Results

City of Delray Beach
100 NW 1st Avenue, Delray Beach, Florida 33444  (561) 243-7000

Updated March 2006

Public Official: Jeff Perlman
December 2004 Session

Final Report

 

The City of Delray Beach brought two projects to the Design Institute

Description of Project 2:

Office Depot Site

The City of Delray Beach brought the Office Depot Site to the Design Institute to explore the potential maximum use and value of this parcel. This site along with the Congress Avenue corridor, present the City of Delray Beach with an ideal opportunity for continued “smart growth” redevelopment. Realizing that Delray Beach already has a genuine, functioning downtown, officials hope the Office Depot Site and Congress Avenue corridor might someday serve as a secondary node for the city. Ideally, this new focal point would blend seamlessly into the fabric of the entire city and provide a “livable” environment, while incorporating and addressing those issues that downtown does not lend itself to. Most importantly, despite the central location and the difference in scale, it would maintain its place in the social hierarchy of the city; never attempting to compete or infringe on downtown’s role as the center of Delray Beach.

 

Key Issues for Project 2:

1.  Prepare a concept plan for addressing Office Depot site and city objectives.

2.  Create a Corridor: develop concept and plan.

3.  Implement a Corridor Plan, with emphasis on zoning and streetscape.

Recommended Actions:

•  Complete a vision plan for both the site and the corridor.

•  Develop new zoning ordinances for the corridor.

•  Define incentives for owner/developer.

•  Adopt a TOD/mixed use ordinance that provides flexibility for a range of investors.

•  Establish the vision plan as covenant to run with the land.

•  Redesign the corridor as a boulevard, creating a prestigious corporate address.

•  Make gateway/regional connections (city does public right of way improvements).

•  See PowerPoint in Appendix C.

For more information, visit www.mydelraybeach.com

Results
Following the Design Institute session the Mayor of Delray Beach marketed the Final Report to the Chairman's Club (comprised of the City’s largest businesses), Chamber of Commerce and to local civic clubs.

 

In May, the City Commission unanimously agreed to adopt the Final Report and instructed the city's planning staff to convert the report's recommendations into adoptable city code.

The City anticipates that formal adoption of the recommended overlay districts will occur sometime this summer.

The City has begun marketing the “potential” to several investors and 
corporations.

The Mayor states that the Institute was an invaluable experience that will pay 
dividends well into the future.

March 2006

Since the Design Institute, Office Depot's corporate headquarters informed Delray Beach public officials of their intention to stay at the site. Although the City doesn't know how long Office Depot intends to occupy the site, they feel it would offer a great redevelopment opportunity and are prepared to move forward if Office Depot decides to leave.

   

Additional Contacts

Mayor Jeff Perlman
(561) 243-7000  Mayor@MyDelrayBeach.com

Planning & Zoning Department

(561) 243-7040  pzmail@MyDelrayBeach.com