Riviera Beach CRA hears five proposals for 1851 Broadway, authorizes negotiations with top-ranked developer

The Riviera Beach Community Redevelopment Agency on Nov. 12 heard five competing development teams present plans for the long-vacant 1851 Broadway site and voted to authorize staff to open negotiations with Forest Development, the evaluation committee27s top-ranked proposer.

The board27s decision followed more than three hours of presentations and questions from commissioners about financing, schedule, local hiring and community benefits. Forest Development representatives said their proposal would deliver 3502450 market-rate apartments, up to 17,000 square feet of ground-floor restaurant and retail, onsite parking and a workforce-housing set-aside. Wayne Richards, who spoke for Forest Development, said, "We will spend $250,000,000 on the central part of Broadway" and offered a $3,780,000 purchase price with a $200,000 deposit within 30 days.

Why it mattered: the board approved the motion to authorize negotiations by a 3-2 vote, with Chair Lanier and Vice Chair Millie Anderson dissenting. The vote came after commissioners debated whether to hear only the top three proposers (as the…