The city government campus and Memorial Park redevelopment area, Boca Raton, FL, Oct. 2025. (Photo: Boca Daily News)
A grueling six hours of debate left few satisfied with the wording of a ballot referendum that will – or won’t – authorize the city council to move forward with a downtown redevelopment plan in partnership with development partners Terra Group and Frisbie Group.
The marathon debate session was kicked off by Councilman Andy Thomson, who objected to the language that was proposed to appear on the ballot, calling it “insulting to voters.” The plan, as a whole, encompasses a 31-acre area, a 7.8-acre portion of which would be leased to developers Terra-Frisbie for 99 years, with the promise of using revenue generated from the partnership to fund a new city government campus and park improvements west of 2nd Avenue. The matter has generated intense controversy, with residents packing council meetings for months to express their opposition and question whether the financial promises made by the development group are accurate. Earlier this year, Terra-Frisbie agreed to place the agreement on the ballot for a public vote, which will occur alongside the municipal elections in March…