CRA outlines West Atlantic master‑plan updates, RFP strategy for grocery and housing
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Summary
Delray Beach CRA executive director Renee Jaddison told the DDA board the West Atlantic master plan has been updated with new demographics and an implementation plan; staff is pursuing targeted outreach to grocers (JLL) and small‑scale affordable housing while studying remediation constraints on key parcels.
Renee Jaddison, executive director of the Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency, told the Downtown Development Authority at its February meeting that the West Atlantic master plan—adopted by the city commission in 2020—has been revised with updated demographics and a new standalone implementation document intended to be updated iteratively.
Jaddison said the update distilled roughly 100 prior “to‑dos” into a shorter implementation plan and reaffirmed six guiding principles: community capacity building, civic stewardship, community wealth building, healthy community, placemaking and strategic investments. She said the CRA hired BusinessFlare and Inspire Placemaking for demographic and planning work and held multiple public sessions drawing nearly 100 participants at each meeting.
The presentation shifted to specific parcels on the 600–800 blocks of West Atlantic Avenue. Jaddison said one parcel remains tied to a long‑running remediation and that consultants are preparing a report outlining options—including whether a Brownfield designation or other remediation pathway is appropriate—before the CRA pursues development or sale. She said the CRA has since acquired adjoining parcels, improving control of the site for future proposals.
On attracting a supermarket, Jaddison said the CRA has engaged commercial broker JLL to speak directly with potential grocers rather than rely solely on an open RFP. “We’re trying to get the information” from operators before finalizing a procurement approach, she said, adding the immediate RFP focus is likely to be the largest 600‑block parcel that can accommodate a supermarket and parking. Board members urged flexibility in design requirements, including ground‑floor retail frontage, and discussed whether to parcel the RFPs to make sites easier for single‑purpose bidders.
Jaddison also summarized other West Atlantic activity: an RFP for four single‑family affordable homes (three south, one north of Atlantic), tenant recruitment for a recently completed two‑story building at 95 NW 5th Ave (targeting medical uses), and a reduced‑rent program for CRA‑owned spaces to encourage stabilization of small local businesses.
Next steps the CRA outlined include completing the consultant remediation report, continuing code and LDR conversations with city staff, and returning to city commission once the CRA and city finalize proposed LDR amendments and implementation items.
The CRA presentation drew questions on timing, whether a supermarket remains the main economic driver for West Atlantic, and whether an RFP should be split to attract specialists for housing versus retail. Board members requested regular updates as the remediation analysis, broker outreach and RFP drafting progress.