Developers David Martin of Terra and the Frisbie Group have moved closer to launching the One Boca mixed-use project after the Boca Raton Planning and Zoning Board unanimously supported a 99-year lease for the development. The project, planned for 7.8 acres of city-owned land near the Brightline train station, includes 947 residential units, a hotel, office space, retail, and parking.
The board’s 7-0 vote means that when the proposed development agreement goes before the Boca Raton City Council on January 6 for its first reading, it will carry a positive recommendation. If approved by council members, city voters will have final say in a ratification vote scheduled for March 10.
According to a city memo, current plans call for Frisbie Group and Terra to build 765 apartments—including 77 workforce units—180 hotel rooms, 120,000 square feet of office space, a grocery store spanning 30,000 square feet, and 2,100 parking spaces on city land north of Palmetto Park Road. The apartments would be located where the Boca Raton Police Station currently stands at 101 Northwest Boca Raton Boulevard.
Additionally, Frisbie and Terra plan to develop a separate mixed-use building with 182 condominium units on private land under contract at 141 Northwest Fourth Street.
The total new construction for One Boca is just over 538,000 square feet—a reduction from initial proposals earlier this year that envisioned more than four times as much space across multiple parcels including Memorial Park and city hall. The original plan was scaled back following community opposition and legal challenges from residents’ group Save Boca. The group collected enough signatures to prompt a referendum requiring public votes on large-scale public land deals; while a judge blocked such referendums in general (a decision now under appeal), council members agreed to let voters decide specifically on One Boca.
In response to criticism and feedback from residents, developers further limited their proposal by confining new construction east of Northwest Second Avenue. Land west of this avenue—including Memorial Park—will remain designated for public use with amenities such as a new city hall and recreational facilities built by Terra and Frisbie in exchange for an as-yet-undetermined developer’s fee. They have also committed $7.9 million toward off-site public improvements.
Under terms outlined in the draft lease agreement presented Thursday night, developers would pay the city annual percentages of gross revenues: seven percent from residential components and four percent each from retail, office, and hotel operations. An additional ten percent would be paid above certain revenue thresholds related to project costs.
Deputy City Manager Andrew Lukasik told board members that “the lease also has strong default and termination rights for the city.”
While developers claim their project could generate more than $2 billion in rent and taxes over time according to their website projections, critics argued at Thursday’s meeting that actual returns could be far lower—possibly less than $50 million over nearly a century.
Board members were instructed not to consider financial details but rather whether leasing city land long-term aligns with downtown planning goals. “You will not be evaluating the leases themselves in terms of economics, nor the criteria used to select its [developer] partner, nor evaluating the [developers’] ability to implement the project,” Lukasik said.
Board member Gergory Mitchell expressed concern about financial outcomes but urged council members “to get the best bang for our buck.” Timothy Dornblaser said developing near transit was logical given growth trends around Brightline stations. Board chairman Arnold Sevell added: “We have good momentum and I think we should keep it moving.”
Save Boca founder Jon Pearlman remained critical: “We are in power. We are in control,” he said during public comment. “This is just a show, and it is meaningless and we have the ultimate say and vote.”
