Town Center Mall asks Boca Raton to add 400 CIMD units to enable Sears‑site redevelopment

The Town Center Mall has asked Boca Raton staff to add 400 dwelling units to the city's CIMD (Commercial, Industrial, Multifamily Development) unit bank to facilitate redevelopment of the former Sears parcel, Development Services Director Brandon Chadd said Monday.

Chadd told the council that the CIMD ordinance, adopted in early 2024 and amended since, established a 2,500‑unit bank with density, affordability and walkability requirements. Under current rules, a project that provides 10% of units as affordable (up to 120% of area median income) can qualify for higher densities; an additional 5% workforce component at up to 140% AMI raises the maximum density further. The ordinance includes a 20‑units‑per‑acre cap (with a limited bonus to 25), open‑space and nonresidential inclusion requirements, parking reductions tied to walkability, and a 30‑year deed restriction for affordability commitments.

Chadd reported that 2,187 units have been approved under the CIMD program so far (yielding 220 affordable and 87 workforce units), that no projects are yet under construction and that 664 units remain in the bank if pending applications are approved. The Town Center Mall request would add 400 units to enable a mixed‑use redevelopment on the Saint Andrews Boulevard frontage; preliminary discussions with the owner indicated about 400 units would be needed.

Councilmembers pressed staff on several points: Deputy Mayor Nackelos and others asked whether the original cap recommendation had been higher (3,000 was mentioned as a historical figure), whether the 10% affordable threshold should be raised (15% was suggested), and whether adding units dedicated only to the mall would be appropriate given other qualifying parcels on the south side of Glades Road. Councilmember Wigder and others flagged the state's Live Local Act preemption, cautioning that some developers may pursue higher densities administratively under state rules, and asked staff to confirm how that interplay would affect local zoning control.

Chadd said staff would update the level‑of‑service and concurrency analyses if council asks for additional units, and recommended a measured, longer‑term approach rather than piecemeal additions. He said that if council elects to process an amendment, staff would return with recommendations on how many units to add and whether to reserve them for the Town Center Mall or leave them available to other eligible properties.

Next steps: Council asked staff to verify prior recommendations, analyze timing and the capacity implications of adding units, and return with options. No action was taken at the workshop; council indicated they would revisit the request after staff analysis.