By Mary Hladky
Long dormant plans to build a new government campus and a pedestrian bridge that Brightline passengers could use to reach the downtown have been revived by the Boca Raton City Council.
Council members added $300,000 to this fiscal year’s city budget that would be used to hire consultants to start planning both projects.
The council first started that process years ago to replace the old, outdated and deteriorating city hall, police department and community center. Consultant Song + Associates submitted two options in 2019 for a new government hub on the 30-acre, city-owned site on West Palmetto Park Road.
But the projected $200 million price tag stunned council members, who said they wanted to find ways to trim the cost. The start of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 brought the project to a halt.
Since then, the buildings’ conditions have worsened, requiring the city to spend money on costly repairs.
Mayor Scott Singer and City Manager Leif Ahnell have suggested that developers now may be interested in helping finance the project since the city land is located near the Brightline station.
Similarly, the idea for a Brightline passenger bridge is now back on the table.
When city and Brightline officials were negotiating to bring a station to Boca Raton, Brightline wanted the city to build a pedestrian bridge over Dixie and Federal highways so that people could safely walk between the station and downtown while being protected from the elements.
City officials calculated the cost at between $7 million and $12 million, much more than they wanted to spend. So they opted instead to improve the walkways to downtown on Northwest First Avenue and Northwest and Northeast Second Street at a cost of $3.3 million.
With the Brightline station now a reality, council sentiment has changed. Singer described the bridge as “vital.”
But the cost is unknown. Council members noted that Brightline is now building a pedestrian bridge at its Aventura station to give passengers easy access to the Aventura Mall.
They have heard that bridge will be very costly.
Brightline selected a contractor to do the work and expected to have a finalized contract with that company in October, the rail line said in an August construction report.
Brightline representatives did not respond to queries from The Coastal Star about the bridge’s cost.
Even if the city does not copy the Aventura bridge, “we know it will be an expensive endeavor,” said Deputy Mayor Monica Mayotte.
In another downtown matter, the council has approved a new long-term lease of city-owned land to the Boca Raton Historical Society.
The city’s historic town hall at 71 N. Federal Highway houses the Schmidt Boca Raton History Museum.
The 30-year lease at $1 per year includes a renewal option for another 20-year term.
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