TO: CRA Board of Commissioners
FROM: Christine Tibbs, Assistant Director
THROUGH: Renée A. Jadusingh, Executive Director
DATE: January 26, 2025
Title
DEVELOPMENT OF SW 600 - 800 BLOCKS OF WEST ATLANTIC AVENUE
Body
Recommended Action:
Recommendation
Discussion and direction on preparation of a Request for Proposals the Development of SW 600 - 800 Blocks of West Atlantic Avenue.
Body
Background:
SW 600 BLOCK OF WEST ATLANTIC AVENUE:
At the November 20, 2025, CRA Board meeting the CRA Board approved a work assignment with Jones Lang LaSalle Americas, Inc. (JLL) to conduct a “market sounding.” We are awaiting the results of that market sounding which should give us a sense of interest from the tenant (grocer) perspective, rather than a developer’s perspective, on opening a grocery store on West Atlantic Avenue. The results will be presented to the CRA Board at the next available CRA Board meeting and, along with any CRA Board input, the results will be incorporated into the RFP.
Additionally, since the September 30, 2025, CRA Board Meeting, CRA Staff and CRA Legal Counsel have worked diligently on the draft Request for Proposals (RFP) for the SW 600 Block of West Atlantic Avenue. The CRA Board input from the September Board Meeting was incorporated into the draft. At this time, CRA Staff will include additional parameters within the RFP regarding the conceptual design and site plan for their proposal.
The RFP references the City of Delray Beach’s Land Development Regulations that a developer must follow as it relates to the design and installation and/or construction of improvements to and along public rights-of-way - including landscaping, lighting, on-street parking, sidewalks, street furniture, etc.
<https://library.municode.com/fl/delray_beach/codes/land_development_regulations_?nodeId=CH4ZORE_ART4.4BAZODI_S4.4.13CEBUCBDI>
Additionally, there are City of Delray Beach Architectural Design Guidelines that identify as appropriate architectural styles for the Central Business District: <https://www.spikowski.com/documents-DelrayBeach/DelrayBeachCBD-ArchitecturalGuidelines.pdf>
The seven (7) identified architectural styles for the Central Business District are:
• Florida Vernacular
• Anglo-Carribbean
• Mediterranean Revival
• Classical Tradition
• Art Deco
• Masonry Modern
• Main Street Vernacular
CRA Staff is requesting that the CRA Board discuss and provide direction as it relates to any architectural styles the CRA would like a potential proposer to utilize or not utilize for the SW 600 Block of West Atlantic Avenue. This will allow the CRA to provide potential proposers with more definitive direction as to what the CRA would like to consider for the SW 600 Block of West Atlantic Avenue.
SW 700-800 BLOCK OF WEST ATLANTIC AVENUE:
At the April 30, 2025, CRA Board meeting, the CRA Board decided to move forward with the development of the SW 600 to 800 Blocks of West Atlantic Avenue via two (2) separate RFP processes. The CRA Board decided the two (2) RFPs will be issued in the following manner:
1) An RFP for the SW 600 Block of West Atlantic Avenue for the development of a full-service, 20,000 square foot grocery store with parking; and
2) A separate RFP in which both the SW 700 - 800 Blocks of West Atlantic Avenue would be included together for a mixed-used development. CRA Board discussions related to this RFP would occur after the RFP process for the SW 600 Block of West Atlantic Avenue had been concluded.
SUMMARY OF DISCUSSIONS REGARDING SITE DEVELOPMENT:
Overview of the November 20, 2025, CRA Board Meeting:
At the November 20, 2025, CRA Board Meeting, the CRA Board tabled the discussion of this item until receiving the results of the market sounding from JLL.
Overview of September 30, 2025, CRA Board Meeting:
Based on the feedback provided over the last few months regarding development of SW 600-800 West Atlantic Avenue, the draft RFP for development of the SW 600 Block of West Atlantic Avenue.
At the September 30, 2025 CRA Board Meeting, the CRA Staff presented a detailed overview of the proposed RFP for SW 600 Block of West Atlantic Avenue and sought Board input on various items such as lots to include in the RFP, parking, building height, lease/sale of land, submittal requirements, and evaluation criteria. The CRA Board supported providing flexibility in the RFP to hopefully provide the best opportunity to attract a grocery store.
Overview of August 28, 2025, CRA Board Meeting:
At the August 28, 2025, CRA Board meeting, the CRA Board generally discussed the development of the SW 600 - 800 Blocks of West Atlantic Avenue and the 2025 Request for Proposals (RFP) process for said development. The draft Request for Proposals (RFP) for development of a full-service, 20,000 square foot grocery store with parking on the SW 600 Block of West Atlantic Avenue. CRA Staff also included the option to develop additional uses on the site if possible, such as housing, pharmacy, etc.
CRA staff stated that recent community outreach and feedback confirmed the community’s demand for a grocery store within the West Atlantic neighborhood and recommended issuing an RFP for the SW 600 Block of West Atlantic Avenue requiring a community oriented, full-scale grocery store with parking while allowing proposers to include additional uses within the development site. The CRA Board directed CRA staff to refine the draft RFP for review at the September CRA Board meeting.
Overview of the May 29, 2025, CRA Board Meeting:
At the May 29, 2025, CRA Board meeting, the CRA Board generally discussed the development of the SW 600 - 800 Blocks of West Atlantic Avenue and the 2025 Request for Proposals (RFP) process for said development. Based on CRA Board feedback, CRA Staff prepared and presented a draft RFP for development of a full-service, 20,000 square foot grocery store with parking on the SW 600 Block of West Atlantic Avenue.
At that same meeting, the CRA Board approved an Agreement for Professional Commercial Real Estate Marketing Services with JLL. CRA staff is planning to initiate work with JLL to develop and implement strategic marketing methods and plans that target potential tenants and/or commercial developers in the grocery, medical, pharmacy, and financial sectors to generate interest in the CRA-owned vacant land properties along West Atlantic Avenue prior to the issuance of any Request for Proposals.
Overview of April 30, 2025, CRA Board Meeting:
At the April 30, 2025, CRA Board meeting, the CRA Board generally discussed the development of the SW 600 - 800 Blocks of West Atlantic Avenue and the 2025 Request for Proposals (RFP) process for said development.
The CRA Board indicated that a full-service, 20,000 square foot grocery store is still needed and desired by the community, as identified in the 2012 West Atlantic Needs Assessment.
Additionally, the CRA Board discussed the RFP process for the development of the SW 600 - 800 Blocks of West Atlantic Avenue. Two (2) separate RFPs will be issued for 1) SW 600 Block of West Atlantic Avenue; and 2) SW 700 and 800 Blocks of West Atlantic Avenue.
Based on the discussion at that CRA Board meeting, CRA staff is providing an overview of the structure of the 2025 RFPs for the CRA Board’s discussion, input, and feedback:
1) RFP CRA No. 2025-04 - SW 600 Block of West Atlantic Avenue Development Project (Draft of RFP is included as Exhibit B)
a. RFP will include the CRA-owned properties that are generally bound by West Atlantic Avenue to the north, SW 6th Avenue to the east, SW 7th Avenue to the west, and SW 1st Street to the south.
b. RFP will be issued to solicit qualified and experienced developers for the design and construction of a community-oriented, full-service grocery store (at least 20,000SF).
c. Parking to accommodate the full-service grocery store and the general public shall be included as a requirement within the RFP with a preference for a multi-level parking structure.
d. Pharmacy services will be requested as a preferred ancillary use within the development project.
e. Financial services (bank, credit union) will be included as a preferred ancillary use within the development project.
2) RFP CRA No. 2025-05 - SW 700 - 800 Blocks of West Atlantic Avenue Development Project
a. The SW 700 - 800 Blocks of West Atlantic Avenue will be included together in a separate RFP.
b. The RFP will be issued for mixed-use development that will include the need for affordable/workforce housing, and the need to meet the remaining community needs as identified in the 2012 West Atlantic Avenue Needs Assessment, the West Atlantic Master Plan (aka The Set Transformation Plan), the Southwest Area Neighborhood Redevelopment Plan, and the CRA’s Community Redevelopment Plan.
c. The development sketches that showed conceptual development opportunities for CRA and City-owned properties along West Atlantic Avenue, which included the CRA-owned properties in the SW 600, 700, and 800 blocks of West Atlantic Avenue, as presented to the CRA Board at the October 29, 2024, CRA Board Workshop, will be included within the 2025 RFP.
Overview of 2022-2024:
In November 2022, in connection with the discussion of the future City of Delray Beach Police Station, CRA staff engaged with Currie Sowards Aguila Architects (CSA) to provide a comprehensive study of the CRA-owned properties within the West Atlantic Avenue area. The study consisted of site analysis to determine potential development opportunities and strategies of each CRA-owned property while taking into consideration community desires and needs.
CRA staff worked with CSA to develop sketches and meetings with CRA Board members were held to discuss and gather input. In October of 2023, the CRA and City held a joint workshop to discuss future development on CRA and City-owned properties in the West Atlantic Avenue area. Following that workshop, another round of meetings was held in May 2024 between CRA staff, CSA, and CRA Board members to provide additional input on development opportunities.
At the October 29, 2024, CRA Board Workshop, CRA staff presented the development sketches that showed conceptual development opportunities for CRA and City-owned properties along West Atlantic Avenue, which included the CRA-owned properties in the SW 600, 700, and 800 blocks of West Atlantic Avenue (Exhibit B). Additionally, CSA presented analyses of banks, pharmacies, and grocery stores within a ½ mile radius of the CRA-owned properties in the SW 600, 700, and 800 blocks of West Atlantic Avenue (Exhibit C).
Following that Workshop, CRA staff also issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for Professional Commercial Real Estate Marketing Services for qualified real estate firms to provide marketing services with specific expertise in the grocery, medical (e.g. doctors, clinics), pharmacy, and financial services sectors. The firms will be responsible for handling all customary activities associated with developing and implementing strategic marketing methods and plans for CRA-owned vacant land properties along West Atlantic Avenue to potential tenants and/or commercial developers in the grocery, medical (e.g. doctors, clinics), pharmacy, and financial sectors. At the March 25, 2025, CRA Board meeting, the CRA Board awarded the RFQ to CBRA, Inc., and Jones Lang LaSalle Americas, Inc. CRA staff began negotiating agreements with both firms shortly thereafter; the agreement Jones Lang LaSalle Americas, Inc., is on the May 29, 2025 CRA Board meeting agenda for approval.
2018 Request for Proposals:
A Request for Proposals (RFP) was issued for the SW 600 - 800 Blocks of West Atlantic Avenue in 2018. The 2018 RFP included all CRA-owned properties within the SW 600 - 800 Blocks between SW 6th Avenue and SW 9th Avenue, bounded by West Atlantic Avenue to the north and SW 1st Street to the south.
The key elements in the 2018 RFP included:
• Provision of housing, including workforce housing on-site or off-site on CRA-owned vacant properties.
• Inclusion of community needs identified in the 2012 West Atlantic Area Needs Assessment as follows:
o Full-service grocery store - no less than 20,000 SF;
o Pharmacy*;
o Health and wellness facilities (urgent care, clinic, fitness center);
o Financial institution (bank or credit union)*; and
o Family/social entertainment (sports bar, jazz club/lounge, amusement venues)
*Note: Pharmacy & Financial Institution may be located with the Grocery Store.
• Space for local small local businesses in the new development.
• Local hiring and inclusion plan to provide construction job opportunities for local residents and bid opportunities for local subcontractors and vendors.
A copy of the 2018 RFP is attached as Exhibit E.
Attachments: Exhibit A - Location Map; Exhibit B - West Atlantic Avenue Sketches; Exhibit C - West Atlantic Avenue Analyses; Exhibit D - 2018 Request for Proposals; Exhibit E - DRAFT RFP for SW 600 Block of West Atlantic Avenue; Exhibit F - Land Value Investment Program Guidelines; Exhibit G - Development Infrastructure Assistance Program Guidelines
CRA Attorney Review:
Pending Review.
Funding Source/Financial Impact:
Funding has been allocated from TBD.
Overall need within the Community Redevelopment Area from Delray Beach CRA Redevelopment Plan:
Removal of Slum And Blight
Land Use
Economic Development
Affordable Housing
Downtown Housing
Infrastructure
Recreation and Cultural Facilities