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City outlines plan, timeline and financing path for new Boca Raton police headquarters
Summary
City staff presented a site concept adjacent to the Spanish River Library, space needs and a multi‑phase schedule for a new police services headquarters; staff described a likely financing path using a general obligation bond and said a reimbursement resolution will be on the next meeting agenda.
City staff updated the Boca Raton City Council on May 12 about progress toward replacing the downtown police headquarters, describing a preferred footprint adjacent to the Spanish River Library, functional space needs, a multi‑year schedule and an anticipated bond financing plan.
Deputy City Manager and CFO Jim Zervos said the current police headquarters was built in 1987 and that the department has outgrown the facility as the city’s population has risen toward 100,000. Chief Muccio and Public Works Director Zach Beer described operational constraints, including distributed equipment and specialized units that staff said would be more efficient if co‑located in a single, modern facility.
Staff presented a map showing the existing headquarters (downtown) and a prospective site near the Spanish River Library. Zervos said the library‑adjacent site would provide a larger footprint, better access to transportation corridors and more room for specialized elements such as a secure vehicle garage, evidence and property rooms, a safe swap zone, a community room and space for modern units (computer crimes, drone unit, threat assessment).
Zach Beer confirmed the existing downtown police facility is approximately 30,000 square feet on about 4.39 acres and that equipment and training functions are currently spread across multiple city sites. Chief Muccio said decentralization adds time and complexity to responses and reduces opportunities for operational coordination.
Staff gave a high‑level schedule: space‑needs refinement and schematic work through the remainder of 2025, design and permitting in early 2026, and construction starting late 2026 or early 2027 with an expected two‑year build (staff described a roughly 48‑month overall timeline). Staff said they expect to have ballpark budget options and illustrative plans by fall 2025.
On financing, staff described a likely approach that would include a 30‑year, tax‑exempt general obligation (ad valorem) bond to be considered by voters; staff identified March 26 as a likely election date to place the question before voters (staff said the date aligns with a municipal election to reduce costs). Staff also said a reimbursement resolution to preserve the city’s ability to reimburse design expenditures from future bond proceeds will appear on the next meeting agenda; that resolution would not obligate the city to issue bonds.
Council members asked when ballpark costs would be available (staff said late summer or fall), whether the project would require a voter referendum and how the new facility would integrate with existing downtown substations and training uses. Staff said the new headquarters would centralize most police operations while maintaining a downtown presence and some training and communications functions at the existing site.
Staff said it will return with schematic design, cost ranges and financing options, and reminded council that the project will require detailed due diligence and further public review.
