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Board hears competing views on buying Artist Alley block; commissioners ask staff for feasibility analysis
Summary
The CRA discussed a proposed acquisition of 3335-3358 NE Fourth Street (a contiguous ~1.92-acre Artist Alley parcel) after owners offered to sell; the board did not commit to purchase but directed staff to commission architect/feasibility analyses and to compare alternatives including Federal Highway parcels and financing options.
Delray Beach CRA commissioners debated whether to pursue a potential purchase of a roughly 1.92-acre parcel at 3335-3358 Northeast Fourth Street that an owner offered to sell, with advocates pressing the board to secure the site for workforce housing and preservation of Artist Alley while other commissioners said the parcel's price and site constraints warrant further analysis and comparison with other potential locations.
Commissioner Long urged the CRA to move quickly to secure site control through a purchase-and-sale agreement while performing due diligence and seeking financing, arguing the parcel would allow a major increase in workforce housing near downtown. He said the CRA should obtain a contract with a funding contingency while it evaluates bonding or loans.
The nut graf: Several commissioners cautioned the property's $19'20 million appraisals, triangular lot shape, potential environmental and railroad-adjacent issues, parking and traffic constraints, and the CRA's existing capital commitments mean the parcel may not be the most cost-effective option for large-scale affordable housing. One commissioner suggested a 3-acre Federal Highway parcel appraised at $15 million could produce more units at lower cost and avoid the railroad and ingress/egress constraints; another commissioner recommended staff produce architect-coded scenarios for both parcels showing likely unit counts, parking needs and cost estimates.
Nate Jaddison said staff does not currently have the acquisition funds in hand and recommended the board commission an architect or planning consultant to analyze what could realistically be built on the Fourth Street parcel and to provide comparative analysis with other candidate sites. Commissioners asked for analyses of development capacity at varying affordability levels (very low to moderate), environmental and traffic considerations, and financing options (bonds, loans, grants). Several commissioners said they would prefer data-driven evaluation rather than an immediate purchase.
The board did not authorize acquisition at the meeting. It directed staff to prepare feasibility sketches and comparative analyses so commissioners could revisit whether to pursue a purchase and, if so, under what financing structure and affordability targets.
