Council delays Ocean Walk lease assignment after lengthy discussion on maintenance and enforcement

RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. — After a lengthy exchange about neglected maintenance and enforcement tools, the Riviera Beach City Council on Dec. 3 unanimously agreed to postpone action on a proposed assignment of the Ocean Walk ground lease until Jan. 21, 2026.

Assistant City Manager Collins presented a punch list of outstanding issues at Ocean Walk Plaza on Singer Island — including grease trap repairs, lighting and cracked sidewalks — and said a majority of items had been addressed. Bruce Lewis, a business development representative for Ocean Walk, told the council the current lessee and a prospective new manager had committed to make the remaining repairs and that eight of 11 punch‑list items were already complete.

Several council members pressed for tighter contractual “teeth.” One councilmember said the city should make the assignment conditional on completion of the items, or risk becoming a landlord with only weak enforcement remedies: “You don’t do enforcement by sending someone down to give a $25 fine for a cracked sidewalk,” the councilmember said.

City legal staff reminded the council that the original lease contains assignment language and that the city may not unreasonably withhold consent; counsel said the city must be careful not to violate the contract. To reconcile legal constraints with the council’s enforcement concerns, members directed staff and the Assistant City Manager to consult individually with each councilmember and return in January with recommended ways to add enforceable requirements or expedited remediation timelines.

Action taken: The council voted to postpone consideration of the Ocean Walk assignment to Jan. 21, 2026, by unanimous vote.

What happens next: Staff will document the punch list, propose enforcement timelines and report back so council can consider whether to attach stronger conditions to the assignment or require completion before transfer.