Scott Singer is the 35th Mayor of Boca Raton and was re-elected in 2023. A South Florida native, attorney and small business owner, Scott and his wife Bella live in Broken Sound with their two children.
After many years of discussions, meetings and community input, the city continues to progress in transforming our outdated downtown government campus into a thriving community- oriented gathering place.
At our June meeting the City Council directed staff to move forward with the next steps toward achieving what will be a generational project that will fulfill our long-term vision and top priority to replace aging facilities with modern, top-notch amenities that our residents deserve.
Earlier this year the City Council carefully selected Terra & Frisbie Group as our partner to create a destination that best serves our residents. Their plans include building a new City Hall and Community Center and adding a mix of offerings, including residences, a hotel, offices, shops and restaurants that create a district that provides benefits to residents after regular business hours.
With national interest from top developers to revitalize our disjointed government campus the City Council opted to choose partners who have shown they will listen to what our residents want to see in this new destination that capitalizes on our Brightline station and proximity to our beloved Mizner Park.
We are still working out many specifics in the coming weeks and months, but we know that this project should generate billions of dollars over its life in tax revenue alone, including hundreds of millions of dollars in current value to enable the city to have the public resources that residents need, want and expect. The fact that details are still in progress means that residents have plenty more opportunities to provide input and feedback – in addition to the more than 25 noticed meetings in the past year and a half.
The process is dynamic by design. The City Council opted to pursue a method to complete this project that is flexible, allows residents to share their ideas and is the most cost effective. To ensure that residents are involved in the plans the City Council selected to utilize a public- private partnership, which is a collaboration between a government agency and private-sector company, often on large scale infrastructure projects. In addition to leveraging private-sector expertise, innovative approaches, access to capital and a slew of other benefits, P3s enable governments and their partner to deliver projects more effectively and efficiently with flexibility.
The framework for what we envision is taking shape thanks to community input over the dozens of public meetings so far. Our partners responded to our community’s requests by reducing the number of residential units in the project, further solidifying its plan as a least dense and intense proposal. The plans also commit to creating a walkable district and enhanced recreational and public spaces.
While some of our current recreational offerings will be impacted by the renovation, the city is committed to ensuring that any changes and relocations will be upgrades. Some of the enhancements include: • New softball fields and upgraded facilities in partnership with the Beach and Park District at Sugar Sand Park.
• Tennis in the downtown and at Meadows Park. • Skate Park developed in partnership with the Beach and Park District at North Park. • Basketball court downtown. • Children’s Museum relocated and activated at Meadows Park (which was already scheduled to take place independent of the downtown project).
Another relocation and upgrade will be to our Police Station. The city is moving ahead A long-desired plan to relocate the Police Station to a more suitable location by the Spanish River Library. As our city has evolved it is no longer ideal to locate our police station by the railroad tracks and near a growing pedestrian-oriented district. The project will include a downtown police substation.
The plan also calls for adding offices and a hotel, which will provide an economic boost to our already robust business community and fill the need many residents have sought for new, modern choices to welcome out-of-town guests.
As we continue to strive to attract the best employees and offer residents the top-in-class amenities and services, it is important that we have the facilities to match those high expectations. We are also looking to incorporate an affordable housing component into the partnership agreement, so our hard-working employees have a place to live in the city where they work.
This project comes at an exciting time in our city’s history. As we celebrate our Centennial and our 100 years of success, we are laying the groundwork and vision of our city for the next century.
Building upon the milestone we met in June the city and our partners are working to further refine and improve the plans. Community input and feedback remains essential as the project evolves. Please be sure to provide your feedback through the city’s feedback form or attend an upcoming public meeting – or reach out to me directly.
For additional background information on the project, please visit https://myboca.us/1431/Government-Campus. As always, you can share any thoughts you have at [email protected], and stay connected on Facebook, X, and Instagram at @scottsingerusa
