With the fate of a controversial Boca Raton redevelopment plan still in limbo, more details recently emerged about what it could bring to the city.
The proposed Boca Raton government campus redevelopment plan, known as One Boca by developers Terra and Frisbie, could bring residences, office space, shops, restaurants and more to the land near the city’s Brightline station.
At a recent city meeting, a potential layout of the project illustrated where these components could rise, and details about pedestrian-oriented features such as a promenade and streetscapes also were discussed.
The collective goal is to make the best use of a city ordinance that governs development regulations in Boca Raton, such as building height maximums and architectural design guidelines, said Bonnie Miskel, an attorney representing Terra and Frisbie.
“Working on better enhancing the pedestrian experience, creating a more interesting skyline and more interesting buildings that hopefully someday will be viewed as iconic, so that’s been our mission and our task,” Miskel said at a recent city meeting.
The One Boca developers plan to do this through a pedestrian promenade — which would be lined with retail — that will connect from the Brightline station and the library down to Palmetto Park Road.
“We’re creating this pedestrian space that isn’t there today, it isn’t really anywhere else in our city, but it is novel,” Miskel said.
New street sections, or streetscapes, also are planned to improve alignment problems and traffic flows in the area. Other pedestrian assets include bike path lanes, wide-covered walkways and a “mobility hub” for electric bike storage.
During the city meeting, Miskel also presented a possible layout of where the specific One Boca developments could be.
As proposed, 120,000 square feet of office space and a 30,000-square-foot grocer could sit in between the library and the Brightline station. Then, the hotel and the more than 900 residences could rise on land below the Brightline and directly east of Northwest Second Avenue.
Renderings presented during a public city of Boca Raton meeting depict the vision behind One Boca, the government campus redevelopment plan proposed near the city’s Brightline station. (One Boca)
“The proposed development will create a walkable, mixed-use destination where residents can live, work, shop and gather, with the introduction of new residential housing, including workforce housing, along with a grocery store, community-serving retail and a boutique hotel with public gathering spaces,” according to a statement from One Boca.
The original iteration of the project included more than 1,100 apartments, 250,000 square feet of office space, a hotel and nearly 85,000 square feet of retail, which would have spanned across about 30 acres at intersection between West Palmetto Park Road and Dixie Highway.
In response to architectural renderings presented to the City Council at the city meeting, Deputy Mayor Fran Nachlas called the design “very contemporary.”
“They need to say ‘Boca Raton’ more, and this doesn’t do that for me,” Nachlas said.
Some folks’ early reactions to the renderings were similar.
“I must say I was underwhelmed and unimpressed with the conceptual drawing and heights,” a Nextdoor user wrote after the city meeting. “I’m a resident that is trying to keep an open, objective mind. I feel the area needs an upgrade but I am now leaning towards a ‘no’ vote.”
City residents will have the opportunity to vote on the One Boca project during the March 10 election. The referendum question asks whether residents should approve an agreement with Terra and Frisbie to develop the project as proposed.
