYX2Gr5zh7BUyD85XJnE8XfW2OXt3V1eTH1XHglAlZwzwFHbmhiF7fp5pkaCwzqaK9pPY9K8LWiLWN8AwRcyQuKVb7~pxgae2TmuyVHSj~kB2D3udvFhoXSc9e5V-rYSKoTE~hoGnCjELqJIBcCfgQ89CoixqS47ef2J7TQJvMFB2i6oV9erXU2KYtY9TITxIjr0ouQJ2sJpbQpaZIsJ6vTHvbZWmapWf7oePyZhC-53cU2JrYzQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Boca Raton city officials and a developer unveiled a revised design Sept. 22 for a proposed public–private redevelopment of the downtown campus that reduces building heights and residential density while emphasizing parks and family amenities, but residents attending the City Council workshop urged the council to preserve Memorial Park as public land.

The presentation by the developer team from Tara Frisbie described changes that shrink proposed residential units from prior plans “just over 900” to about 740 units and reduce office and retail footprints. The developer said the updated plan increases on-site usable recreational space compared with today’s layout and adds a memorial, a children’s playground, a community center, a new city hall site and a mobility hub near the Brightline station. \"We are listening and slowing down this process,\" Mr. Frisbie said, adding that the team supports sending the final proposal to a referendum so “the public has the final say.”

The developer highlighted specific design moves intended to preserve and expand western green space in the downtown, including keeping five banyan trees near City Hall, removing a previously proposed office building next to the trees and replacing an office site with a memorial park. The revised plan, the developer said, eliminates a hotel use and cuts total retail from roughly 140,000 square feet to under 100,000 and proposes about 250,000 square feet of office space. He described a multipurpose field roughly 300 by 200 feet, a reimagined playground (designed to be shaded and safer than the existing playground under transmission lines) and the possibility of reopening the children’s museum by relocating the historic Singing Pines building adjacent to the playground.

Why it matters: supporters say concentrating new residential and commercial uses near transit and civic spaces can fund public facilities without burdening taxpayers; opponents say the downtown’s Memorial Park and recreation facilities already serve residents and should remain public land. Public commenters at the workshop — including neighborhood groups, longtime residents and youth speakers — urged the council not to lease or give public parkland to a private developer and pressed for an immediate public vote on land disposition.

What the revised plan would change and preserve
- Residential units: developer said prior iterations dropped from about 1,100 to just over 900, and the latest plan reduces to approximately 740 units. Office and retail were reduced in parallel.
- Parks and recreation: the developer said the plan would preserve more usable, on-site recreation and green space than exists today, citing a current baseline of just over 7.5 acres of existing usable rec space (softball fields, playground, tennis courts, skate park, shuffleboard) and a proposed plan that yields “just over 8 acres” of usable on-site recreation space (excluding green roofs from the calculation).
- Memorial Park: the revised plan shows a larger memorial/reflective area west of Second Avenue with a dedicated monument; the developer explicitly said he would not relocate five mature banyan trees and would preserve them in place.
- Children’s museum and Singing Pines: the developer proposed relocating the historic Singing Pines building next to a new playground as part of an effort to reopen the children’s museum; city staff noted the museum closed before the pandemic after two nonprofits operating it withdrew and that significant building repairs would be required.
- Tennis and sports facilities: the developer presented options that keep tennis in the downtown; the plan showed eight clay courts in one illustration but acknowledged flexibility. City recreation staff told council members the department’s recommendation is to retain 10 courts in a single location for league play, and Meadows Park was discussed as an alternative site if the campus cannot accommodate 10 courts.

Public engagement, analysis and next steps
The developer announced additional public engagement sessions: an open house Sept. 29 at the Studio at Meisner Park from 4–7 p.m. and another meeting Oct. 6 at the 6500 building. The development team also launched a website, 1boca.com, and said it would add a way to indicate whether respondents are Boca Raton residents after public feedback.

City staff said independent fiscal and economic analyses are under way. The city has under contract PFM, a fiscal consultant, to complete a fiscal impact analysis and economic impact study; the city’s deputy manager and CFO said those reports are in progress and would be provided before any final development agreement is approved. Staff also confirmed that the city clerk transmitted an initiative petition submitted Aug. 26 to the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections for signature verification on Aug. 28 and that the supervisor of elections is the official verifying voter signature sufficiency under the city charter.

Public reaction at the workshop
More than a dozen residents spoke during the public comment period. Speakers included long‑time residents and student advocates who emphasized the parks and ballfields’ role for children, veterans and neighborhood life. John Perlman, who said he submitted more than 5,000 signatures to the city on Aug. 26, told the council he and others expect the city charter’s verification process to be followed and said residents had asked the council to suspend further action pending certification. \"Save Boca and the citizens who love our city stopped it,\" Perlman said, referring to an attempt to move ahead quickly without required studies; he and others urged the council to place any disposition of parkland to a public vote.

City and staff responses
Mayor Scott Singer and staff emphasized the process is ongoing and that the council has committed to allowing a public vote on disposition of public land. City attorney and clerk staff explained the charter procedure for initiative petitions and that the supervisor of elections must verify signatures before the clerk certifies the petition’s sufficiency. Staff reiterated that required studies (fiscal impact, economic analysis, appraisal and environmental reviews) would be completed before a final development agreement and that additional public input sessions are scheduled.

Open questions and points of debate
- Parking and traffic: multiple residents asked how additional downtown residents and visitors would park and how the city would mitigate expected traffic increases. The developer said the plan uses a mix of on-street and structured parking and aims to encourage transit, biking and walking. No final parking program was approved.
- Recreation master plan: council members and staff said citywide recreation planning (a recreation master plan and related capital improvements) needs to be completed to guide decisions about moving or consolidating fields and courts. That plan remains in development; staff said a consolidated overview of planned capital projects will be presented in coming weeks.
- Environmental impacts: residents raised concerns about relocating fields to Sugar Sand Park, noting protected species habitat (gopher tortoises and other wildlife) and the need for environmental studies before approving relocations.

What the council asked staff and developer to do
Council members asked the developer to refine the plan in response to public input and for staff to provide more detail about finance, programming for the Singing Pines building, parking strategies and the recreation master plan. Council members also asked the developer to plan alternatives (for example, tennis courts downtown versus at Meadows Park) so the public charrettes can weigh tradeoffs.

Ending note
The developer said the revised plan is intended to generate revenue to fund new civic facilities without a direct tax increase, and reiterated support for a referendum. The council and staff emphasized that no final redevelopment or land disposition decisions have been made; required independent analyses and petition verification are ongoing and the public will have additional opportunities to comment at scheduled meetings and charrettes.","Developer Tara Frisbie presented a lower-density redesign of a proposed downtown public–private campus that reduces housing and commercial space while adding parks and recreation features; the project drew both praise for added green space and criticism from residents and a petition drive seeking referendum on use of public land.","actionData","errors"]

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Boca Raton staff propose Spanish River site and up to $175 million bond referendum for new police headquarters

Developer revises Boca Raton downtown campus plan; public raises concerns over Memorial Park and green space