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Planning board approves CIMD conversion and recreation use at 791 Park of Commerce Boulevard
Summary
The Boca Raton Planning & Zoning Board on March 20 approved a CIMD site plan and conditional use to convert an existing 130,510 sq ft office into mixed uses — including an indoor amateur recreation facility and a food hall — and to add 243 rental units (10% affordable, 5% workforce).
The Boca Raton Planning & Zoning Board voted 5–0 on March 20 to approve a CIMD site plan and a conditional use permit for a mixed‑use conversion at 791 Park of Commerce Boulevard that will repurpose an existing 130,510‑square‑foot office building and add new multifamily housing.
Staff presenter Heather Hanson told the board the project meets CIMD eligibility and development standards and recommended approval. Hanson said the plan retains the existing building and converts roughly 72,400 square feet to an amateur recreation facility, preserves about 46,635 square feet of office, and provides roughly 11,000 square feet of indoor food‑hall space with outdoor dining. The full project will add 243 rental units, with 25 designated affordable and 13 designated workforce units; staff said a restrictive covenant will ensure 10 percent of units remain affordable and 5 percent remain workforce for 30 years after certificate of occupancy.
The presentation included traffic figures: Hanson said the change from all‑office to the proposed mix would produce an estimated net increase of about 2,450 daily trips and roughly 96 afternoon peak trips (about 190 peak‑hour trips in the afternoon). She said Palm Beach County’s traffic division reviewed and approved the study because it meets county performance standards.
Ellie Zacharias, the applicant, described the project’s program and said the team is not seeking variances other than a technical deviation for existing parking‑row length; she told the board the applicant is proposing roughly 62 parking spaces above code requirements and that the residential portion would be gated to restrict resident parking on upper levels. Zacharias said the project includes townhomes intended to activate the El Rio Trail and that the team would work with staff on an artistic treatment of the parking‑garage façade.
Board members and staff discussed public‑art restrictions in city code. Brandt Shadd, Development Services director, advised that city code prohibits painted wall signs—"which by implication prohibits murals"—but that nonpainted installations (tile, sculpture or other treatments) might be acceptable pending design review.
Two motions were taken on the item. The board first approved the conditional‑use resolution authorizing the recreation facility and then approved the CIMD site plan resolution with the conditions presented. Jamie (the clerk) called the roll for both actions; the five board members present voted yes on each (pass 5–0). No board member voted against or abstained.
What’s next: the approved site plan includes conditions and a required restrictive agreement for the affordable/workforce units; details in the resolution identify required administrative follow‑ups (easement abandonment paperwork, final site‑plan revisions and building permit compliance).
