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Council approves Marina Annex workforce-housing package after debate over land transfer and partner roles
Summary
Council approved rezoning, text changes and site plan for the Marina Annex project (175 apartments, 15,000 sq ft community center, and commercial space) after extended questioning over a prior property conveyance to the housing authority, joint‑venture structure, Sunbiz corporate filings and protections (a city land‑use restrictive agreement). One councilmember registered dissent on several votes.
After extended public comment and a prolonged council exchange, Riviera Beach approved a package of ordinances and site‑plan resolutions authorizing the Marina Annex workforce‑housing project on the Judge Rogers Center site (about 3.62 acres at 251 W. 11th Street). The project is described by the applicant team as a 175-unit apartment building with 27 affordable units marketed at restricted rents, about 6,500 square feet of commercial space and a 15,000‑square‑foot community center operated by the Alpha Phi Alpha Educational Foundation.
Concerns from council centered on an earlier city action conveying the site to the Housing Authority and subsequent public reporting that the property changed hands or was encumbered. Pro Tem Tim Miller Anderson said she believed the property had been conveyed and then sold for $2,000,000 and asked for documentation and clarity before approvals. The development team said the parcel is part of a public‑private joint venture rather than an outright sale and that the housing authority remains a partner in perpetuity.
"The property has not been flipped. The property has not been sold," Jarell Harris, the project entitlement manager, told the council and said the development had secured $15.3 million in Palm Beach County funding. He said deeds and title documents had been provided to staff.
Urban Farmers President Terry Christopher Booty explained that the city recorded a land‑use restrictive agreement (LURA) in the city's favor that restricts the parcel to affordable housing uses and provides claw‑back protections if the development fails. "The land use restrictive agreement is the only encumbrance that is currently on the property, and it is in favor of the city of Riviera Beach," Booty said.
Several council members asked for follow‑up documentation. Staff and applicants agreed to provide Sunbiz reinstatement records and deed/title files; the council directed staff to collect and circulate those documents to the city attorney within the next days. Despite objections and one dissenting vote by Chair Pro Tem Miller Anderson on several readings, the council passed the rezoning, text amendment and associated site‑plan resolution needed for the project to proceed.
Next steps: applicants must proceed through any remaining entitlement conditions, provide the requested documentation, and coordinate with county underwriting deadlines tied to the $15.3 million award. The city will monitor compliance with recorded LURA terms and related performance bonds.
