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CRA revises West Atlantic RFPs for workforce housing and design standards, delays issuance pending grocer and unsolicited proposer
Summary
The CRA reviewed draft RFPs for multiple West Atlantic Avenue blocks covering architectural styles, height preferences, workforce housing requirements (40% for SW blocks; 30% for the NW block), off‑site workforce unit options and revised fiscal‑impact scoring; board consensus was to hold off issuing RFPs until an unsolicited proposer and a potential grocer provide updates.
The Delray Beach CRA discussed draft requests for proposals for several West Atlantic Avenue redevelopment blocks at its May 26 meeting and agreed to delay issuing the RFPs until staff receives updates from an unsolicited proposer and a potential grocer considering relocation.
Staff walked the board through the RFPs for the Southwest 700 and 800 blocks and the separate RFP for the Northwest 800 block. The documents set five acceptable architectural styles (Florida vernacular, Anglo‑Caribbean, Main Street vernacular, Mediterranean Revival and Classic Traditional), allowed up to four stories per code while noting a planning preference for three, and required a residential workforce component. For the Southwest blocks staff set the residential component at a minimum of 40% workforce/low‑moderate units, and for the Northwest 800 block the workforce component was set at 30 because of parcel constraints.
The RFPs also include an option to count off‑site CRA‑owned lots as part of a proposer's workforce unit commitment; staff said five such lots are currently available for potential off‑site units. Staff said it incorporated prior comments into the evaluation criteria and split fiscal impact from financial structure scoring so that fiscal impact receives a modest share of the evaluation points.
Board members raised the commercial vs. residential mix for the Atlantic Avenue frontage and whether to require a larger commercial component. Several members suggested leaving commercial proportions flexible to see what market responses yield, and others urged waiting for the grocer's decision because a committed grocer could alter the desired commercial/residential balance. "I think the consensus is we just wait until we hear further with respect to the grocer," one board member said.
Because an unsolicited proposer for an adjacent block is still assessing options, staff recommended holding issuance until the proposer completes its response or until the board schedules a special meeting; the CRA's next regular meeting is in July. No RFPs were issued at the May meeting; staff said documents are ready to go when the board directs issuance.
