Planning board backs rezoning for 418-unit Marina Village project, urges CRA to consider workforce housing

The Riviera Beach Planning and Zoning Board on Feb. 12 voted unanimously to recommend that the City Council approve a rezoning and site‑plan package for Element 7, a two‑tower, market‑rate mixed‑use development proposed for Marina Village.

Principal planner Kurt Thompson presented staff’s recommendation for rezoning the roughly 2.448‑acre site (15 tax parcels) from Downtown Core to an Inlet Harbor Center Planned Unit Development. Thompson said the staff review found the proposal consistent with the city’s comprehensive plan and zoning regulations and recommended approval subject to the staff report’s conditions. “This property was found to be consistent with the city's comprehensive plan and the code of ordinance,” Thompson said in his presentation.

The project, proposed by Related Urban and partners, would build two 20‑story residential buildings with a total of 418 market‑rate rental units, a nine‑level parking garage with 652 spaces, about 3,000 square feet of office and 3,300 square feet of retail, and approximately 5,266 square feet of civic open space. The developer reported the parking total slightly exceeds the code requirement (648) and a parking study that estimated demand at 561 spaces, leaving a surplus of 91 spaces. The applicant and staff also cited a letter from Palm Beach County confirming the project meets county traffic performance standards; staff said the county approval remains valid through Dec. 31, 2028.

Board members pressed the applicant and staff on traffic, parking and neighborhood impacts. The applicant said the traffic study estimates 2,720 daily trips from the development — 216 in the AM peak hour and 238 in the PM peak hour — and asserted the residential portion is exempt from county traffic standards under a coastal residential exception. Board member Marie Davis warned of cumulative effects along Broadway, saying, “I think it's going to be a traffic nightmare” as multiple large projects progress along the corridor. Developers and staff responded that the county review and included mitigation (a right‑turn lane dedication and other circulation measures) account for growth and previously approved projects.

The developer described outreach and local‑hire efforts on the adjacent Element 8 project, telling the board that three minority subcontractors have been engaged and roughly 20 local hires so far; the developer said the overall contract value for Element 7 is about $50 million and the team aims to direct roughly 20% of construction value to local subcontractors. The board added a staff condition requiring the developer to submit a local‑hiring and contracting report to the city six months after certificate of occupancy.

Board members also pressed the applicant about workforce housing. The developer confirmed Element 7 is proposed as market‑rate housing while Element 8 contains workforce/affordable units. Jadel Murzia, executive director of the Riviera Beach Community Redevelopment Agency, told the board the CRA can review options and consider adding a workforce component. The board voted to include, in its recommendation to council and the CRA, a request that the CRA and developer coordinate to consider workforce housing additions for Element 7.

The applicant also noted a Palm Tran bus stop adjacent to the site will need to move because of the new right‑turn lane; the team said the stop would be relocated one block to the north and that it will coordinate with Palm Tran and FDOT on the timing and signage. Developers said the garage will provide both resident‑secured parking and publicly accessible spaces for the retail component.

After extended questions and discussion, a board member moved to recommend amending city ordinance ZA‑25‑00001 and to pass resolution SP24‑0014 and special exception SE24‑0004 as read, with staff conditions, the added employment reporting requirement and an advisory recommendation to the CRA to consider workforce housing. The board voted unanimously to approve the recommendation; the matter will advance for CRA consideration and a City Council hearing.

No public comment cards were submitted for this hearing; the board closed the agenda item and continued with general business. The next procedural step is formal consideration by the CRA and then City Council, where the ordinance will require two readings at council and the resolution requires one reading.