At its Jan. 22 meeting the Riviera Beach CRA directed staff to negotiate a lease amendment with Rafiki Tiki owner Dimitri Saloom for additional space at the Marina Event Center and to return with a detailed, vote‑ready lease amendment.

The CRA’s commercial‑leasing consultant, Ed Chapman of JLL, told the board that Rafiki Tiki submitted a letter of interest to expand into additional space in the event center but did not include proposed rent or other lease terms. Chapman refreshed the board on the local market and said comparable rents in the North Palm Beach submarket run roughly $18.25 per square foot (triple net) and noted that detailed terms will depend on the concept and exact square footage.

Public commenters were split. Joy Braswell Mavor and Brandy Davis Balsamo, both Riviera Beach business owners, urged the board to send the space out to bid so other local restaurateurs could compete; Delsea Brooks Hamilton (Pangaea Grill) said she had previously won an RFP for marina space and then lost the opportunity after project delays and urged fair access. Other commenters — including regular patrons — urged support for Rafiki Tiki’s expansion, saying the business is an established local draw.

Staff supplied financial and lease information during questioning: the current lease began in 2017 as a 10‑year agreement, monthly base rent was reported at $5,026.95 (including tax), and staff said commission sales payments tied to the lease are not current in full. Staff reported an approximate total commission balance billed in the past year at about $60,000 with $19,829.37 remaining outstanding; staff said bills are issued in March or April and they attempt to resolve balances by the end of the fiscal year. Commissioners requested clarity about due dates and asked staff to include definitive payment timing in any renegotiated agreement.

After discussion the board voted to authorize staff to negotiate a second amendment to the Rafiki Tiki lease that would specify the additional interior and patio area under consideration, address build‑out responsibilities and timing, set explicit rent and commission schedules, and include provisions allowing the CRA to proceed with marina redevelopment without being held up by the lease. The motion passed 3–2, with Commissioners Miller Anderson and Lanier voting no.

Staff said it will include JLL in negotiations, deliver a proposed amendment showing exact square footage and rent computations, and return the proposed lease amendment to the CRA for an up‑or‑down vote. Commissioners who favored negotiations said that giving a ready, operating local business a chance to expand was a pragmatic step while the CRA prepares a larger Marina Village RFP; commissioners who opposed emphasized fairness and said any additional space not needed by Rafiki should be solicited on the open market so other local businesses can compete.

Key details to be addressed in negotiations: exact interior and patio square footage, build‑out responsibility and schedule for the unfinished patio/indoor areas, explicit rent and commission calculation, payment schedules (billing month and due date), and a clause to prevent a lease amendment from blocking future Marina Village redevelopment.