Boca Raton reviews interim government campus master plan; council debates tennis location, city hall size and civic uses

Boca Raton City Council members on May 27 examined an interim master plan for the city’s proposed downtown government campus and asked staff and the city’s development partners for policy direction on uses, density, the layout of civic space and where recreational facilities — especially tennis courts — should be located.

The interim plan, prepared by the Terra Frisbie team and reviewed by city staff and CBRE, reduces residential units from slightly more than 1,100 to 912 and increases publicly accessible open and recreational space compared with prior drafts. Staff emphasized the plan is at an early, high-level stage and asked the council for guidance before a June 10 meeting when the council is expected to give more formal recognition of the plan’s direction; an October schedule was cited for approval of a master partnership agreement.

Why it matters

The campus plan would reshape downtown Boca Raton’s civic core, influence where residents play and gather, and affect the city’s long-term finances: staff and consultants said revenue from ground leases is expected to help pay for city-owned civic improvements. Council members and members of the public focused most intently on the tradeoffs between maximizing public green space and retaining on-site recreation — especially tennis courts — and on the proposed size and programming of a new city hall and community center.

What the presentation said

Rob Frisbie of Terra Frisbie summarized the design changes in the interim plan. “We now have a plan that is truly exceptional, that if we can execute on this, it will create a legacy for generations, to come,” Frisbie said. The team said it removed 217 residential…