West Palm Beach OKs term sheet to negotiate sale of part of 316-acre site for private school; proceeds earmarked for Roosevelt Elementary

The West Palm Beach City Commission on a March meeting voted to declare a portion of a city-owned parcel surplus and approved a term sheet to negotiate a future sale to Related Ross for development of a private K–12 school, city staff said. The action launches a six‑month due‑diligence period and directs staff to return to the commission with any final purchase and sale agreement.

Assistant City Administrator Armando Fauna, who presented the proposal, said the commission was not being asked to approve a final sales agreement at this stage. "The purpose is to declare a city property as surplus, discuss a term sheet for future negotiations, and for additional due diligence that is needed to look at the site," Fauna said during the presentation.

The term sheet covers an approximately 55‑acre portion of a larger, roughly 316‑acre city parcel south of Roebuck Road near the Florida Turnpike. Staff said the site could accommodate a K–12 campus (about 35 acres is typically needed for a school with athletic fields) but also carries constraints: about 20 acres of the 55 would be subject to restrictions and held to preserve room for future well fields, portions of the site are raw and forested with no existing access roads, and utilities and site infrastructure would need extensive work.

Why it matters: City staff and Related Ross told the commission the proceeds from any sale would be used to help fund Roosevelt Elementary’s improvement program, an initiative dubbed Roosevelt Rising. The school district has committed $4 million of the estimated $12.5 million budget for Roosevelt improvements; Related Ross has pledged $1 million and the term sheet is intended to help close the remaining funding gap using sale proceeds if a deal is reached.

Key terms and open questions - Appraisals: City code requires two appraisals for property over $500,000. Fauna said the city and Related Ross appraisals were dated and differed substantially; the city appraisal led to an averaged value of $6,500,000. Related Ross’s appraisal was higher before deductions. The commission removed a proposed waiver of the six‑month reappraisal requirement when it approved the resolution. - Purchase process and price floor: The approved motion instructed staff to remove the appraisal‑timing waiver and included language establishing a purchase‑price minimum as stated in the motion. The commission approved the resolution unanimously. - Due diligence and timing: Related Ross offered a $100,000 deposit to start the six‑month due‑diligence period. Fauna and Related Ross emphasized the sale process must move quickly because Roosevelt Elementary has immediate needs; staff will present progress at a three‑month mayor/commission workshop and will return before any final sale for two readings. - Infrastructure and site work: Related Ross’s offer includes up to $1,500,000 for water‑system improvements (pump station or tank) to help pressure in western neighborhoods. Related Ross and the prospective school developer would be responsible for site clearing, roads, and building utilities—the city will not be paying for those on the parcel offered "as is," Fauna said. - Scholarships and eligibility: The term sheet includes up to 20 annual scholarships (term sheet language) for West Palm Beach children; commissioners and Related Ross discussed raising that figure or structuring scholarships as a percentage of enrollment instead of a fixed number. Details (eligible residents, full vs. partial scholarships, target grades or Title I priorities) are to be negotiated and written into a purchase and sale agreement if the deal proceeds. - School operator not yet identified: Related Ross said it does not plan to operate the school itself; it intends to market a site in hand to prospective third‑party operators. Rajagoda (Related Ross) said identifying a school operator may take years and estimated a three‑to‑five year horizon in comments to the commission.

What the commission approved and next steps The commission approved a resolution declaring the property surplus and authorizing staff to continue negotiations on the term sheet with Related Ross (the resolution approval removed the appraisal‑timing waiver and included minimum‑price language as read into the record). The approval starts Related Ross’s six‑month due‑diligence period; staff will bring back the purchase and sale agreement (two readings) if a qualified school operator is identified and negotiations conclude successfully.

What remains uncertain No final buyer, operator, or site plan is in place. The sale is limited by deed/use restrictions to school use (and possibly limited workforce housing for faculty only if land remains), the exact scholarship terms were not resolved, and rezoning will be required for the school parcel if the project advances. Fauna and Related Ross both emphasized that the term sheet is a starting point and that a final sale is not guaranteed.

The commission’s action begins a public process that will include further staff reports, a three‑month workshop on Roosevelt Rising, and two public readings before any final purchase and sale is approved.