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City outlines schedule and next steps for downtown campus partnership with Terra Frisbie group
Summary
City staff and the developer team continue to advance the downtown campus public-private partnership: staff described an iterative schedule of design charrettes, work groups and deliverables aimed at an Oct. 31 partnership agreement; the council heard resident concerns about tennis courts, shuttle service and transit fees.
City officials updated the Boca Raton City Council on April 7 about the timetable, community outreach and technical work planned to support the proposed downtown campus public‑private partnership led by the Terra Frisbie group.
Deputy City Manager Andrew Lukasick told the council staff is scheduling two design charrettes to inform the developer’s interim master plan, with one charrette planned for a weeknight and another for a Sunday to increase public participation. He said Terra Frisbie must submit an interim master plan by May 12 and that several technical studies (surveys, geotechnical, utilities and infrastructure) will continue through late May and June.
"We have two design charrettes in the not-too-distant future," Lukasick said. "The intent was to inform the interim master plan. It might be the case, given schedules, that we have additional sessions after they submit the interim master plan, because they'll have more data." He and city staff emphasized iterative, parallel review: staff wants Terra Frisbie’s project team to work in “work groups” so mobility, financing and other analysis can be reviewed continuously rather than only at final submission.
City staff also described parallel work to identify swing space for municipal operations while City Hall is redeveloped. CBRE is compiling responses from four property owners about lease and purchase options; the city’s space-needs analysis (conducted with CBRE) is expected to be finished in mid‑May, and staff said decisions on City Hall swing space could be made in June.
The council and staff reiterated a project timeline: several technical milestones are due in late May and early August, and staff and the developer are aiming to have a partnership agreement in place by Oct. 31.
Public comment at the workshop focused heavily on preservation of on-site tennis courts and the quality of the downtown shuttle. Resident Jonathan Anjean raised questions about how transit and other developer fees flow to the CRA and the city, and objected to any language that could restrict uses such as outpatient surgery centers. Resident Judy Morrow presented a petition she said contained 384 signatures urging the city to preserve 10 clay tennis courts and green space; she said petitioners want a public referendum if the site were to be redeveloped.
Staff said Terra Frisbie has heard concerns about tennis and is working on options and that more information on tennis plans would likely be available in the coming weeks. Mr. Lukasick and staff also said they will coordinate public involvement, invite Alta and other consultants to charrettes and establish multiple stakeholder work groups for mobility, financing and site analysis.
No formal council vote was taken on April 7. Instead, staff left the council with an audience of next steps and deadlines and committed to additional public engagement through the scheduled charrettes and advisory work groups.
