Boca Raton reviews four competing proposals for downtown government campus; council sets public review and rankings

Mayor Singer convened a workshop of the Boca Raton City Council on Jan. 27 to review four unsolicited proposals for redeveloping the city’s 30‑acre government campus and to outline next steps in public outreach and negotiation.

CBRE consultant Leanne Korst said staff received four distinct offers and has been working to present them “in a digestible format.” CBRE’s analysis showed wide variation among proposals: open/green space ranges from about 2.5 acres to more than 6–8 acres, residential unit counts from roughly 650 to as many as 8,000, and office square footage from about 100,000 to nearly 1,000,000 square feet. Korst said the next formal milestones are a firm ranking on Feb. 11, an open house on Feb. 19 and a goal to negotiate a non‑binding interim agreement with the top‑ranked proposer by March 18.

CBRE’s financial summary, presented by Mike McShay, used consistent escalation (2% CPI in the model) and a 4% discount in net‑present‑value calculations to compare offers. McShay flagged that some tax projections are still being refined and that CBRE is following up with proposers to confirm assumptions.

The four teams that presented were:

- Boca Raton City Center (Terra/Frisbie). Terra CEO David Martin and partner Rob Frisbie pitched a lower‑height, park‑forward plan centered on 18 public spaces, a 10‑story typical building profile (including garage levels) and a guaranteed ground‑rent model CBRE summarized as roughly $4 million a year under the firm’s initial assumptions. The proposers emphasized walkability, a multigenerational recreation center and LEED/ sustainability commitments; they told council they would leave the physical project model with the city.

- Namdar Group (Boca Central). Effie Namdar proposed a transit‑oriented, rental‑focused plan the team described as dense — Namdar stated the submission includes about 8,000 units and said roughly 3,200 of those would be affordable. Namdar’s team told council it would deliver substantial public infrastructure and civic buildings in exchange for higher allowable density and proposed a reduced parking ratio intended to rely on Brightline, micromobility and shared rides.

- Related Ross. Related’s presentation, led by Jordan Vargas and Steve Ross, emphasized creating a downtown “heart” anchored by a new city hall and park around the existing banyan trees, about 5.8 acres of public open space, a curbless pedestrian retail street and a significant office program intended to attract higher‑paying jobs. Related said it expects to hold and operate its assets long‑term and to pursue LEED‑level sustainability and district certification.

- Roca Point Partners. Roca positioned itself primarily as a partner to deliver civic buildings and public infrastructure, offering to act as an owner’s representative or infrastructure developer that would produce pad‑ready parcels for private developers and ensure that city facilities (city hall, community center and other municipal needs) are completed to the city’s specifications.

Council concerns and follow‑up

Councilmembers pressed presenters and CBRE on a consistent set of issues: infrastructure risk on the west side of the tracks (aging utilities under city hall), traffic and parking impacts, the duration and legal form of affordable/workforce housing commitments, phasing and how long the city would be bound to particular commitments.

Deputy Mayor Drucker and others asked proposers to commit to wider protections for amenity space and to prefer long‑term affordable covenants where appropriate; Terra/Frisbie said they were willing to accommodate workforce housing and LEED/district certification, while Related said it would propose long‑term affordable/workforce commitments and a LEED Gold minimum for its buildings. Namdar repeatedly emphasized rental product and reliance on transit and said the firm would be willing to discuss reduced parking and other mitigations for traffic.

CBRE and staff confirmed that some fiscal calculations remain preliminary and that additional clarifications from proposers (for example, whether a proposed transfer fee covers first sale only or multiple sales) will change projected tax yields. CBRE used a 2% escalation and 4% discount rate as consistent modeling inputs for comparison.

Public outreach and next steps

Councilmembers and presenters repeatedly signaled that plans are malleable: proposers said massing, unit counts and program details can be adjusted during negotiation. Korst reiterated the schedule: council will rank the four firms on Feb. 11, staff will host an open house Feb. 19 and the city aims to have an interim framework agreement executed by March 18. Independent subject‑matter experts will continue to evaluate traffic, fiscal impact, sustainability and infrastructure capacity.

Public comment at the meeting urged broader citywide outreach, caution on tall buildings, stronger bike/ped connections (extensions of the Palmetto Park multi‑use trail and El Rio path) and careful vetting of developer capacity to complete projects.

What happens next

Councilmembers, staff and CBRE will use the next three weeks to refine financial models, gather community feedback at the Feb. 19 open house and prepare rankings on Feb. 11. Those rankings will guide negotiation of an interim agreement and the start of technical review — including traffic, geotechnical and utility studies — before any master development agreement is drafted.