BOCA RATON, Fla. — Boca Raton city leaders approved adding more housing, and importantly, more affordable housing, in the city.
In a 4–1 vote Tuesday night, the City Council approved turning the Holiday Inn at 701 NW 53rd Street into a place for people to actually live, not just stay for a few nights.
WATCH BELOW: 'Pretty cool they were able to repurpose an existing building into something the community needs,' Michael Stewart tells WPTV's Joel Lopez
That means converting 183 hotel rooms into 125 apartments, including 13 affordable units and seven workforce units reserved for people earning below certain income thresholds.
Local Support for the Project
The Holiday Inn is located north of Yamato Road and just west of Interstate 95.
WPTV asked Boca Raton residents what they thought of the project.
“I think that’s a great idea to bring some diversity to the area and make it affordable and accessible to a wide range of people,” Michael Stewart, who was having lunch down the road, said.
He’s lived in Boca Raton for nearly three years and said he's in favor of the innovative project.
“All I hear about them is building new high rises. So, that’s pretty cool they were able to repurpose an existing building into something the community needs," Stewart said. "I think it’s a great area and hopefully more apartments will help the cost of living go down a bit.”
A debate over how much affordability is enough
The project falls under the Commercial Industrial Multifamily Development (CIMD) designation, which requires 10% affordable and 5% workforce housing. That’s well below the levels required by Florida’s Live Local Act, which mandates 40% affordable units.
Council Member Jon Pearlman, who voted against the project, argued the city might be missing opportunities for deeper affordability.
“Had these seven CIMD projects been Live Local projects, we would have four times the amount of affordable housing across these seven projects right now,” Pearlman said.
Since CIMD was adopted in 2024, Boca has approved seven projects totaling about 2,200 new units, but no Live Local projects.
Mayor Andy Thomson summed up why the majority voted yes.
“It complies with our code. It complies with our comprehensive plan. It’s below the permitted FAR, it exceeds the required setbacks, it’s below the permitted height, it is increasing or it’s well within the parking requirement, it reduces traffic and there are no technical deviations or variances," Thomson said. "That is one of several reasons why this is a project that we can support.”
The bigger picture
For everyone who’s been watching Boca Raton’s housing crunch, this decision is a reminder: even small projects that convert existing spaces can make a dent. And with so many working families, teachers, nurses, and young professionals struggling to find a place they can afford here, those 20 income-restricted units matter.
A Personal Need for Affordable Housing
For Jimmy Williams, the Holiday Inn conversion hits close to home.
“We definitely need affordability out here,” he said, explaining that he helps take care of his senior disabled mother.
Finding a suitable place has been a challenge.
“Everything has kind of skyrocketed since the last 10 years, so it’s kind of tough,” Williams said.
When asked if he’d found anything affordable for his mom, his answer was simple.
“Not really?” Williams said.
He said he is already thinking about making the move once the project is complete.
“I was thinking about maybe once they have it up and running to rent here,” Williams said.
WPTV is working to get a response from the city on when work will begin on the project and when people can submit applications for a room.
Public Access — and Public Benefits
The vision goes beyond the apartments. The hotel’s former amenities space will become a 5,545 square-foot restaurant with outdoor dining.
Three small retail spaces will be added, along with an 8-foot shared-use path linking directly to the El Rio Trail, a new crosswalk, and a shuttle shelter.
One notable benefit, the developer offered up five public parking spaces so anyone can park and hop onto the El Rio Trail.
Land use attorney David Milledge painted a picture of the transformation.
“This would allow members of the public to come in, utilize five parking spaces so that they are able to access the trail. There’s not a lot of ability right now for someone to leave their house with their bicycle, find parking, get on the trail. So, this is an opportunity for them,” Milledge told the council. “What’s really important about this project is really this activation of this corridor. We all got to think of the opportunity that this presents in someone riding their bike or walking with their family. They see the activation, people out laughing, enjoying themselves, they’re getting a bite to eat, they’re having coffee, and it really creates this opportunity that’s not existing within the city of true commercial activation along this valuable trail that the city has with its proximity to the Tri-Rail station.”
For residents, that means walking or biking to Tri-Rail in minutes. For the city, it means creating a walkable, connected community instead of a gridlocked corner.
Vice Chair Yvette Drucker saw the location as key for student and professional housing.
“I think that that area is really ripe because the trail connects not only to Tri-Rail, but it connects to FAU as well," Drucker said. "And I think that could be a good area, for some student and also professional housing."
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