Boynton Beach officials and residents press to save Andrews House; staff outlines relocation sites, timeline and preliminary costs

City of Boynton Beach staff told the City Commission and Community Redevelopment Agency board on Jan. 14 that moving and re-siting the 100‑year‑old Andrews House is feasible but will take time and funding, and they asked direction to work with the property owner to secure more time to plan.

The most immediate question for commissioners is whether the city and CRA can buy time to study relocation, evaluate uses and seek funding before a developer with a demolition permit removes the structure. Rick Hoffer, assistant director of public works, presented three city- or CRA‑owned candidate sites, a planning‑level project timeline and preliminary cost estimates.

Hoffer said the staff subtotal for relocation and related site work is $300,000 and that staff added a standard 25% contingency, bringing the planning‑level budget to $375,000. “One thing I did want to say is...everything that’s shown here is basically relocation and construction,” Hoffer said, adding that the estimate does not include upgrades to the house such as ADA improvements, HVAC, plumbing or electrical work that will require separate assessment.

Why this matters: residents, preservation board members and commissioners framed the decision as both a cultural-preservation and downtown economic‑development opportunity. The Historic Resources Preservation Board recommended that the city/CRA acquire the building, select the CRA lot next to the Magnuson House on East Ocean Avenue (labeled “location 2” in staff slides) as the preferred site, and plan for light commercial or public use to generate downtown foot traffic.

Key facts from the staff presentation and public record

- Potential relocation sites: (1) a small city‑owned park at Northeast Sixth Avenue/Northeast Sixth Court (zoned CBD); (2) a CRA‑owned lot on East Ocean Avenue adjacent to the Magnuson House (zoned R3 multifamily residential); (3) a CRA parcel at North Seacrest Boulevard and Northeast Third Avenue (zoned R2 single‑ and two‑family residential).…