Developers present revised downtown campus plan that reduces density, increases park space; residents demand more time and public input

David Martin and Robert (Rob) Frisbie of the Terra/Frisbie development team presented a substantially revised plan to redevelop the 30‑plus‑acre downtown government campus, saying the latest iteration reduces residential and commercial intensity, preserves existing banyan trees and adds recreation and open space while funding new civic facilities through the proposed public‑private partnership.

Martin said the team has held more than 30 public meetings and revised the plan after community input. "We couldn't agree more, and we're committed to working with the city and the veterans groups on this," he said when describing plans to enhance what the developers called Memorial Park with a dedicated monument and more green space. Martin also said the project would keep six banyan trees in place and relocate the children's playground adjacent to them.

Robert Frisbie said the updated plan removes a hotel and one office building from the earlier proposal, reduces retail from an earlier figure (team cited roughly 140,000 square feet previously) to about 80,000 square feet, and lowers total residential units from about 1,100 in the initial plan to approximately 740 in the latest iteration. Frisbie said the changes increase public parkland, add a 300‑by‑200‑foot multipurpose field, and maintain a minimum of eight tennis courts with the option to provide more.

Frisbie described a "mobility hub" east of City Hall for electric vehicle charging, bike/scooter parking and shared mobility; widened shaded sidewalks and protected bike lanes; and a phased approach intended to deliver early civic and recreation amenities. He said the developer still expects to deliver substantial revenue over a 99‑year lease term and cited updated gross and net present value estimates (the presentation referenced approximately $2 billion in gross receipts and $228 million in net present value for the revised plan).

Councilmembers said they had only received the newest iteration recently and asked for more time to digest traffic, fiscal and infrastructure impacts. Councilmember Reeder urged delaying any planning‑and‑zoning or formal actions and said public workshops should precede hearings. Councilmember Thompson said a final decision should be conditioned on a public vote and repeated his call for extended timelines.

Public commenters sharply divided the room. Some residents and speakers welcomed the reductions in density and additions of green space; others opposed any privatization of the site or changes to what they called Memorial Park. John Perlman and other speakers argued the site is historically dedicated to veterans and said it should remain public parkland. Several residents demanded appraisals, questioned the 99‑year lease length and asked for clearer fiscal disclosures. Jonathan Ongian and others raised concerns about the land sale process for a separate city purchase and referenced Florida Statute 166.045 regarding confidentiality exemptions and appraisals; city staff said the city did not assert the confidentiality exemption and that commercial data was shared with council prior to decision points.

Developers announced public workshops for the revised plan on Sept. 29 and Oct. 6 and said they would provide a project website and additional outreach. Mayor Scott Singer and several councilmembers said the council would not move forward on an October 28 vote deadline and signaled the need for more public engagement and staff analysis before any final decision.

No formal council vote or final contract action was recorded at the workshop. Staff and developers agreed to provide additional detail on green‑space calculations, phasing, traffic analysis and fiscal terms for further review.