RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. ' The Riviera Beach City Council on Oct. 15 approved a resolution authorizing a four-acre property exchange with the Palm Beach County School Board to facilitate construction of a new Riviera Beach High School.

Capital projects administrator Terrence Bailey told the council the proposed exchange would give the school board four acres on the eastern part of Dan Callaway Park to be combined with the site for Inlet Grove (formerly Lincoln Elementary), and the city would receive approximately four acres north of Fire Station 87 to integrate with redevelopment of City Hall.

Bailey said the city would need appraisals, surveys and other documents to complete the transfer. The resolution authorizes the city manager to execute the necessary agreements, deeds and easements and to issue work orders not to exceed $500,000 from project number 21005 (City Hall replacement) to cover the city's portion of transaction costs.

"City staff has been working with the Palm Beach County School Board for the last few years to facilitate construction and development of Riviera Beach High School," Bailey said. "This exchange allows the school board to develop a full high school campus and provides the city land needed for its City Hall redevelopment plans."

Council members asked whether the school district would pay its share of transaction costs and sought assurances the district's obligations would be clarified during follow-up meetings. City staff said detailed responsibilities would be addressed as negotiations continue.

The council voted unanimously to approve the resolution. The motion and roll call showed all council members present voting yes; one member had previously told the clerk they would not attend the evening meeting.

Why it matters: The exchange is intended to clear a site constraint that has limited the school board's ability to deliver a full high school campus and ties directly to the city's broader downtown redevelopment planning.