chamber of commerce - News - The Coastal Star2024-03-29T14:21:24Zhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/chamber+of+commerceCoastal Star: Boca Raton’s Business Leader of Year has soft spots for YMCA, other charitieshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/coastal-star-boca-raton-s-business-leader-of-year-has-soft-spots-2023-05-03T17:21:43.000Z2023-05-03T17:21:43.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}11063062679,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}11063062679,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="11063062679?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a><em>Paul Adkins, CEO of Florida Peninsula Insurance Co., is surrounded by family photos and a gadgety gift at his office in Boca Raton. <strong>Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>By Faran Fagen</strong></p>
<p>Trustworthiness and caring are key characteristics that drive a lot of successful business leaders. So says Florida Peninsula Insurance Co.’s Paul Adkins, whom the Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce has named as Business Leader of the Year.</p>
<p>Adkins has made outstanding contributions to the business world and significant changes to the communities he serves, said Troy McLellan, the chamber president.</p>
<p>“A leader in his industry, Adkins, along with the other recipients, has created jobs, contributed to our overall economic growth, and has set the bar high for those to follow,” McLellan said.</p>
<p>Adkins was excited, honored and humbled to receive the award. “The reality is that I have a great group of partners and a great team so I view this as recognition for all of us,” he said.</p>
<p>Adkins started Florida Peninsula — one of the 10 largest homeowners insurance companies in the state — 17 years ago with five partners, all veteran insurance professionals.</p>
<p>What started as a modest idea has grown into an iconic business that has 190,000 customers in Florida. Adkins is chairman and chief executive officer.</p>
<p>“It’s been a lot of hard work but it has also been a lot of fun,” Adkins says. “Florida Peninsula has also made it a priority to give back to the community and it’s a critical way to stay connected.”</p>
<p>A company group called Florida Peninsula Gives Back offers employees the opportunity to donate their time and money to different charities every month. These include building homes for Habitat for Humanity, helping stuff Thanksgiving boxes for Boca Helping Hands and working with the Wounded Warriors Project.</p>
<p>“It’s a win for both our company and community, and our employees love it,” said Adkins, 59.</p>
<p>The 30-year Boca Raton resident volunteers for several causes in the community, including Boca Raton Regional Hospital, Habitat for Humanity, In The Pines and, of course, the</p>
<p>Chamber of Commerce. However, the YMCA of South Palm Beach County is the place with which he feels most connected. </p>
<p>“I’ve worked with them for over 20 years, including two years of being chief volunteer officer,” Adkins says. “I’m constantly amazed at how much the Y does for the community. If you consider the breadth of services it provides, it touches over 30,000 in South Palm Beach County every year.”</p>
<p>In addition to Adkins’ award, the Boca chamber will recognize the Business of the Year (Palm Beach State College) and Small Business Leaders of the Year (Bonnie and Jon Kaye) during a May 19 luncheon at Boca West Country Club.</p>
<p>Adkins was also recognized by <em>South Florida Business & Wealth</em> magazine as a 2019 Apogee Awards honoree. The awards recognize distinguished leaders for dedication to their industries and communities.</p>
<p>Adkins and his wife, Kathryn, grew up in Salisbury, Maryland. He went to Dartmouth College and majored in computer science, and then got his master’s in business administration at Harvard.</p>
<p>Prior to cofounding Florida Peninsula, he cofounded Seven Seas Communications, which sold satellite phone service to yachts and fishing vessels throughout the world.</p>
<p>“From that point forward, I knew I only wanted to work in entrepreneurial businesses,” Adkins says.</p>
<p>He served as a strategy and operations consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton and general manager for the Americas for the Stratos Global Corp.</p>
<p>Golf is his favorite hobby, and he enjoys hiking and skiing. He has two daughters, Lauren, 26, and Caroline, 23.</p>
<p>“Between raising two wonderful girls, working in a company with people that love to come to work every day, and helping out local charities, I really feel blessed,” he says. </p>
<p><span style="font-size:10pt;"><strong>NOMINATE SOMEONE TO BE A COASTAL STAR</strong> </span><br /><em>Send a note to news@thecoastalstar.com or call 561-337-1553.</em></p></div>Lantana: Council schooled on Ocean Avenue development struggleshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/lantana-council-schooled-on-ocean-avenue-development-struggles2022-06-29T16:12:21.000Z2022-06-29T16:12:21.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p> </p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10604984498,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10604984498,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="10604984498?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a></strong><em>Twelve small cottages line the north side of Ocean Avenue in downtown Lantana. </em></p>
<p><strong>By Mary Thurwachter</strong></p>
<p>The cluster of yellow, blue and pink Key West-style cottages on the north side of Ocean Avenue between Oak Street and Lake Drive has been part of downtown Lantana’s landscape for decades.<br />Today, many of the 12 buildings are in various states of disrepair and only one — a bungalow at 201 E. Ocean Ave. — is inhabited. It is home to Oceano Kitchen, a small but widely acclaimed restaurant with a big following.<br />Everyone talks about bringing in new businesses downtown, but that’s not likely to happen any time soon because of challenges faced by the town, the property owners and the businesses that would like to locate there, according to Nicole Dritz, Lantana’s development services director. <br />Dritz brought members of the Town Council together in late May for a workshop to address the downtown issues.<br />The property owners, the sister-and-brother team of Marsha Stocker and Steven Handelsman, want to rent out the buildings to businesses. Their parents, Burt and Lovey Handelsman, previously owned the cottages, which are on four contiguous property parcels.<br />Although potential businesses have made inquiries, Dritz said the cottages must be brought up to code — and have site plans approved if they have been vacant for more than six months — before the businesses can receive the business tax receipts needed to operate. Some of the buildings have been unoccupied since 2004.<br />Dritz said the inquiries include those from a jet-ski rental company, a doggie daycare and an artist village.<br /> “One developer wanted to take all four parcels and do a unity of title so we would treat it as one, and do a very Key West-style boutique resort,” she said.<br />Jeremy Bearman, owner of Oceano Kitchen, had hoped to rent the former Mario’s Italian restaurant building at 225 E. Ocean Ave. to expand his business, but was unable to reach a lease agreement with the owners. He had planned to spend $500,000 for extensive renovations on the building.<br />Dritz said the town staff had been working with the property owners and that some improvements have been made, but “they are still not in compliance in terms of what we issued the code violations on.”<br />She said: “The code fines are getting up there and we have told them, ‘Listen, if you want a break on those code fines, show us what you’re going to do, get an application in, give us something to go on.’”<br />The owners have been fined $250 a day per parcel and those fines have surpassed $300,000, according to Dritz. None of the fines has been paid to date.<br />The owners prefer not to sell, Dritz said. “They would like to keep the structures as is and get tenants to rent those. They aren’t completely taking off the table working with a developer, maybe doing some kind of land lease where they lease the land and the developer comes and builds something on it.” <br /> In an email reply to questions from The Coastal Star, Stocker said, “We are trying to work out a resolution so that these units can be rented. If we cannot come to a satisfactory resolution we will need to re-evaluate our options.”</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">‘Frustrating for everybody’</span><br /> The empty cottages on Ocean Avenue have been a concern to the Chamber of Commerce for years.<br />“It’s frustrating for everybody — for us at the Chamber, for the town and for the residents. That little street could be so awesome,” said Dave Arm. <br />“As president of the Chamber, I’ve said I’d love to see that become a mini–Atlantic Avenue or a mini–Lake Avenue, where you could go have a drink in one place, have dinner in another, have dessert in another and go stop at a little boutique or something. <br />“Stroll Ocean Avenue. And right now, you’ve got a gap in there. That’s a damn shame. It’s frustrating and there just doesn’t seem to be a solution. Until the owners decide to play ball, I can’t see anything happening.”</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Parking issues</span><br /> Parking also has been problematic for downtown businesses. In 2019, to help the businesses, the town decreased its downtown parking requirement from 25 spaces per 1,000 square feet of gross floor area to 12 spaces. And last September, when Bearman came to the town seeking relief from the requirements that called for 49 spaces for the Mario’s site, he was granted a variance reducing the number to 18.<br />There are different ways to deal with parking, Town Attorney Max Lohman told the council at the workshop.<br />“Municipalities that have the constraint parking challenges similar to ours draw a box, they pick a zone, they change the parking requirements in that zone. Many of you have said you’ve never had a problem parking. ... Which would lead me to think that maybe, under the circumstances, the parking requirements are too strict in that area. And then, it would be something we could look at to potentially change,” he said. <br />“Then again ... if those vacant parcels ever become occupied, there’s a chance you might have a parking problem. But honestly, having a parking problem is a good problem to have. If you don’t have a parking problem, people aren’t coming. So, if you get a parking problem, we will figure it out.”<br />Lohman said it’s almost better to relax the regulations and then address the problem when it comes.<br />He said the town could better utilize the parking lot at Sportsman’s Park at night.<br />“You could potentially monetize that,” Lohman said. “Those large boat trailer parking spots could easily be chopped up into two or three.”<br />Another idea, he said, would be for the town to hire a valet service to benefit all the Ocean Avenue restaurants. “You could assess them (the businesses) the cost of it so they would be specifically benefiting from it. I’m not saying that’s the right solution, but I’m saying there are other solutions.”<br />Others suggestions are to add more parking spaces at Lyman Kayak Park or at the tennis courts at the recreation center.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Going forward</span><br />Dritz asked the council to weigh in on how to proceed. <br />“Do you wish for us to continue to capture those site plans like we are, or do you wish to see vacancies filled quickly, keeping those existing buildings with existing spec conditions in play, so that would require a code change to just basically eliminate the need for compliance?”<br />By consensus, council members agreed to continue enforcing the zoning laws that require site plans, landscape plans and signage. They want to keep the six-month vacancy requirements and will review special exception uses for each zoning district. And they are open to further loosening parking requirements.<br />“I like what you’re doing,” council member Lynn (Doc) Moorhouse told Dritz. “A lot of those places look like crap to me. I live next door to this. They’re falling down.”<br />Mayor Robert Hagerty said he wanted to stay the course. “I like the site plans. I like working the way you’re doing it. The problem I’ve got is if we leave those houses ... the same way that they are, they are decrepit. People could be injured.” </p></div>Lantana: Candidates weigh in on possible hotel at beachhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/lantana-candidates-weigh-in-on-possible-hotel-at-beach2022-03-02T17:05:05.000Z2022-03-02T17:05:05.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10165261264,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10165261264,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="10165261264?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a><em>(l-r) Chamber president and moderator Dave Arm at the Feb. 24 forum with candidates John Raymer, Lynn Moorhouse, Joe Farrell, Media Beverly, Ed Schropshire and Kem Mason. </em><strong><em>Mary Thurwachter/The Coastal Star</em><br /></strong></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong> </strong></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Related stories:</strong> <a href="https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/lantana-six-candidates-square-off-in-two-races" target="_blank">Six candidates square off in two races </a><strong>|</strong> <a href="https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/lantana-town-bids-farewell-to-malcolm-balfour-after-nine-years-on" target="_blank">Town bids farewell to Malcolm Balfour after nine years on council</a></p>
<p><strong>By Mary Thurwachter</strong></p>
<p>Six candidates for two seats on Lantana’s Town Council discussed several topics — agreeing on many of them — during a forum hosted by the Lantana Chamber of Commerce at the Palm Beach Maritime Academy on Feb. 24. They showed enthusiasm for the master plan, want beach restoration, and are interested in attracting good, taxpaying businesses. <br /> But when moderator and Chamber President Dave Arm asked if any of them would be open to a public/private partnership for adding restaurants and a hotel at the public beach, the majority answered with a resounding “no.” Such a proposal has not been formally made, but rumors have swirled about it since early last year.<br /> “I don’t want a hotel at the beach,” said Lynn Moorhouse, the only incumbent running. Moorhouse, a retired dentist, said that traffic flow is already bad over the bridge and if a hotel were built at the beach, traffic “would be nuts.” <br /> Traffic was also a concern for Media Beverly, a longtime council watcher who successfully advocated to keep medical marijuana dispensaries out of town.<br /> “Hotel? No,” she said. “I’ve talked to a lot of people during this campaign in all of Lantana and I’ve asked them and it’s a resounding ‘no.’ Our beach is only 750 feet; that’s all we have. For a lot of people in this town, that’s the only recreational source they have. To put a hotel up there, even with incorporated parking, you’re still talking about traffic. To add any traffic in that corridor would not be sustainable.”<br /> Former council member Ed Shropshire, a retiree who lost his bid for reelection two years ago, said the beach is a treasure and should be treated as such. While not in favor of a hotel, he said the beach “could be utilized a little bit better, without crowding out the people.” <br /> Kem Mason, a retired firefighter and former lifeguard and surfer, was also against the idea.<br /> “No hotel, that’s one of our jewels,” he said of the beach. “I can speak for all the surf rats, and, no, no hotel.”<br /> Newcomer John Raymer, an Army veteran who manages Ace Rental Place, and Joe Farrell, a flooring distributor who has run for office before, said they would be open to looking at it. Raymer said it would be “up to the residents to decide,” and Farrell said adding a hotel could be a way to bring in new revenue.<br /> When candidates were asked about how they would bring more revenue to the town, Farrell said the town needs to “make things happen that we didn’t think about before.” He said that 10 years ago one of his neighbors suggested selling Bicentennial Park for condo development and having the town buy the Cenacle property for a waterside park. <br /> “The Cenacle property’s gone so we don’t have to worry about it,” he said. “But we have to look at ideas like that.”<br /> Beverly said the town needs to rein in some of its expenses and add businesses, “but we have to be careful, very prudent and we have to be strategical about it. There’s very limited commercial space here in Lantana.”<br /> She said code revision and zoning need to be tackled to attract business and there is grant money the town hasn’t tapped into that could help with many projects.<br /> Shropshire said he thinks the town needs to do a better job of vetting contractors. <br /> “For example, the major contractor for the library bailed because he didn’t have the correct certification.” The library will “sit there another two months before they even start again. We’re losing money like that,” Shropshire said.<br /> Mason said as someone who worked for the government as a lifeguard and firefighter for more than three decades, he has seen a lot of waste. <br /> “We need to instill in our employees not to waste. And we need to work with businesses to come to town, we cannot discourage businesses from coming to the town — they pay taxes and help support us.”<br /> Moorhouse said a lot of money would be coming in from Water Tower Commons, a retail and residential project on the site of the former A.G. Holley hospital, and from Aura Seaside, an apartment complex on the former Cenacle site.<br /> Moorhouse and Raymer said they would look to the new master plan for guidance in bringing in revenue.<br /> In a related matter, candidates learned that all campaign signs on Lantana Road had been removed in the middle of the night on Feb. 23. Police Chief Sean Scheller reported that a video captured by a camera outside of Arm’s gym showed a nondescript man putting signs in a pickup truck.<br /> Scheller said the rightful owners of the signs, the candidates, had not filed any police reports yet, but several said they planned to do so.<br /> The election is March 8.</p></div>Lantana: Town bids farewell to Malcolm Balfour after nine years on councilhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/lantana-town-bids-farewell-to-malcolm-balfour-after-nine-years-on2022-03-02T16:57:03.000Z2022-03-02T16:57:03.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10165245063,RESIZE_584x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10165245063,RESIZE_584x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10165245063?profile=RESIZE_584x" width="438" /></a></strong><em>Malcolm Balfour gets a smooch from Karen Lythgoe at Balfour’s last meeting. <strong>Mary Thurwachter/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Related stories: </strong><a href="https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/lantana-six-candidates-square-off-in-two-races" target="_blank">Six candidates square off in two races </a><strong>| </strong><a href="https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/lantana-candidates-weigh-in-on-possible-hotel-at-beach?edited=1" target="_blank">Candidates weigh in on possible hotel at beach</a></p>
<p><strong>By Mary Thurwachter</strong><br /> <br /> There was no celebratory cake in sight, but fellow council members and residents gave Lantana Vice Mayor Malcolm Balfour a standing ovation after the town meeting he presided over on Feb. 28. Balfour, 83, has served on the council since 2013 and is not seeking reelection.<br /> “We want to thank you for your years of service,” said Police Chief Sean Scheller. “You’ve always been there for us.”<br /> Town Clerk Kathleen Dominguez said how much staff enjoyed working with him and that he would “always have a friend in the clerk’s office.”<br /> Although the current mayor, Robert Hagerty, wasn’t present that evening, which is why Balfour presided over the meeting, former Mayor Dave Stewart — who like Balfour lives on Hypoluxo Island — said, “Mr. Balfour has served his community well for nine years. Before voting, he always looked at all aspects of an issue and was a very responsible councilman.”<br /> Chamber of Commerce President Dave Arm said Balfour has “served the town wonderfully” and thanked him for all his support.<br /> Born in South Africa, Balfour and his wife, Ilona, have lived in Lantana since 1972, when he was hired as a journalist for the National Enquirer.<br /> Three people are seeking Balfour’s spot: Media O. Beverly, Kem Mason and Edward P. Shropshire.</p>
<p>In other action, the town:<br /> • Approved a special exception request to allow a tattoo shop at 508 W. Lantana Road.<br /> • Approved a request from First Baptist Church of Lantana to hold Easter sunrise service at the Dune Deck Café at the beach from 5:30 to 7 a.m. on April 17.<br /> • Waived rental fees to allow for tent installation at the Recreation Center for the Lantana Chamber of Commerce’s 27th annual Fishing Derby, May 12-15. For more details, visit <a href="http://www.lantanafishingderby.com/retreats">www.lantanafishingderby.com/retreats</a>.</p></div>Lantana: Council agrees after residents object again to marijuana dispensarieshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/lantana-council-agrees-after-residents-object-again-to-marijuana-2022-02-02T17:07:54.000Z2022-02-02T17:07:54.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>By Mary Thurwachter</strong></p>
<p>After hearing comments from dozens of residents, the Lantana Town Council voted unanimously on Jan. 24 not to allow medical marijuana dispensaries. <br /> Lantana has prohibited them since December 2017, but the issue resurfaced last summer when a local businessman asked the Town Council to reconsider and enact an ordinance allowing the pharmacies. At that time, the town voted down the ordinance.<br /> Last October, Mayor Robert Hagerty asked that the issue be brought back for consideration, saying he wanted to look at the matter from a different perspective.<br /> Frustrated residents who had attended multiple meetings to protest the ordinance returned en masse on Jan. 24, bringing reinforcements — including a retired professor from Wharton School of Business, a drug intervention therapist and others.<br /> Opponents maintained the dispensaries weren’t needed here, brought in no tax revenue, and did not present the image they wanted for the town.<br /> “This is really like Groundhog Day,” said Media Beverly, one of many Hypoluxo Island residents who oppose allowing the dispensaries. “This is the seventh time I’ve been here and provided verifiable statistics from months of research.”<br /> Beverly said no matter how many times the issue resurfaced, she and others would return. “Let’s stop wasting time and money on this issue and let’s get to work on the master plan.” <br /> A few residents did speak in favor of the ordinance. Most notable was Dave Arm, president of the Lantana Chamber of Commerce and owner of Lantana Fitness at 700 W. Lantana Road. He wants to have a dispensary in his building and said the issue was about “attracting 21st century vendors in a town that desperately needs good retailers.”<br /> Arm said medical marijuana treatment centers are well-capitalized by major national corporations, are attractive and provide good jobs in the community. He said they do not cause an increase in crime.<br /> “Our building, Lantana Fitness building, is 25 years old and we’re the newest building between Broadway and KFC. It’s time we get some responsible development in here and development begets development, as anyone in commercial real estate knows. <br /> “This place is deteriorating and if we have someone who is willing to spend $75,000 to a million dollars to redo a building, to put in landscaping, we should be encouraging that.”<br /> Opponents argued that there were plenty of dispensaries in neighboring cities. <br /> Joni Epstein-Feld of Hypoluxo Island said she is a marijuana user and has no problem going to Lake Worth or Boynton Beach, or having it delivered if she needs it.<br /> “I am certainly not against medical marijuana,” Epstein-Feld said. “I am against medical marijuana in this town. I want restaurants. I want a nice little downtown area … and I think you should consider the fact that 9 out of 10 people have gotten up here and did not want to have it here.”<br /> Ted Cook, who lives in the Moorings, said allowing dispensaries was not good for the town. <br />“We’ve got 3 square miles. We need to change our image. And this doesn’t help it,” he said.<br /> John Brune, a drug and alcohol interventionist and a semi-retired commercial real estate developer who lives in the Moorings, said putting medical marijuana dispensaries on Lantana Road wasn’t a good idea.<br /> “If this is going to be the entrance to Lantana, I think it deserves a higher and better use,” he said.<br /> A proponent of the ordinance, Vice Mayor Pro Tem Karen Lythgoe, said she was pro-business and anti-blight.<br /> “I’m tired of the run-down businesses I see on the south side of Lantana Road, and I didn’t want to see the gym, which is one of the nicest buildings on that side of the road, go to some other company that’s not going to put money into it.”<br /> However, “based on how things are going tonight, I’m not going to vote for it, but I’d like to leave it open for our town vision meeting if we’re going to have a master plan.”<br /> Council member Lynn Moorhouse said he agreed with Erica Wold, a member of the planning and zoning board, who said this wasn’t about denying people the medication they need. <br />“It is readily available,” Moorhouse said. “If I called at the beginning of the meeting, we’d have had a delivery by now.” <br /> Moorhouse said he didn’t think people were scared, as someone alleged. “They just don’t want it here. I get it. I don’t care if you don’t want it because you think it’ll bring insects into the town. It doesn’t matter your reason. … On the other side, I totally understand that. You do want it, but I don’t think it has to be here.” <br /> Moorhouse wanted to put in a contingency where the matter couldn’t come back anytime soon. But Town Attorney Max Lohman said it would be difficult to “bind the hand of a legislative body.”<br /> <strong>In other action</strong>, the council:<br /> • Voted to hire the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council to create a master plan for the town for $169,800.<br /> • Approved spending $26,849 to lease a 2022 Ford Explorer from Enterprise Fleet Management for the town manager.<br /> • Heard from former Mayor Dave Stewart, who said his bank account was fraudulently charged $17,000 because someone got his account number, routing number and signature off checks the town had published in its meeting backup materials. The materials were available online and not removed when Stewart asked. <br /> The checks were connected to a sexual harassment suit. After Stewart was exonerated by the Florida Commission on Ethics in 2019, the town agreed to reimburse him for legal fees. </p></div>Lantana: Police Department to get new communications equipmenthttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/lantana-police-department-to-get-new-communications-equipment2021-11-03T15:13:46.000Z2021-11-03T15:13:46.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>By Mary Thurwachter</strong></p>
<p>The Lantana Town Council voted during its Oct. 11 meeting to spend more than $400,000 over the next five years for communication center equipment.<br /> “The initial cost is $280,000 for all the equipment and installation,” Police Chief Sean Scheller said. The balance will be spent on maintenance — between $20,000 and $25,000 a year.<br /> “The current equipment in dispatch was bought by the town in the early 1990s — used — from the city of Lake Worth,” Scheller said. “We’re on a lot of borrowed time with the communications system. As of Oct. 1, the maintenance and warranty are all gone.”<br /> The new, state-of-the art Motorola equipment will allow Lantana police to better communicate with other agencies.<br /> Police Commander Thomas Mitchell said that “the county will be going to this as they replace and upgrade all their dispatch locations.”<br /> Mitchell said there have been instances in the past two years when Lantana officers were unable to communicate with other law enforcement departments because they were not on the same frequency as the Sheriff ’s Office.<br /> “When we had protests last year in Lake Worth, Lantana radios didn’t interface with others,” Mitchell said. “We had to communicate through cellphones. That’s not the way to do business and that’s not the way to keep everybody safe.”<br /> He said having encrypted channels, which the new equipment will provide, is extremely important. “It’s also going to give us the ability in a critical incident where we can patch radio channels. This is going to put us in current trends with Palm Beach County and other agencies throughout the state. It’s much needed.”<br /> Equipment is expected to arrive in three to five weeks and will take another few days for installation.<br /> The Town Council unanimously voted for the expenditure.<br /> “This is long overdue,” said council member Lynn Moorhouse.<br /> In other action, the town voted 3-2 (with Moorhouse and Karen Lythgoe dissenting) not to accept a bid of $336,270 from West Construction to build an ADA-compliant beach access ramp. Other options will be explored instead.<br /> The ramp in question was destroyed by a storm in September. The city quickly filed an insurance claim and began to design the ramp under discussion.<br /> But Operations Director Eddie Crockett described a big discrepancy between the two lowest bids, so much so that the lowest bidder was studied and then dropped. “We moved to the next-highest bidder,” West Construction.<br /> Council members debated whether to build a permanent or retractable ramp.<br /> Crockett said the last ADA ramp, which had removable panels, was “extremely time consuming and extremely difficult to take apart and put it back together,” and he did not recommend that design. Mayor Robert Hagerty said the council needed to recognize that engineering plans were different from those used to build the previous ramp.<br /> “This ramp has been redesigned and engineered differently to where it would withstand that type of condition letting the water pass through instead of having solid surfaces where the water would beat against it and push it out and destroy it,” Hagerty said. <br /> But the design for a permanent ramp that the council seemed to favor sparked public comments from several residents who urged them to look more closely at a retractable ramp.<br /> Jeff Tellex of South Palm Beach, CEO and managing partner of Atlantic Aluminum & Marine Products Inc., says he works with a company that does this kind of project up and down the coast. He suggested more research is needed.<br /> “We built multiple structures for homes, condominiums, Lantana beach lifeguard ramp — and retractable is the way to go,” Tellex said. “This has been discussed with a whole lot of locals who have knowledge over many years. <br /> “I grew up here, I’ve seen lifeguard tower after lifeguard tower get washed into the ocean. The only thing I’m begging you to do is revisit it, look at a retractable system.”<br /> Moorhouse wanted to accept the bid from West Construction. <br />“We put this out to bid a long time ago and I had been in favor of some retractable, removable hydraulic, whatever … and was told that it was going to be a lot more expensive and probably not as satisfactory as what we’ve got cooking here. So, my feeling is we either believe our engineers or we don’t, but we can’t just break the process.”<br /> But the majority of council members chose to do further research and deny the West bid.<br /> “I think it would be a good idea if we could look at his drawings or ask questions about this,” council member Malcolm Balfour said before making the motion to deny the bid and direct staff to listen to a presentation from Tellex. <br /> In other business, the town:<br /> • Renewed the annual $1 lease with the Lantana Chamber of Commerce for the town-owned building at 212 Iris Ave.<br /> • Approved a request from West Construction for a temporary easement (through Dec. 31) at the south side of the town beach during the construction/renovation of Eau Palm Beach. </p></div>Business Spotlight: Batmasian Family Grants help 15 small businesseshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/business-spotlight-batmasian-family-grants-help-15-small-business2021-08-04T14:22:14.000Z2021-08-04T14:22:14.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9380485055,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9380485055,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="9380485055?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a><em>Diana Bush, owner of the retail boutique Salutations of Delray, accepts the second-place prize of $10,000 in the Batmasian Family Grant small business award competition. Also at the presentation are (l-r) attorney Ken Ronan, Troy McLellan of the Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce, and Lauren Ricks of Into The Blue Agency, which promoted the grant competition. </em><strong>Photo provided</strong></p>
<p>More than 150 Broward and Palm Beach County businesses applied to be considered for the Batmasian Family Grant for small business. <br />In June, 15 grants were awarded. Founders of Investments Limited, Propel, and Changing Lives, Jim and Marta Batmasian support both small businesses and nonprofit organizations with a goal to make a difference in the community. <br />The first-place winner, Invictus Barber Shop, was awarded $20,000. The second-place winner, Salutations of Delray, received $10,000. The third-place winner, K&E Travel Agency, was awarded $10,000. <br />The remaining top finalists each received $5,000. They were: Doria Media, Swim Boca, Wine House Social, Urban Youth Impact, Six Tables, Music For Young Voices, Toby Center, The Loft At Congress, Everyday Learning, ScentsAbility, Project Speech and Atlantic Allcare.<br />The judging panel was made up of business leaders, with the Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce reviewing all applications. Winners also received three months of one-on-one consultation sessions with the Batmasians and the judging panel. </p>
<p style="text-align:right;"><em>— Christine Davis</em></p></div>Business Spotlight: As owner retires, Farmers Market closeshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/business-spotlight-as-owner-retires-farmers-market-closes2021-06-02T14:34:58.000Z2021-06-02T14:34:58.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p> </p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9025584284,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9025584284,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9025584284?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a><em>After working 60 to 70 hours a week at Woolbright Farmers Market for the past 20 years, Jesse Goldfinger wants to spend more time with his wife and three kids.</em> <strong>Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</strong></p>
<p><strong>By Christine Davis</strong></p>
<p>Woolbright Farmers Market, a longtime produce stand and garden center at 141 W. Woolbright Road in Boynton Beach, closed in May. The closing came as owner Jesse Goldfinger, 40, who took over the business from his parents, Howard and Michelle, retired. <br /> “It’s time to move on,” Goldfinger said. “I’ve been working 60 to 70 hours a week for the last 20 years, and my kids don’t get to see me enough.”<br /> A year after his parents bought the market, he joined them right out of college in running the business, he said. “Then, my father bowed out in 2007, and my mom worked with me up until COVID.” <br /> The 800-square-foot center carried local vendors, including Lake Worth Beach’s Upper Crust pies and Delray Beach’s Old School Bakery. Fruits and vegetables accounted for the bulk of sales, with about half of them organic. <br /> In later years, the market also sold smoothies, cold-press juices and milkshakes. <br /> “We also made a mean guacamole, and we sold fresh-cut flowers, Christmas trees and pumpkins,” Goldfinger said. “We sold the good stuff. That was the key.”<br /> The property, which had been owned by members of the Neumann family since the 1980s, originally had a house as well as the market. They lived on the site and farmed out west.<br /> Over the years, the property changed hands. It was also owned by Harvey E. Oyer Jr., a descendant of one of South Florida’s pioneer families, as well as Ridgewood Groves of Palm Beach.<br /> Goldfinger, who plans to hold onto the property, recalls that it was a farm market before his family owned it. <br /> “The emotional part of me says, I would love for it to be carried on as a farm market, but the business part of me says, ‘He who pays the rent gets to choose,’” he said.<br /> Goldfinger and his wife, Jessica, have sold their house and are ready to hit the road, maybe eventually settling back down in upstate New York, closer to Jessica’s family. In the meantime, they, with daughters Kate, 12, and Quinn, 5, and son Collin, 10, are preparing to take off in an RV.<br /> “We plan to take a long trip,” Goldfinger said. “It’s an opportunity for us to see the country together and offer our children this educational opportunity.”<br /> He is going to miss the “fresh stuff,” though, he said. “We like it and believe in it, so, of course, we use it. We have great tomatoes when we want them.<br /> “My wife texts me what she needs, and I bring it home. That is a convenience we will also miss.” <br /> <br /> After a year and a half of dealing with the ramifications of the coronavirus, local chambers of commerce predict a rosier summer.<br /> Some businesses were hit harder than others, said David Arm, president of the Greater Lantana Chamber of Commerce. <br /> Lantana Fitness, 700 W. Lantana Road, which Arm owns with his wife, Renee, “was shut down by the state early on, but reopened with stringent COVID protocols, and is only now seeing business improve as vaccination rates increase and people feel more comfortable about going to the gym,” Arm said.<br /> As an example of a business that managed better than most, Arm points to the Old Key Lime House, 300 E. Ocean Ave., Lantana. <br /> “Its entire facility is outdoors, which made people feel more comfortable than going into an indoor restaurant,” Arm said. “Mario’s restaurant, on the other hand, moved from 225 E. Ocean Ave., Lantana, to 707 Lake Avenue, Lake Worth Beach, because most of its dining was indoors, and they didn’t have enough business to sustain a facility of that size. After they moved to the smaller location, they are doing very well.” <br /> Other developments that Arm noted: After finishing renovations, Uncle Louie G Lantana, an ice cream shop at 204 E. Ocean Ave., opened during the pandemic.<br /> After American Spirit Cheer & Dance closed at 211 S. Third St., Superior Window Treatments and Installation constructed a new showroom and opened there. <br /> Saglo, owner of the Kmart Plaza site, 1201 S. Dixie Highway, and the Morgan Group, a national residential real estate developer, have resumed discussions on plans to build about 200 upscale rental units.<br /> At Water Tower Commons, 1199 W. Lantana Road, the Related Group has completed the first phase of residential units and has begun work on its second phase. The commercial segment, owned by Lantana Development LLC, with Kenco Communities and Wexford Capital, is moving along with road improvements, Arm said. Commercial businesses there will include Aldi and Wawa.<br /> <br /> Stephanie Immelman, president and CEO of the Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce, said, “As of now, the season won’t be ending anytime soon.” <br /> According to her members, “the pent-up demand is driving hotel stays, attraction visits and high restaurant capacity. The booking pipeline for hotels is stretching out past July 4.” <br /> Delray is booming, she said. “Florida is the place to be right now, because many other states are opening up more slowly. Cruises are not opened yet either. Even if our part-time residents go back up North, there will be significant demand from the drive market and local patronage of our businesses. For now, it’s good news.”<br /> Immelman points to Crane’s Beach House, at 82 Gleason St., as an example.<br /> Cathy Balestriere, Crane’s general manager, said: “After a difficult and challenging year for our industry, we are happy to report that we are seeing a very strong return of both new and loyal guests here at Crane’s, whom we are welcoming back safely and with new services. …<br /> “We’ve seen many weeks of very high occupancy” even with in-season prices “and continue to see positive bookings even into the summer. <br /> “We were fortunate to be able to remain open throughout the pandemic and retain our entire staff, thanks to a lot of very rigid precautionary measures and flexible stay options and are incredibly grateful to see our hotel filled with happy and satisfied guests once again.” <br /> <br /> “Boca is well on the road to recovery,” said Troy McLellan, president and CEO of the Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce. “The general economy in Boca Raton, Boynton Beach and south Palm Beach County is much healthier than when the floor fell out from under us.”<br /> He said government funding helped businesses, so much so that some were doing well enough financially that they did not need to apply for more recent government funding options, such as the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. <br /> However, his members are having a hard time finding employees, and he predicts that will continue until September. <br /> “That’s unfortunate, because summers are challenging for businesses,” he said. “They are paying more and incentivizing” in an effort to attract workers, “but that’s not a sustainable strategy to identify, recruit and retain their workforce. Almost all of our member hotels — Boca Marriott, Renaissance Boca and Wyndham Boca — as well as our member restaurants are looking for workers.”<br /> <br /> Owners of Under the Sun products, Delray Beach residents Lauren Donald and Julie Peyton, have offered their hair-care line at salons as well as online since 2012. Today, three of their products, Shampoo Treatment, Conditioning Treatment, and Leave-In Conditioner, are also offered on Amazon Prime, with a percentage of their sales donated to local charities. <br /> Their products can be purchased at Amazon.com or alwaysunderthesun.com. Products are also available curbside at Bond Street Salon, 25 NE Second Ave., Delray Beach. To find other stores that carry them, call 855-888-4247. <br /> <br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9025659300,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9025659300,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9025659300?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="101" /></a>Alison Kirsten has joined Eau Spa as director of spa and leisure at Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa. Previously, Kirsten was spa director of the Peninsula Hotels in Beverly Hills, and prior to that, she ran spa and fitness operations at Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons hotels. <br /> <br /> As of June 1, Van Williams is provost and dean of student services of the Boca Raton campus of Palm Beach State College. He is a member of President Ava L. Parker’s executive leadership team. <br /> Williams joined the college in 2009 as director of TRIO programs before becoming assistant dean of student services on the Lake Worth campus in 2013 and dean in 2017. He serves as an adjunct instructor of “Introduction to the College Experience.”<a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9025666268,RESIZE_400x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9025666268,RESIZE_400x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9025666268?profile=RESIZE_400x" width="204" /></a><br /> <br /> Kaufman Lynn Construction, a Delray Beach-based builder, recently added two executives to its leadership team. Russell Anderson became the firm’s executive vice president of preconstruction and Jason Patrizi became senior vice president of operations.<br /> Anderson has received industry awards that include the Design-Build Institute National Award for Best Overall Project. His portfolio covers more than 300 projects. Patrizi has extensive knowledge in the multifamily, hospitality, criminal justice, public works, entertainment, and industrial market sectors. <br /> <br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9025667066,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9025667066,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9025667066?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="102" /></a>Bonnie Heatzig has joined Douglas Elliman Real Estate’s Boca Raton office at 444 E. Palmetto Park Road. Focusing on waterfront real estate, she has sold more than $80 million in the past two years and has more than $100 million in contracts with the Boca Beach House development in Boca Raton. Heatzig is also a licensed attorney in Florida, Massachusetts and Connecticut. <br /> <br /> Thomas and Michelle Marra, individually and as trustees of a land trust, sold the home at 1111 S. Ocean Blvd., Delray Beach, for $21.1 million to 1111 Ocean LLC, a Delaware corporation managed by Randal Perkins, according to public records dated May 20. Records show that Perkins’ entity borrowed $10.55 million from First Horizon Bank, and that he owns the house next door at 1141 S. Ocean.<br /> The seven-bedroom estate is sited on 1.14 acres with 120 feet of ocean frontage, according to its listing on Realtor.com, which said that Nick Malinosky, an agent with Douglas Elliman, represented both the buyer and seller in the transaction. The home was originally listed in February for $23.5 million. The Marras bought the 13,712-square-foot mansion in 2015 for $15.45 million, records show. <br /> Perkins in 1992 founded Deerfield Beach-based AshBritt Environmental, a national rapid-response disaster recovery and special environmental services contractor that has managed and executed more than 230 disaster recovery missions as well as special environmental projects, according to the company’s website.<br /> <br /> A property at 1800 S. Ocean Blvd., Manalapan, sold for $14 million, according to public records dated May 17. The estate was owned since 1996 by entities linked to the late pharmaceutical entrepreneur John D. Copanos. Mercedes Chaves sold the estate as a successor co-trustee of a trust in the name of Copanos, who died in 2019. Her co-trustee was Carol H. Bilotti, president of All Florida Tax Consulting Inc. in Broward County. <br /> The buyer was a Georgia-based limited liability company, ADE 925 LLC, which lists Ron Raitz as its agent. Raitz, a real estate entrepreneur, is president and founder of Atlanta Deferred Exchange Inc. <br /> The 1976-era house with a beach cabana is sited on almost two acres with about 152 feet of water frontage on both the ocean and Intracoastal Waterway. <br /> Real estate agent Shelly Newman of William Raveis South Florida handled both sides of the sale. <br /> Newman also just listed neighboring properties. A four-bedroom estate at 1860 S. Ocean Blvd., listed for $29.9 million and sited on 2.5 acres with 200 feet of water frontage on both the ocean and Intracoastal, is offered for sale for the first time since 1978, according to Newman’s listing. <br /> The property at 1840 S. Ocean Blvd. is listed for $29.5 million. It sits on two acres with 150 feet on both ocean and Intracoastal, has a 11,953-square-foot residence with terraces and a pool, and room to build a 1,200-square-foot cabana. <br /> <br /> Louis Campisano and Jeanette Frankenberg, individually and as trustees of the Gulf Stream Family Trust, sold the home at 3813 N. Ocean Blvd. in Gulf Stream for $11 million to the 3813 N. Ocean Trust. The sale was recorded April 23.<br /> While it’s not clear who owns the latter trust, Ronald Kochman, an attorney at Kochman & Ziska PLC in West Palm Beach, is listed as trustee. <br /> The 5,813-square-foot, five-bedroom house was designed by Randall Stofft and built in 2001.<br /> Campisano is president of New Jersey-based Louis Campisano Insurance Agency, according to his LinkedIn page.<br /> Frankenberg, an attorney, is the managing member of the New Jersey firm Stern, Lavinthal & Frankenberg LLC. According to Zillow, Corcoran agent Thor M. Brown represented the seller, while Lawrence Moens of Lawrence A. Moens Associates represented the buyer. <br /> <br /> Kevin and Doris Mattus Hurley sold the Boca Raton waterfront home at 4400 Sanctuary Lane as trustees of the Doris Mattus Hurley Living Trust for $8.65 million to Darielle Singerman, according to public records dated April 22. Doris Hurley is the daughter of the late Reuben and Rose Mattus, the founders of Häagen-Dazs. Singerman is the wife of Aaron Singerman, founder and CEO of the sports supplement company Redcon1. <br /> The Hurleys purchased the 1985-era, 12,974-square-foot mansion in 2003 for $4.6 million and extensively renovated it in 2017. <br /> John Poletto and Mark Nestler of One Sotheby’s International Realty represented the seller, and Brad Schwartzman with Vue Real Estate represented the buyer.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9025647700,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9025647700,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9025647700?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a><em>Delray Beach’s Downtown Development Authority celebrated its 50th anniversary during a reception that included past and present board members. FRONT ROW: Rocco Mangel, board member; Dr. Alan Costilo, board member; Frank Frione, board member; Dr. John Conde, board member; Mavis Benson, board member; Bonnie Beer, past board member; Fran Marincola, past board member; Roy Simon, founder and past board chairman; Laura Simon, executive director. BACK ROW: Sandy Zeller, past board member; Peter Arts, board chairman; Ryan Boylston, past board member; Rita Ellis, past board member; David Cook, past board member; and Albert Richwagen, past board member.</em> <strong>Photo provided</strong></p>
<p>The Delray Beach Downtown Development Authority celebrated its 50th anniversary on May 22 with a reception. <br /> The DDA was created in 1971 at the request and unanimous vote of the merchants and property owners downtown, with the goal to establish a governing body to increase the parking and commerce for the district. The DDA was founded by then Chamber of Commerce President Roy Simon, who is the father of Laura Simon. She was hired as assistant director in 2010 and promoted to executive director in 2015.<br /> The Florida Legislature passed a law establishing the DDA and authorized that 1 mil of its property value be taxed to fund redevelopment and promotional efforts in the DDA district. It mirrored Delray’s central business district at that time, including businesses from Swinton Avenue to the Intracoastal Waterway. <br /> In 1993, the DDA boundaries were expanded eastward to include properties along Atlantic Avenue to State Road A1A and north and south blocks along the original Central Business District area. <br /> The boundaries were expanded again in 1998 to the west from Swinton Avenue to I-95 to include the newly designated West Atlantic Redevelopment Area. <br /> Over the years, the DDA has invested tax dollars back into downtown through the creation of the public parking lots, the downtown bypass, beautification programs, marketing materials, the DowntownDelrayBeach.com website, merchant promotions, tourism efforts, economic development and by helping facilitate the Clean & Safe program with the Police Department, Community Redevelopment Agency and the city. <br /> Its office is at <span style="color:#1f1f1f;background:#FFFFFF;">350 SE 1st St</span>reet.<br /> <br /> <em>Send business news to Christine Davis at cdavis9797@gmail.com.</em></p></div>Along the Coast: Boca and Boynton chambers of commerce mergehttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-boca-and-boynton-chambers-of-commerce-merge2019-01-30T16:32:22.000Z2019-01-30T16:32:22.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>By Mary Hladky</b></span></p>
<p class="p2">The Boca Raton and Boynton Beach chambers of commerce have merged, with Boca’s chamber taking over economic development efforts in Boynton.</p>
<p class="p3">The two chambers announced the merger on Jan. 24, and the Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce has retained former Greater Boynton Beach Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jonathan Porges during an indefinite transition period.</p>
<p class="p3">“We are happy the Boynton chamber had confidence in us,” said Boca chamber President and CEO Troy McLellan. “We will take over the operations and bring our resources into that community and deliver them there.”</p>
<p class="p3">To avoid disruption, the Boynton chamber’s office will remain open at 1880 N. Congress Ave. until the end of the year, after which other options will be considered. Events scheduled by the Boynton chamber will be held as planned.</p>
<p class="p3">The Boynton chamber’s name also will be retained for the time being.</p>
<p class="p3">“The Boca chamber is renowned as a highly professional organization which provides immense value to its members,” Porges said in a release. “The Boynton chamber is proud to be joining forces with this respected institution to take our collective member services and business advocacy to the next level.”</p>
<p class="p3">Preliminary conversations about a possible merger started during the summer with both chambers conducting “a great deal of due diligence” before culminating a deal, McLellan said.</p>
<p class="p3">The merger is a continuation of a national and local trend toward consolidation of chambers of commerce, he said.</p>
<p class="p3">For example, Palm Beach North was founded in 2007 as the result of a merger between the Jupiter Tequesta Juno Beach Chamber of Commerce and the North Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce and now serves 10 cities.</p>
<p class="p3">Sales, marketing, accounting and other operations can be melded and streamlined, saving money and improving efficiency and effectiveness, McLellan said.</p>
<p class="p3">The Boca chamber has discussed a merger with Delray Beach’s chamber in the past, but not recently, he said.</p>
<p class="p3">“If we feel like there is a path to go forward, absolutely we will go forward,” he said.</p>
<p class="p3">Boynton chamber members will gain access to the Boca chamber’s services, including programming, free professional development seminars, networking and representation by a political action committee that lobbies for members’ business interests and supports pro-business political candidates.</p>
<p class="p3">“It is our desire to make Boynton a community where a business can continue to be successful,” McLellan said.</p>
<p class="p3">Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer said the merger is a positive for his city.</p>
<p class="p3">“It expands the ability for our businesses to reach a new market and for greater collaboration within the region centered on Boca,” he said.</p></div>Delray Beach: CRA helps Chamber to move so property can be soldhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/delray-beach-cra-helps-chamber-to-move-so-property-can-be-sold2012-10-31T20:29:39.000Z2012-10-31T20:29:39.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p>The Chamber of Commerce will relocate from the old library site on Southeast Fourth Avenue so that the Community Redevelopment Agency can sell the property, appraised at $2.6 million, for development. Commission consensus supports the move.<br /> The CRA board voted earlier to give the city $315,450 to help move the chamber to a new location, possibly in the commercial spaces of Old School Square Garage, according to documents filed with the city.<br /><em>— Margie Plunkett</em></p></div>