Barracuda Bay site, county agreement and pool plans surface in Riviera Beach police headquarters debate

Council debate over siting the new Riviera Beach police headquarters at the Barracuda Bay parcel brought the city’s long‑running aquatic center issue into focus Aug. 19, with county‑contract constraints, community access concerns and interim swim‑service plans on the table.

The city manager, Jonathan Evans, told the council that county staff and the district’s county commissioner had raised concerns but also offered a possible path forward. County staff advised the city that ending the existing agreement tied to Barracuda Bay could trigger repayment of the roughly $1.5 million in bond proceeds used to build the facility; county officials also described a pathway used previously by other municipalities to hold a county contract in abeyance while the municipality builds a pool and then tack on the remaining years of the agreement once the new pool opens.

The county commissioner for the district, Powell, told the city he wanted a community meeting before supporting a change; Evans said staff is arranging that public conversation. The manager also said county staff had described at least one municipality that paid the full amount to exit an agreement, and that the county had in other cases put an agreement in abeyance while a municipality built a replacement facility.

Swim services and interim options

Parks Director Casey Young and capital projects staff outlined a multi‑pronged interim aquatics strategy to maintain access during a transition from Barracuda Bay to a new pool and to limit service gaps:

- Swim on the Go: partner with homeowners associations that already operate community pools and set up memoranda of understanding to deliver life‑safety swimming lessons locally.

- "Residents to the Rapids": a partnership framework to transport residents to regional commercial water parks (the Rapids) for larger‑scale aquatic opportunities and to supplement programming while a new municipal pool is constructed.

Young presented financial estimates showing the city currently operates Barracuda Bay at a small annual deficit; staff estimated running the facility would leave the city about $250,000 short in a typical year while a managed transition and partnerships would reduce that operating burden.

Council discussion and county negotiations

Some council members urged caution and said the city should not demolish Barracuda Bay or commit to a police headquarters at the site until the county’s legal and financial questions are resolved. Others argued the city needs to move forward with a consolidated municipal campus and that the Barracuda Bay parcel is the most viable location for a new police headquarters without purchasing expensive private land. Staff said they plan to bring an item to council for consideration Sept. 17 and to host a community meeting with county representatives to address the commissioner’s concerns.

Ending

City staff recommended a cautious path: pursue community outreach with the county, explore possible abeyance or buy‑out options the county has used previously, and implement interim aquatic partnerships while design work and negotiations proceed. No final decision to demolish or abandon Barracuda Bay was made during the workshop.