Boca Raton City Council Workshop - September 22, 2025

The City Council held a workshop on September 22, 2025, beginning at 10:50 AM (agenda time 11:00 AM). The meeting covered a proclamation for Hispanic Heritage Month, a major presentation and public comment on the proposed Government Campus Redevelopment Partnership with Terra Frisbee, and a detailed presentation on a public safety bond referendum for a new police headquarters. Council also discussed the 2026 meeting schedule and addressed numerous public comments on both items.

Proclamations/Presentations

• Hispanic Heritage Month Proclamation: Mayor Singer recognized community leaders including Dr. Neilis Luna (FAU dean), Clara Bennett (Boca Raton Airport Authority), Douglas Heiser (Boca Raton Tribune), and a representative from Hispanic Entrepreneurship Initiative. Councilmember Drucker, a first-generation Cuban American, spoke about the importance of the month. The proclamation was read and adopted.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Government Campus Redevelopment: A large majority of speakers expressed opposition to the plan, raising concerns about loss of green space, traffic, preservation of Memorial Park (a World War II memorial), and the privatization of public land. Key points:
  • John Perlman (Save Boca) stated that over 5,000 signatures were submitted for a citizen initiative to protect public land and criticized the city for not certifying the petition within the charter-required 20 days (city clerk noted the process was underway with the supervisor of elections).
  • Michael Liebelson questioned the financial projections, alleging that transferring 31 acres to a private developer for 99 years at a net present value of $228 million (as presented) would be a bad deal, and noted a pending billion-dollar litigation against Terra regarding the Surfside collapse (city attorney said disclosures are governed by state law).
  • Martha Parker expressed frustration over the loss of green space from a prior 2020 agreement and called planned green space numbers misleading.
  • Ellie Gascoigne (student) argued the park is the actual World War II memorial and that developing it dishonors veterans; she urged the council to scrap the plan.
  • Ken Harrington raised traffic concerns in Meadows Park and its single access road.
  • Several speakers (Darlene Ward, Michelle Grow, Joe Magis) called for the city to fund improvements itself rather than partner with a developer.
  • A few speakers (Nancy Joe Feinberg, one unnamed) supported the plan, citing the need for facility upgrades and the developer's willingness to listen.
• Public Safety Bond: No public comments were taken during the workshop; the item was presented for discussion only.

Discussion Items

• Government Campus Redevelopment Partnership Opportunity:

  • Terra Frisbee presented a revised master plan reducing residential density from 850 to 740 units, office space reduced, hotel removed, and retail scaled back. Changes included preserving all banyan trees, removing a residential building west of 2nd Avenue, adding a multipurpose field, eight tennis courts (with two potentially covered), a new memorial/monument, children's playground, reopening the Children's Museum (relocating historic Singing Pines building), and a new city hall with a mobility hub. The developer stated the plan now creates more usable green space (8 acres vs. 7.5 existing) and over 99 years would generate $2 billion in total revenues ($228 million net present value).
  • Council discussion: Councilmembers raised questions about the number of tennis courts, the Singing Pines building, the Rickards House (non-historic), and the need for a recreation master plan. Councilmember Wigder suggested combining city hall and community center, using city-owned workforce housing, and called for more community input before finalizing plans. Mayor Singer clarified that the city would retain fee simple ownership of all public spaces and buildings; only the private development parcels would be leased. Council agreed to continue public outreach with two upcoming charrettes (Sept 29 at Meisner Park, Oct 6 at 6500 Building) and slow down the process. No vote was taken on the campus plan.
  • Council confirmed that the public would have the final say via a referendum on the downtown campus project.

• Public Safety Bond Referendum:

  • CFO Jim Zervas presented a 25-year history of the need for a new police headquarters, currently housed in a 39-year-old, 35,000 sq ft facility that is undersized, non-hurricane-rated, and non-conforming. The proposed site is at Spanish River Boulevard (city-owned), central to the city's geographic growth. The project would build a 153,000 sq ft facility (expandable to 163,000 sq ft in a shell) at an estimated cost of $190.2 million (including contingencies and escalation).
  • Financing: Staff recommended a $175 million general obligation bond with a $15.2 million general fund contribution, keeping the city's AAA bond rating intact. The Financial Advisory Board (FAB) recommended a $125 million bond with $65 million cash (split vote 4-3; dissenting members wanted a higher bond amount). The difference for an average homeowner would be about $35.34 per year.
  • Council discussion: Councilmember Wigder, Drucker, and others supported the staff recommendation, citing the need to maintain reserve funds for other purposes. They also noted that even with a $175 million bond, the city's millage rate would remain below comparable cities. The police chief confirmed that patrol services would not be affected by moving the headquarters to a more central location; a 10,000 sq ft substation would remain downtown.
  • Council indicated support for placing the $175 million bond referendum on the March 10, 2026 ballot.

• 2026 City Council Meeting Schedule: Council approved the schedule as presented, with meetings on January 6 and January 20 (both starting at 10:00 AM) to be consistent with CRA meetings.

Key Outcomes

• Government Campus Redevelopment: Council agreed to continue community engagement through two public charrettes (Sept 29 and Oct 6) and to finalize a plan that will ultimately be subject to a public referendum. No formal decisions were made; further discussions on tennis court numbers, Singing Pines relocation, and other details will occur after community input.
• Public Safety Bond Referendum: Council stated intent to approve a resolution later that day to place a $175 million general obligation bond question on the March 10, 2026 ballot. Staff's financing recommendation was favored, with the understanding that the project will be delivered through a traditional design-bid-build model.
• 2026 Meeting Schedule: Approved unanimously.
• Public Petition: The city noted that it has transmitted the citizen initiative petition to the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections and is awaiting verification; the charter process is ongoing.