Residents delivered a resounding “no” to Boca Raton’s downtown redevelopment plans March 10 with nearly 75% of voters rejecting the One Boca 99-year land lease, according to unofficial results from the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Office.
The defeat of Referendum Question 2 halts a proposed public-private partnership that would have given a private developer control of 7.8 acres near the Brightline station. The project, which included a boutique hotel, a grocery store and 947 residences, was intended to generate revenue for the city to build a new City Hall, a community center and a police substation.
Supporters, including the Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce, had argued that the partnership offered a way to modernize aging civic infrastructure without the burden of a tax hike. Opponents voiced fears of overdevelopment and a virtual giveaway of public land.
“We did it!” Save Boca founder Jonathan Pearlman, said in a statement released on March 11. “Together, we proved that a grassroots movement can take on the deep pockets of out-of-town developers and out-of-touch politicians. Today, we celebrate this milestone in the fight to preserve the city we love.”
Nearly 75% of voters opposed One Boca downtown project
The final unofficial results with all 38 precincts reporting indicate that nearly 75% of voters rejected the plan. Results will be final when the Supervisor of Elections Office completes its canvassing of the results.
Pearlman also won a City Council seat on March 10, and his victory marked a significant shift in the board’s makeup.
Michelle Grau and Stacy Sipple, who won the other open council seats, also ran on platforms critical of the project and had Save Boca’s endorsement.
Their elections create a new majority block that has pledged to prioritize green space and resident input over high-density commercial growth.
Voters also defeat ballot question on new police station
Voters also rejected Referendum Question 1, which sought $175 million in general obligation bonds to fund a new police department headquarters and modern emergency facilities. Critics of this measure specifically targeted the 30-year property tax increase that would have been required to repay the debt.
The city had maintained that the current headquarters is no longer hurricane-rated and lacks the space needed for a force that has doubled since the building was constructed in the 1980s.
The vote for the police station was closer, according to unofficial results. Opponents won nearly 55% of the vote.
“The residents have spoken, and together, the city will have to chart a new path to enhance public safety and provide needed upgrades to our aging downtown infrastructure,” Mayor Scott Singer, who is leaving office this month because of term limits, said in a statement following the results.
Jasmine Fernández is a journalist covering Delray Beach and Boca Raton for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at jfernandez@pbpost.com and follow her on X at @jasminefernandz. Help support our work. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: One Boca foes say plan’s defeat shows voters’ distrust of developers
Reporting by Jasmine Fernández, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
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