The actions described in this article relate to the Downtown Campus Redevelopment Project, including land use, zoning, and future planning steps tied to the adopted master framework. Readers can explore the full timeline and supporting documents here.
BOCA RATON, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2026) — The Boca Raton City Council voted 4–1 to approve the master partnership agreement and related deal documents for the One Boca downtown redevelopment plan, with Andrew Thompson casting the lone dissenting vote, as the project heads to a March 10 voter referendum.
The vote locks in the city’s negotiated framework with developers Terra and the Frisbie Group for redevelopment tied to the government campus area near the Brightline station, along with a reworked plan for Memorial Park. City staff framed Tuesday’s action as a major milestone, but also emphasized that the project cannot proceed without voter approval.
“While the next step ultimately rests with the voters on March 10th, I am very [proud] of the work that’s been accomplished to date and of reaching the first major milestone in the life of this project,” the city manager’s office told the council during the presentation.
Supporters and opponents packed the meeting and used public comment to argue over the same central question that has hung over the project for months: whether Boca Raton should enter a long-term public-private partnership on city-owned land to fund major civic facilities and reshape the downtown core.
Backers leaned hard on the revised footprint and the promise of more public space. One resident told the council the project has been cut down significantly since early versions were floated.
“Developers cut the project by 75%,” resident George Harper said. “The lease footprint dropped from 31 acres to 7.8 acres.”
Harper and other supporters also argued the plan concentrates private development east of Northwest 2nd Avenue while keeping the city’s park commitments intact, and they described the concept as a conventional public-private partnership model for delivering public facilities without a tax increase.
Another speaker described the plan as an opportunity to remake the downtown area around existing transportation and civic uses.
“Not only can we create a better living memorial, but this proposal will double the amount of usable green space downtown,” the resident said. “Doing nothing doesn’t preserve Boca, but commits to underutilization for decades to come.”
A portion of the meeting focused specifically on Memorial Park and how the site’s veterans memorial elements would be treated under the plan. Representatives connected to local veterans organizations described being brought into the process to shape a conceptual design intended to preserve the park’s legacy.
“One point we made very clear… was that we were not going to take a side,” Ken Woodevitt told the council, describing the veterans group’s role as ensuring any changes “was done in a respectful and honorable way” for those who served. Woodevitt called the park’s history significant to Boca Raton’s identity, citing the former air base and the military aviation history tied to the city.
Opponents, including members of the Save Boca movement, argued the deal is the wrong vehicle for public land and pushed residents to reject it at the polls. The group has been organizing against the redevelopment plan and has centered its messaging on keeping public property from being leased or transferred to private development interests without clear voter consent.
John Pearlman, Save Boca founder and candidate for City Council Seat B, Pearlman addressed the Save Boca followers, “If it weren’t for you, Memorial Park would be a demolition site right now.”
Pearlman urged voters to end the redevelopment plans in March and questioned whether the developers should be treated as long-term partners. Several speakers aligned with Save Boca framed the March vote as a referendum not just on the design, but on whether city leaders handled the process in a way residents can trust.
Opponents also focused on the project’s proximity to the Brightline station, arguing that the redevelopment’s success is tied to a private rail operator they say has shown financial uncertainty through recent debt restructuring. Speakers urged voters to weigh whether long-term public land decisions should hinge on a private company’s evolving balance sheet.
The political stakes have risen alongside the project itself. Save Boca’s opposition campaign has helped fuel a broader local civic movement, with multiple commission-seat candidates and at least one mayoral candidate emerging from the organizing effort as the city heads into election season.
City staff, for its part, told the council the action taken Tuesday approves the transaction structure and sets the legal framework for how the parties would work together, but the project remains conditional.
“The action that you’re taking today is adoption of Ordinance 5769, and that’s to approve the transaction with Terra Frisbee,” Deputy City Manager Andy Lukasik told the council, describing the package as including the master partnership agreement, master plan, a 99-year ground lease, and development and construction management terms.
What happens next is straightforward: the campaign moves from City Hall to the electorate. Between now and March 10, residents should expect escalating outreach from both sides, with messaging focused on the project’s promised revenue and public facilities, versus concerns about long-term control of public land and the scale of private development tied to the deal.
For voters trying to track it cleanly, the key takeaway is this: council approval does not equal final approval. The city has authorized the framework. The public will decide whether Boca Raton moves forward with One Boca on March 10.
Boca Post has followed the One Boca proposal from its earliest stages, including prior versions, public hearings, and the legal and political steps leading to the March vote. More Boca Raton News coverage is available here.
The proposed downtown campus and police headquarters projects won’t move forward without voter approval. Boca Raton residents will weigh in March 10 on two referendum questions that could shape the city’s core for decades. Full breakdown of the ballot, candidates, and deadlines.
You misquoted me. My remarks were about the Veterans Memorial aspects of the park. I did not comment on any other aspects of the project. Please retract my name from this article.