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Developers present scaled-back downtown government campus plan; residents demand more time and vow opposition over Memorial Park
Summary
At a Sept. 8 workshop, Boca City Center and partners unveiled a revised government campus plan that reduces residential density, promises added green space, preserves banyan trees and advances civic facilities; the update prompted intense public opposition focused on Memorial Park and calls from councilmembers to slow the process and likely take any final decision to voters.
CITY OF BOCA RATON — Developers leading the proposed downtown government campus told the Boca Raton City Council on Sept. 8 that they had revised their plan to respond to community feedback, reducing residential density, increasing public green space and preserving the site’s banyan trees, while pledging civic amenities including a new community center and a mobility hub.
David Martin of Boca City Center and partner Rob Frisbie walked the council and the public through the updated plan. Key elements include preserving five (plus a sixth) existing banyan trees in place and relocating the children's playground to sit under those canopy trees; retaining a minimum of eight tennis courts (with the possibility of covered courts); creating a large multipurpose field estimated at 300 by 200 feet for recreation and events; and removing a previously proposed hotel use.
Frisbie said the most recent iteration reduces total residential units to about 740 (down from prior counts the team had floated), cuts retail from roughly 140,000 square feet toward a revised estimate near 80,000 square feet and concentrates taller density on the east side of 2nd Avenue so the west side remains at a human-scaled, three-story character. He described an intent to deliver civic facilities and parks early in the phasing plan.
On financing, the developers reiterated the project’s long-term revenue potential to the city: prior materials cited about $3 billion in gross revenues across a 99-year lease with a previously stated net present value in the mid-hundreds of millions; the updated plan reduces overall density and therefore reduces long-term revenue while the developers said the project still projects more than $2 billion in cash flow over the lease term.
The presentation drew sustained council questions about exact green-space increases, the mix of condo versus rental units (the presenters said one building of about 160 for-sale units is contemplated while most residential remains rental), affordable-housing commitments (still included, presenters said), phasing and how traffic and infrastructure analyses would be updated to reflect the new plan.
The public response was sharp and sustained. Several speakers — including longtime residents and park advocates — urged the council to preserve Park (Memorial Park) as public recreation and accused the plan of privatizing or destroying the World War II memorial and athletic fields; John Perlman said the project would “destroy” the memorial park and demanded it remain public and unchanged. Presenters and the mayor responded that the historical record does not show a single monument sited where critics said one existed and said the team is committed to memorializing veterans and working with veterans’ groups on a dedicated memorial.
Legal and procurement concerns surfaced in public comment. Resident Jonathan Ungian cited Florida statute 166.045 and called for an appraisal and greater transparency around consultant roles; the city attorney and staff said the city had not asserted the confidentiality exemption under the statute and that staff believes the process complied with legal requirements while noting additional negotiation and diligence would continue.
Council members and staff signaled they would slow the calendar: several members said the previously announced Oct. 28 vote and scheduled Planning & Zoning hearing would not proceed as planned to allow more public engagement and time for evaluation. Councilmember Thompson said any final approval should be conditioned on approval by the voters. Developers announced upcoming public workshops on Sept. 29 and Oct. 6 and said they would publish further materials online and meet with neighborhood and HOA groups.
Next steps: staff said it will reassess traffic and infrastructure impacts under the revised plan and return additional material and calculations to the council; the council and developers also agreed to additional public outreach before any formal land-use hearings or votes.
