The Boca Raton city council approved on Mar. 24 a controversial hotel project by James and Marta Batmasian, moving forward with the development just days before a new majority is set to take office.
The decision comes as the current developer-friendly council prepares to hand over power to newly elected members who campaigned on limiting large developments. The approval of the two-building, 12-story Mizner Plaza Hotel at 132 and 170 Northeast Second Street passed by a vote of four to one during Monday’s Community Redevelopment Agency meeting.
Designed by HdA Architects, the planned hotel will have 219 rooms—fewer than an earlier proposal—and will be built on a site currently occupied by a post office and retail plaza. The project includes two levels of underground parking with 328 spaces, which is less than the city code requirement of 557 spaces. The developers agreed to provide additional parking within 600 feet if needed in the future.
Residents from neighboring Tower 155 condominium opposed the project, raising concerns about potential structural impacts due to construction so close to their building. To address these concerns, officials required that drones and seismic sensors monitor Tower 155’s integrity during construction. Resident Brian Kritchman said building two more high-rises with underground parking just twenty feet away was “a recipe for disaster.” During public comments, Marta Batmasian responded: “My heart breaks for you, it truly does, but it is not our problem.”
Council member Andy Thomson supported approval based on property rights case law while outgoing member Marc Widger cast the only dissenting vote due to concerns about underground parking and its risks given Florida’s shallow water table. Widger said: “A parking garage within 600 feet is a better idea,” adding that such an option would be much cheaper than building underground facilities.
With political changes underway following voter rejection of another major development and election victories for candidates critical of large projects, this approval may represent one of the last actions by Boca Raton’s pro-development council majority.
