Broward board hears proposed P3 to build workforce housing at Dave Thomas East Education Center; staff told to advance planning and coordinate with Pompano

The School Board of Broward County on June 10 reviewed a proposed public‑private partnership (P3) concept to develop workforce and mixed‑income housing on the district-owned Dave Thomas East Education Center site in Pompano Beach. Staff asked for direction to proceed with drafting a solicitation and to coordinate with the City of Pompano Beach.

Staff presentation and options Chris Acabosu, director of facility planning and real estate, described the 2.8‑acre property and two principal approaches that staff showed the board: (1) a long‑term ground lease to a developer who would design and build mixed‑income housing (typically deed‑restricted workforce units plus market units); or (2) an “employee‑assisted housing” model in which market-rate units are set aside and the school board uses ground-lease revenue or other mechanisms to subsidize rents so a larger share of the units are affordable to district employees.

Design concepts The district engaged urban-design firm DPZ CoDesign to produce illustrative concepts showing a range of densities and building types — courtyard apartments, “checkerboard” small multi‑family blocks and patio houses — intended to fit with the surrounding residential fabric and the city’s downtown plan. DPZ emphasized approaches that distribute smaller buildings and courtyards rather than a single monolithic tower.

Legal and procurement framework School board counsel noted Florida’s public‑private partnership statute (Fla. Stat. 255.065) provides a legal pathway for solicited or unsolicited proposals; counsel said a solicited RFP (request for proposals) would let the district ask for specific solutions (for example, higher density vs. lower, or employee-priority units) and allow the district to evaluate competing approaches.

Board discussion and direction Board members generally welcomed pursuing the idea but asked for further detail before any decision. Key concerns and next steps discussed: - Appraisal/value: Several board members said the district should get a formal appraisal of the Dave Thomas site to understand the market value and to evaluate whether a ground lease or an outright sale makes more sense economically. - Affordability target: Some board members (and an outside housing authority speaker) argued the greatest need is for households at 80% area median income (AMI) and below; staff’s initial scenarios suggested 50% workforce at up to 120% AMI is allowable under local zoning. Several board members asked staff to examine options that prioritize lower AMI levels and to model trade-offs. - Coordination with Pompano Beach: Staff explained they had briefed the city manager and that Pompano is undertaking a redevelopment program around city hall; board members asked staff to consult the city commission and align density and design to the city’s plan. - Process: Board members endorsed pursuing a solicited process (RFP) and directed staff to develop the procurement documents and return with an appraisal, design options, revenue scenarios and partner recommendations.

Outside input Ralph Stone, executive director of the Broward County Housing Finance Authority, urged the district to prioritize lower‑income ranges (80% AMI and below) and reminded the board that county gap‑financing and housing‑finance bonds are available and commonly used to lever affordable projects. A Pompano resident urged the board to maximize unit count (noted the site could accommodate many more units than an illustrative 80) and to involve local contractors.

Why it matters District-owned land is a scarce public asset. Using it to produce nearby workforce housing could help retain employees and address local affordability shortages; however, trade‑offs include long-term foregone land sale revenue and obligations the district might assume if it subsidizes rents.

Speakers quoted or referenced - Chris Acabosu, Director, Facility Planning & Real Estate (staff presentation) - Dr. Vance Hepburn, Superintendent (staff direction) - JD Garrigan and Galena Lacheva, DPZ CoDesign (design illustrations) - Andrew Sotto (district counsel describing P3 statute and procurement) - Ralph Stone, Executive Director, Broward County Housing Finance Authority (comment)

Topics - public_private_housing: Justification: Staff presented P3 options for mixed-income and employee-subsidized housing on district land and board directed further study; 0.95/1.00 - land_use_and_value: Justification: Board requested appraisal and city coordination; 0.88/1.00

Speakers:[{"name":"Chris Acabosu","role_title":"Director, Facility Planning & Real Estate","affiliation_type":"government","affiliation_name":"Broward County Public Schools","first_reference":{"timecode":"02:20:43","transcript_line_range":[13268,13317]}},{"name":"Dr. Vance Hepburn","role_title":"Superintendent of Schools","affiliation_type":"government","affiliation_name":"Broward County Public Schools","first_reference":{"timecode":"00:37:25","transcript_line_range":[2205,2239]}},{"name":"Galena Lacheva","role_title":"Vice President, DPZ CoDesign","affiliation_type":"business","affiliation_name":"DPZ CoDesign","first_reference":{"timecode":"02:23:11","transcript_line_range":[13857,13877]}},{"name":"Andrew Sotto","role_title":"External Counsel (P3 specialist)","affiliation_type":"business","affiliation_name":"Cadre/Legal", "first_reference":{"timecode":"02:29:18","transcript_line_range":[14598,14624]}},{"name":"Ralph Stone","role_title":"Executive Director","affiliation_type":"government","affiliation_name":"Broward County Housing Finance Authority","first_reference":{"timecode":"02:34:16","transcript_line_range":[15476,15508]}}], sections":{"lede":"District staff presented a public‑private partnership concept on June 10 to develop workforce and mixed‑income housing at the Dave Thomas East Education Center; the board asked staff to pursue further study, obtain an appraisal, and coordinate with Pompano Beach officials.","nut_graf":"Staff presented two main models (developer ground lease with mixed-income units or an employee-assisted housing approach subsidized with ground-lease revenue) and illustrative designs; board members generally supported moving forward with an RFP process but requested an appraisal, affordability modelling (emphasizing options at 80% AMI and below) and city coordination.","ending":"Staff will return with an appraisal, procurement plan and design/revenue scenarios and will coordinate the project with Pompano Beach and potential financing partners."}, proper_names:[{"name":"Dave Thomas East Education Center","type":"facility"},{"name":"Pompano Beach","type":"location"},{"name":"DPZ CoDesign","type":"business"},{"name":"Broward County Housing Finance Authority","type":"agency"}], clarifying_details:[{"category":"site_size","detail":"Site about 2.8 acres; zoning b-3 with potential density allowances","value":2.8,"units":"acres","approximate":false,"source_speaker":"Chris Acabosu"},{"category":"density_capacity","detail":"City zoning cited density up to 69 dwelling units per acre as an upper regulatory figure; practical max will depend on parking/structured parking decisions","value":69,"units":"units_per_acre","approximate":true,"source_speaker":"Chris Acabosu"},{"category":"affordability_target","detail":"Staff illustrations showed mixed-income models with 50% deed‑restricted workforce units and 50% market rate; board members asked staff to model options targeting 80% AMI and below","value":"50% workforce / 50% market (illustrative)","units":"percent","approximate":true,"source_speaker":"Chris Acabosu"}], community_relevance":{"geographies":["Pompano Beach","countywide"],"funding_sources":["ground lease revenue","housing finance authority gap funds","developer capital"],"impact_groups":["district employees","nearby residents","local contractors"]}, meeting_context":{"engagement_level":{"speakers_count":7,"duration_minutes":90,"items_count":1},"implementation_risk":"high","history":[{"date":"2025-06-10","note":"Initial concept presentation; city and staff coordination to follow"}]}, searchable_tags:["P3","workforce_housing","Dave_Thomas","land_lease"], provenance:{"transcript_segments":[{"block_id":"b_13268.81","local_start":0,"local_end":900,"evidence_excerpt":"Good afternoon, board members. Chris Acabosu, director of facility planning real estate... 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