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Riviera Beach CRA agrees to issue RFP for Blue Lagoon commercial/incubator site on West Blue Heron Boulevard
Summary
The CRA directed staff to move forward with an RFP for a mixed‑use commercial development and business incubator at 10200 West Blue Heron Boulevard, with staff noting a desire to give a local operator (the Steele family) first preference in opportunities to occupy incubator space.
The Riviera Beach Community Redevelopment Agency agreed Sept. 10 to direct staff to issue a request for proposals for the design and development of commercial buildings with parking and business‑incubator space at the property identified as 10200 West Blue Heron Boulevard — the CRA described the project as the Blue Lagoon initiative.
Executive Director Jadel Mercius told commissioners the CRA first identified the 100‑200 block of West Blue Heron as an opportunity for a mixed‑use redevelopment in 2018 and is now prepared to solicit developers or public‑private partnership proposals. Staff said the scope would include commercial space, parking and a business incubator modeled in part on similar waterfront redevelopment projects.
During discussion commissioners emphasized local business retention. Commissioner(s) asked that the family who previously worked on an earlier iteration of the project — identified at the meeting as the Steele family — be given first preference to occupy incubator or retail space should the CRA move forward. Mercius said staff would “start a clean slate” but that the Steele family would receive first preference for tenancy under the proposed approach.
The board did not take a formal roll‑call vote to adopt a contract or award a developer at the meeting; commissioners agreed to return to the board with an RFP and plans for review once staff has drafted the solicitation and preliminary design concepts.
The agency said it will provide updates to the board as the RFP is developed and will circulate the RFP package and plans for board review before submission.
