BOCA RATON, Fla. — Developers behind the proposed Boca Raton Government Campus project have released new designs, a full financial breakdown, and a significantly reduced footprint for the redevelopment plan.
WATCH BELOW: 'The traffic will be unbearable once it’s built,' Adam Dearborn tells WPTV
This week, the development team presented updated renderings and financial projections for the One Boca master plan. The biggest revision reduces the amount of public land used from 31 acres to 7.72 acres. Under the new proposal, all land west of Northwest Second Avenue, including Memorial Park, would remain publicly owned. Private development would be limited to the east side near the Brightline station.
According to the updated plan, the privately developed section would include 947 residential units, 85,098 square feet of retail space, 120,000 square feet of offices and a hotel with 180 rooms. The hotel, which had been removed in earlier plans, is now back in the project. Developers said the plan also enhances Memorial Park and expands park amenities.
Still, many residents said the changes fall short.
“They’re just pushing all the high rises across the street,” Boca Raton resident Adam Dearborn said. “They took away the hotel and now it's back. They’re just moving stuff around.”
Boca Raton
2nd lawsuit seeks to stop this government redevelopment project
Traffic and construction impacts remain a dominant concern.
“Second Avenue can’t bear that amount of traffic. The construction will be unbearable. The traffic will be unbearable once it’s built,” Dearborn said.
Developers argue the updated plan provides major financial benefits to the city. According to the project’s financial model, Boca Raton would receive lease payments tied to rental income over a 99-year term. New city property tax revenue from the private improvements is estimated at $83.5 million in today’s dollars, with another $52.6 million generated for the Community Redevelopment Agency.
WATCH BELOW: Third version of Boca Raton downtown campus project revealed
Developers said the city could see more than $2 billion over the course of the lease, along with new public facilities including a new city hall, a community center, and improvements to Memorial Park.
But the changes still aren’t enough to sway many residents who remain firmly opposed.
"We don’t need it, we have enough money to do it ourselves. We don’t have to sell out to a developer for 99 years,” Dearborn said. “I’ll vote it down.”
City commissioners are expected to vote on the master plan in January. If approved, the project would then go before voters in March.
Read more of WPTV's related coverage below:
Boca Raton
'Misleading': Resident wants injunction to stop Save Boca ballot measure
Real Estate News
Boca Raton redevelopment moves forward, but residents have these concerns
Boca Raton
Interim master plan for Boca Government Campus unveiled, concerns still remain
Boca Raton
