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Board backs 12‑story Modero/Madera Boca project in downtown, approving reduced parking and a public‑space license
Summary
The Planning & Zoning Board recommended approval of the Modero/Madera Boca individual development approval for a 306‑unit, 12‑story residential tower at 400 S. Dixie Highway with a 70‑space parking reduction, associated easement abandonments and redeveloped city lot for a pedestrian corridor and pocket park.
The Boca Raton Planning & Zoning Board recommended approval of the Modero (also referred to as Madera Boca) Individual Development Approval for a 12‑story, 306‑unit residential building at 400 South Dixie Highway.
City planner Jacob German summarized the proposal as a 1.707‑acre redevelopment that includes a 7‑level internal parking structure, a 147,321‑square‑foot garage (one level below grade), new sidewalks and street trees, and a transfer of office‑equivalent development among downtown subareas. Staff said the project complies with the downtown interim design guidelines and recommended approval, while the applicant requested a technical deviation to reduce required off‑street parking from 538 to 468 spaces.
Applicant representative Ellie Zacharitis presented renderings and described a pedestrian‑first approach, emphasizing a 26‑foot pedestrian corridor along Dixie Highway, active ground‑floor uses and a proposed pocket park on an adjacent city‑owned lot under a license and maintenance agreement. “I submit to you today that I believe we've checked all of those boxes, and I personally am very proud to bring this application to you,” Zacharitis said.
Board members questioned traffic circulation (access will be via the rear alley), parking and EV charger placement; traffic consultant John Donaldson said the alley and nearby intersections provide capacity for redistributed trips and noted that residential peak flows differ from office flows. The team said the project provides 27 active EV spaces with the capacity to add 70 more and that a separate electrical transformer was installed to support future expansion.
A tenant and downtown stakeholder, Terry Boykin, spoke in support of the project, calling the building and landscape design an asset for Dixie Highway. After public comment the board voted unanimously to recommend approval of the IDA, the technical parking deviation, and related easement abandonments. The recommendation will be forwarded to the City Council for final action.
