Riviera Beach reviews three boardwalk concepts for Ocean Park, with costs ranging from about $5 million to $23 million

Consultants and staff told the Riviera Beach City Council on March 18 that a planned overhaul of Ocean Park could include a new boardwalk and expanded park amenities, with three very different cost and permitting profiles for the board to consider.

The consultant from 2GHO, George Jen Teal, outlined Concept A as smaller raised boardwalks and two observation decks that are relatively easy to permit and would cost roughly $1.4 million to $2.3 million for the walkouts; when combined with the other park improvements he estimated the total for Concept A at about $4.9 million to $5.8 million. “We’ve estimated the cost of the improvements that we’re doing here at about 3.5 to 4.5 million,” Teal said as he walked the council through the master plan.

Concept B would create a more aggressive, looped ADA-accessible boardwalk providing access from the north, center and south ends of the park; Teal estimated that option would be in the roughly $6.3 million to $9 million range. Concept C envisions a much wider elevated structure that could allow limited vehicular access and vendor kiosks beneath and above the deck; Teal described Concept C as the most expensive and most difficult to permit, estimating a range of about $19.5 million to $23.5 million.

Why it matters: staff said the city already allocated about $3 million from a 2024 general obligation bond for Ocean Park work and that additional appropriations or grant matches would be required for the larger boardwalk options. “The money that was authorized…that’s provided for as part of the 2024 bond is roughly about $3 million,” City Manager Jonathan Evans told the council, and he said staff has asked the board to consider additional funding as the project is refined.

Council and staff pressed consultants on permitting, phasing and materials. Teal said the smaller options would likely use wood piles while the largest structure would likely require concrete piles “if the state would let us do that,” and estimated permitting and construction for concepts A and B could take roughly 12–18 months depending on scope. Board members also suggested a wider deck (one councilmember recommended up to 30 feet in places) to accommodate large crowds at peak times.

Next steps: Staff asked the council for direction to take all three concepts to the public for community input. Several councilmembers emphasized public engagement, with one member saying the public should “weigh in on this…because it is their money.” Evans said staff could begin community meetings within two weeks and aimed to have public feedback and a final portfolio to return to council well before the summer season.

Speakers quoted in this article appear in the city’s speaker list and include consultant George Jen Teal and City Manager Jonathan Evans. Additional details on phasing, grant-seeking and exact funding decisions will be part of follow-up materials and the public outreach process.