BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — More affordable housing and retail is planned to be built in the heart of Boynton Beach. The Community Redevelopment Agency board decided on a developer for vacant lots along MLK Boulevard on the east side on Seacrest Boulevard.
The lots are currently full of weeds and trash, but the hopes are Centennial Management can transform the spaces into over 100 affordable apartments and retail space.
“Needs a little cleaning up around here,” said Clifford Bell, the manager at MLK Quick Stop.
The convenience store sits right in the middle of the new development, and Bell said it is good to see the city invest money into the heart of Boynton.
“It will bring more business,” he said.
Mayor Steven Grant said the MLK project is one the CRA board has worked on for years. The CRA has $1.6 million to invest into the MLK corridor. Grant said this project, along with the Sarah Simms Park renovation, and 500 Ocean, another affordable housing development, shows how the city cares about developing this part of Boynton.
“We are really impacting the historical Boynton Beach and making it the best we can,” said Grant.
Bell said the affordable housing is the No. 1 need in the area.
“There are a lot of low-income people around and they can’t afford to pay rent,” he said.
He hopes the retail space will have places for people to hang out and get off the streets, “If we can have some sports bars, stuff like that, things where they can go entertain themselves.”
Grant said the city will take input from the community on what to put in the retail space. They will have public meetings in the near future.