Despite growing opposition from local residents, Boca Raton’s mayor and three city council members have indicated they will continue negotiations with Terra and Frisbie Group over a proposed large-scale redevelopment project. The plan would see approximately 31 acres of public land redeveloped, including the creation of a new government campus.
During a recent city council meeting, John Pearlman, founder of Save Boca, said that his group had collected 5,200 signatures for an initiative ordinance. This measure would require a voter referendum before any sale or lease of city-owned land larger than half an acre. According to the city code, once these signatures are certified, the council has between 30 and 60 days to approve the ordinance or send it to a special vote.
“The voice of the people is stronger than ever. They’re saying stop this project, they don’t want it,” Pearlman told council members.
Many residents argued that voters should have the final say on whether to approve a proposed 99-year lease agreement between Boca Raton and the Terra-Frisbie partnership. The deal would allow construction of a 1.5-million-square-foot government campus on public land that includes Memorial Park. More than 30 individuals voiced their opposition at the meeting, many wearing Save Boca t-shirts.
Mayor Scott Singer acknowledged that finalizing an agreement by October may not be possible but expressed support for continuing discussions and collecting more community feedback. “I think we are getting close to evaluating a plan that makes sense financially,” Singer said. “That we should just stop tonight, that is not giving an option.”
An interim plan approved by the council in June permits Terra and Frisbie Group to build 912 residential units, 150 hotel rooms, 350,000 square feet of offices, and about 152,000 square feet for retail and restaurants near the Brightline station. In return, developers would pay $5.1 million annually in rent plus a $10 million upfront payment; terms remain under negotiation.
Frisbie Group co-principal Rob Frisbie Jr. stated that the project could generate $3 billion in revenue over the next century and claimed that its net present value exceeds $350 million—enough to fund necessary upgrades for aging infrastructure as well as new public amenities.
The proposal also includes plans for building 20 mini-parks, realigning nearby streets, constructing new municipal facilities including a community center and police substation. City officials report current buildings are outdated or deteriorating.
However, many residents opposed removing recreational amenities such as baseball fields and courts from Memorial Park—a site dedicated to World War II veterans—and relocating them elsewhere in Boca Raton. Replacement facilities are planned at other parks throughout the city: new tennis courts at Meadows Park two miles away; four baseball fields at Sugar Sand Park three miles away; and a skatepark at North Park about four miles from its current location.
Council Member Andy Thomson spoke against the size of the development and its potential impact on traffic and recreation space displacement. He noted an independent audit will not be completed until late September and argued for delaying or putting the project up for referendum instead: “The increasing number of residents speaking out [against this project] reflect in my view an erosion of trust. They don’t trust this process,” Thomson said.
Mayor Singer responded that no final decision has been made regarding the project’s scope or details: both parties could still walk away from negotiations if needed. He also pointed out Thomson’s earlier support for another developer’s proposal at the same site.
Interest in development within Boca Raton continues to rise as more affluent newcomers move into Palm Beach County. Other projects recently approved in downtown include two hotel towers by Mizner Park developed by James and Marta Batmasian as well as apartment complexes by Group P6 and Mill Creek Residential at South Dixie Highway.
Terra and Frisbie have also acquired sites elsewhere in Palm Beach County for additional developments: purchasing land at former dog track sites for apartments in West Palm Beach (https://www.therealdeal.com/miami/2024/06/25/frisbie-terra-pay-21m-for-west-palm-beach-apartment-development-site/) and collaborating with Hines on bayfront condo towers (https://www.therealdeal.com/miami/2024/06/24/hines-frisbie-pay-42m-for-west-palm-beach-bayfront-condo-dev-site/). Meanwhile, Terra is advancing projects across Miami-Dade—including luxury condos on Watson Island (https://www.therealdeal.com/miami/2024/05/14/esj-terra-moving-forward-with-watson-island-luxury-condo-plan/)—and has secured major loans for developments such as Mr. C West Palm Beach condo hotel (https://www.therealdeal.com/miami/2024/08/13/david-martins-terra-scores-285m-loan-for-mr-c-west-palm-beach-hotel-condos/) as well as partnering with Michael Stern on high-rise plans in Miami Beach (https://www.therealdeal.com/miami/2024/07/15/michael-stern-teams-up-with-david-martin-to-build-miami-beach-tower-on-alton-road/) .
The debate over redevelopment plans remains ongoing while further studies are conducted.
