Boca Raton council ranks Boca Raton City Center first, directs negotiations with top proposer

The Boca Raton City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to rank Boca Raton City Center LLC — the team led in the procurement materials by the Terra Frisbie group — as the highest‑rated proposer for the downtown City Hall campus public‑private partnership and to direct staff to negotiate a nonbinding interim agreement with that developer.

Council members stressed the choice is for a negotiating partner, not a final plan. In his remarks explaining his ranking, Council member Reiter said the Terra Frisbie concept “integrates the music of Boca” by emphasizing open space, neighborhood scale and public amenities and that, in his view, it “most embodies the characteristics our people expect.” The council adopted Resolution 24‑2025 approving the ranking and authorizing the city manager to begin interim agreement talks; the motion passed 5–0.

The vote followed more than three hours of public comment during which speakers both supported and opposed the competing proposals. Romina Braun, who identified herself as a longtime resident, urged the council to slow the process and criticized the scale of some proposals: “This new project threatens everything we value about Boca,” she said, arguing the plan would eliminate public space, increase traffic and strain city services. By contrast, multiple speakers representing business and development interests, including John Blunk, said a larger mixed‑use project could attract jobs and modern office space to the city.

City staff and the mayor repeatedly sought to reassure residents about parks and recreation facilities. City manager Brown reiterated that the Children’s Museum would not be razed and that several historic structures would be relocated to Meadows Park; he also said replacement recreation fields would be sited and put into service before existing fields at the City Hall campus are removed.

The resolution ends the competitive evaluation phase; the city attorney said the adoption effectively terminates the procurement cone of silence and allows the city to begin negotiations with the top‑ranked proposer. Staff said next milestones include an open house by the selected development team and public engagement opportunities on Feb. 24, Feb. 25 and March 17, followed by council consideration of an interim agreement.

What happens next: the city will negotiate a nonbinding interim agreement with Boca Raton City Center LLC and will hold public meetings and an open house so residents can review and comment on specific program and design changes as terms are refined. If negotiations stall, the council can turn to the next‑ranked proposer (Related Ross).