BOCA RATON, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2026) — Debate over Boca Raton’s proposed new police headquarters is continuing more than two months after voters rejected a bond referendum tied to the project.
The March 10, 2026 ballot question asked Boca Raton voters whether the city should issue up to $175 million in general obligation bonds to help finance a new police department headquarters and related public safety facilities. The city’s own project page now lists the police headquarters referendum as failed, while saying staff would review the results and work with the newly elected City Council to evaluate the most appropriate path forward.
Opponents of the project are now urging residents to contact City Council and object to any move forward with what they describe as a $190 million police station plan. The renewed pressure comes ahead of the city’s May 26 Community Redevelopment Agency, City Council workshop and regular City Council meeting, scheduled for 10 a.m. at the 6500 Building, 6500 Congress Avenue.
The city has previously said the current police headquarters at 100 NW Boca Raton Boulevard is nearly 40 years old, is not hurricane-rated, lacks enough space for all staff and equipment, and does not meet current standards. The proposed project was planned for a site on Spanish River Boulevard near I-95.
The opposition message argues that the cost is out of line with other Florida police headquarters projects. It points to Bradenton, where the police department broke ground in 2025 on a new headquarters with an estimated cost of about $35 million and a 50,399-square-foot main building, according to the Bradenton Police Department.
The message also compares Boca Raton’s proposal with Hollywood’s new police headquarters project. Hollywood’s public project tracker lists a cost estimate of $72,551,950 for its police headquarters project, while other Hollywood project materials describe a facility of roughly 100,000 square feet with secure parking and a new radio tower.
Opponents also cite Fort Lauderdale as a cautionary example. Fort Lauderdale voters approved a $100 million bond for a new police headquarters in 2019, but reporting by Local 10 in 2024 found that construction was affected by a design flaw involving a roof slab crack and support issues. The city later faced additional questions after an independent report raised safety concerns, according to WLRN.
Fort Lauderdale has since said its police department began relocating operations to the new headquarters at 1300 W. Broward Boulevard in 2026.
In Boca Raton, the central question now is what the city does after the failed vote. The city’s project page says the referendum did not pass but that the need to address public safety facility needs remains. Opponents say the vote should force the city to pause, reconsider the scale of the project and use a more competitive process before advancing any new headquarters plan.
The opposition message asks residents to email City Council and copy Save Boca, arguing that Boca Raton does not need what it calls a “Taj Mahal” government building. That phrase reflects the opponents’ characterization of the project, not the city’s official description.
No final post-referendum plan was included in the source material provided to Boca Post.
Roadway improvements, public works upgrades, and capital investments affect neighborhoods across the city. Read the latest infrastructure and growth coverage in our Boca Raton City Government and Development section.
