NIMBYism Wins in Boca Raton Election; Terra and Frisbie Group Lose

South Florida just got a major dose of NIMBYism. 

In what became a landslide in the city elections on Tuesday, Boca Raton voters blocked a proposal by Terra and Frisbie Group to redevelop the area around the City Hall into a mixed-use development. Voters also elected to the City Council the activist who led the campaign against the development.

Nearly 75 percent of voters rejected the firms’ bid for a 99-year ground lease over a 7.8-acre site between West Palmetto Park Road and North Dixie Highway, adjacent to the Brightline station and the Government Center Campus in Downtown Boca Raton.

The developers, some of South Florida’s most prominent real estate players, wanted to build a campus called One Boca, with 765 apartments, a 180-room hotel, 120,000 square feet of office space, 79,100 square feet of retail and commercial space, a 30,000-square-foot grocery store and 2,100 parking spaces.

“It was an honor to present our vision and engage with residents and stakeholders about the future of downtown and Memorial Park,” according to a statement from Frisbie Group and Terra. “While this was not the outcome we had hoped for, we appreciate the community’s thoughtful participation and dialogue throughout this process.”

Last year, the City of Boca Raton solicited bids to redevelop a 30-acre site and eventually selected Terra and Frisbie Group over other high-profile developers, such as billionaire Stephen Ross. 

But opposition mounted among locals, led by Save Boca, a group founded by Jon Pearlman. Main concerns revolve around the scale of the One Boca project and a lack of public engagement from the municipality and developers early in the process. In response, the developers reduced the size of the development down to 7.8 acres. 

But it wasn’t enough. While rejecting the One Boca plan, voters also elected Pearlman, a former pro tennis player, \to the Boca Raton City Council, choosing him over incumbent Marc Wigder. Candidates Stacy Sipple and Michelle Grau, backed by Save Boca, also won seats on the City Council.

The mayoral race is headed to recount as just six votes separates the top two candidates, sitting City Council member Andy Thomson and newcomer Mike Liebelson.

Update: The story was updated to include a statement from the One Boca team.

Julia Echikson can be reached at jechikson@commercialobserver.com