CRA approves Modera Boca development with 8-foot Dixie Highway sidewalk; parking reduction granted

The Community Redevelopment Agency of Boca Raton on July 14 approved an individual development approval (IDA) for the Modera Boca multifamily project at 400 South Dixie Highway, authorizing a 12‑story, 306‑unit apartment building with a seven‑level integrated parking structure and related streetscape and easement changes.

The project, filed as DDRI application CRP2401, will replace an existing office park on approximately 1.7 acres and includes streetscape improvements, a new sidewalk and landscaping on an adjacent city‑owned lot, the abandonment of two easements and transfers of office‑equivalent development between downtown subareas. The board approved a technical deviation to reduce required off‑street parking from 538 spaces to 468 spaces (a 70‑space reduction). The board also amended the IDA to require an 8‑foot sidewalk along South Dixie Highway and adopted staff conditions. The final motion passed on a 5–0 roll call vote.

Why it matters: The vote advances a large residential project in a part of downtown that city leaders say has seen relatively little redevelopment and is central to planned downtown infrastructure and streetscape investments funded by CRA tax‑increment financing. Board members and staff framed the decision around pedestrian improvements, updated downtown design guidelines and an applicant study justifying a lower parking rate for a downtown urban setting.

City planning presentation and staff rationale Jacob Germen, Planner II in the Development Services Department, presented the IDA, saying the project proposes a 12‑story, 306‑unit building totaling about 416,137 square feet with a 147,321‑square‑foot parking structure that includes one below‑grade level. Germen said the proposal requests a technical deviation from the DDRI development order to reduce required parking from 538 to 468 spaces, and described proposed alley improvements, a new six‑foot (amended to eight‑foot) sidewalk along South Dixie Highway, and redeveloped landscaping on an adjacent city lot.

Development Services Director Brandon Schad told the board staff recommended approval of the parking deviation based on the applicant’s parking analysis and industry guidance: “The Institute for Transportation Engineers ... recommends a rate for a downtown urban setting of 0.75 parking spaces per unit,” he said, and staff found the applicant’s mix‑of‑unit approach reasonable.

Applicant presentation and community input Ellie Zacharitis, speaking for the applicant team, described design and pedestrian‑oriented elements, including active ground‑floor uses, a landscaped pocket park on the adjacent city lot proposed to be improved and maintained by the developer under a revocable license, and rooftop amenities over the parking structure. Zacharitis said the developer proffered approximately $300,000 for park improvements and volunteered an annual contribution to the city circulator transit program “just shy of $15,000 a year.”

Project consultants and nearby property owners spoke in support during the public hearing. Ignacio Diaz of Group E6 and John Grimaldi of Mill Creek spoke for the development team and thanked city staff. Several residents and property owners offered both support and opposition at the public hearing; objections cited perceived scale and traffic concerns while supporters emphasized downtown vitality and improved Dixie Highway frontage.

Tree relocation and landscaping Applicant consultant Mark Jacobson described a landscaping plan that included planting larger street trees (18–22 feet tall for certain species) and said the team sought but could not feasibly relocate two existing banyan trees on the city lot after arborist and tree‑mover evaluations. The applicant said it will install an increased number and size of new street and park trees.

Board discussion and vote Commissioners asked questions about parking, the transfer of office‑equivalent development between downtown subareas, alley access for deliveries and vehicle circulation, and park hours. The board voted first to amend the IDA to require an 8‑foot sidewalk along South Dixie Highway and then to adopt DDRI application CRP2401 as amended, including staff conditions. The roll call recorded five affirmative votes and no opposition; the motion passed 5–0.

Votes at a glance: the board approved the Modera Boca IDA (CRP2401) as amended to require an 8‑foot sidewalk, to grant the requested technical deviation for parking, and to support the applicant’s easement abandonments and transfers of office‑equivalent development. The approval includes standard staff conditions in the IDA and requirements for a revocable license and maintenance agreement for the city lot park improvements.

What the approval does not do The board’s action grants the IDA and associated deviations and easement abandonments; it does not itself finalize building permits, which remain subject to the city’s permit review and public‑works processes, nor does it change the DDRI development order beyond the specific approvals recorded in the IDA.

Implementation and next steps Staff noted the project will proceed through building permit review and public‑works coordination, including alley paving and utility loop work. The applicant indicated it expects to submit for permits soon and to construct the park and streetscape improvements under a licensing and maintenance agreement with the city.

Clarifying details: The approved IDA includes (a) a seven‑level internal parking structure with one below‑grade level; (b) a technical deviation reducing required parking from 538 to 468 spaces; (c) abandonment of a 12‑foot utility easement and part of a 15‑foot roadway easement; (d) transfer and conversion of office‑equivalent development between downtown subareas as described in the staff report; and (e) an amendment to require an 8‑foot sidewalk along South Dixie Highway.

Sources: city staff presentation and applicant remarks at the July 14 CRA meeting, public hearing testimony and the board’s roll call vote.