Community Redevelopment Agency - Regular Meeting

Oh, here he is. What's the name? It's Lennox.

He needs to turn off his mic or speaker miss marker there you go thanks mister marker

okay thank you good afternoon everyone we're gonna call the meeting of the community redevelopment agency to order clerk please call the roll

chair Burns here vice chair marker do

we have

to vote him in oh yes we should say

I'm here

oh no we don't do the voting

okay deputy vice chair Cassell here commissioner Carney here and commissioner Long

here we have quorum okay approval of the agenda

may yes I chime in here, Chair? Renee Jadison, Executive Director. So I think we have a bit of time constraints this afternoon. So we wanted to find out if we could move public comment to this after we do our business. Because we do have six phone calls. And if there's other comments, I just want to make sure we have enough time to get through the agenda as well. I'm concerned about losing quorum, that's all.

Okay, we have six phone calls and

Yes, and if we have public comments here, I just want to make sure we have enough time. Because I believe around five, 05:30 we might be having members that have to leave.

Are we in agreement Yes. To move in So public comment will

be Do we need a vote

on that? Yes, ma'am.

Do we

move in to amend? So moved. Second.

Thank you. Vice Chair Markert?

Yes.

Deputy vice chair Casal. Yes. Commissioner Carney. Yes. Commissioner Long.

Yes.

And chair Burns.

Yes. Motion to approve the agenda as amended please.

Okay. I need a motion to approve the agenda. Is that as amended? Second.

Deputy Vice Chair Kasal? Yes. Commissioner Carney? Yes. Commissioner Long? Yes. Chair Burns? Yes. And Vice Chair Markert?

Yes.

Okay, thank you. Alright, I need a motion for the consent agenda. So moved. Second?

Second. Commissioner Carney? Yes. Commissioner Long? Yes. Chair Burns? Yes. Vice Chair Marker? Yes. And deputy vice chair Casal?

Yes. Do we have a

five second delay over there, mister Marker? I'm just curious. I think so. Okay.

A little delay. It's it's it's Washington, so you have to forgive us.

Okay. Okay. Thank you. So we will be moving on to old business. Christine presenting.

Yes. I'm actually gonna start this one. Okay. Yes. Okay.

So this is an item we wanted to discuss in two parts. This is related to the request for qualifications that we have issued for the Northwest 800 Block Of West Atlantic Avenue, the progressive design build for redevelopment project. And we are today seeking to cancel this request for qualifications and reject all submitted proposals. We've had this item on the agenda a few times. So yes, we've had this item on the agenda a few times and I think just where we are in the process, I believe it might be best for us to kind of hit a reset and maybe actually look at proposals and submit something where we can get proposals where we can see actually what's being submitted.

Because with requests for qualifications, we're asking for qualifications of these design build teams to submit something. But I think in hearing the discussions that we've had, maybe reviewing proposals might be the way to go. When we we started this project, we didn't have as much property as we do now. So I just think we're in a different place. So it might be best to go this route at this time. So we wanted to bring it to the Board.

Okay. So the request was for qualifications, not for proposals and you feel that that's what we've been hearing?

Again, I think that even from comments from our members, we've asked what these projects will look like. We won't know until later on in the process. But if we do a request for proposals, we will receive full visuals upfront and know what we're looking at.

So these comments have kind of like moved ahead of what the request was.

Can I ask a question? Are we only going to permit that to the three applicants that we were considering? We're not or I mean, as we cancel this, are we able to? Because this was slightly the fault of the commission, the board. So if we cancel this request, can we only allow that for the three applicants or are we opening back up to the entire public?

It would be opening it back up again to start. Basically, you'd have to start over. Because the options were to accept the selection committee's suggestions, to rescore basically and select somebody else or cancel and reject all proposals. So this would be starting over. But the benefit is we would be able to see what everyone is proposing up front and not down the line.

So this would be issuing a complete RFP?

Yes. And I have some discussion on that. This first part is only about canceling and rejecting related to the RFQ. The next steps would be discussed in Part two of this if we want to into that at this time. But they have to keep them separate. This is just strictly about the RFQ.

Okay. Any other comment? Commissioner Long?

I guess I do feel a little bit bad about this because I know the other applicants spent probably considerable resources to to bring us those presentations. So I hate to just, you know, make them kinda restart and go back to ground zero. But, if that's the only option we have here, then I don't know. I I just it it does feel like that that error is on us, and and they kind of we we force folks to waste a lot of time and money, to come in here for something that they're gonna get nothing out of now. I don't like that. But that being said, you know, I guess here we are. I don't I don't know. I don't know what else to do.

K. Thank you. Commissioner Market, do you have any comment?

He's gotta unmute.

You're muted. You gotta unmute, mister Market.

You're muted.

He's still talking.

We'll go on to Well,

I I mean, I

I I concur. Hang on.

He's I think he can hear me now.

Now we can hear you. Apologies.

Apologies. I feel the same way as Rob. I feel badly for the folks that submitted, in particular the one agency that did a lot of extra work, and their work looked great. But I don't think it's lost work. I think we'll be able to now just consider it, you know, along with some others. I am sorry that it went down this path, but I think I concur with everything that was said. We don't really have a choice, so I think we accept this and move on.

Okay. Thank you.

Thank you.

Mayor? I agree with my two colleagues.

Okay. Same here. So can I get a motion?

I agree too.

Oh, I'm sorry. Thought you started the conversation, so I didn't know I needed to come back to you. I'm sorry.

I agree 100%. You have

something else that you would like to

add to your

original comments? No.

Then I move that we cancel the request for qualifications.

Second. Reject all proposals.

Yes. And reject all

proposals.

Thank you.

Okay thank you and we have a motion and a second commissioner long yes

chair burns yes vice chair marker yes deputy vice chair Cassell yes and commissioner Carney

yes okay and now Renee

part two okay So this is some of the conversation we had back in probably 2021, 2022 when we even started down this road of deciding what to do with these parcels. So we have a map that shows what we have. So I'll kind of go through this piece by piece. So originally we did not own these two pieces on ninth. And then we acquired them somewhere through this RFQ process and added them in.

Because we canceled this RFQ previously in the meantime and acquired these and kind of threw these in here after the fact. We also did kind of a study of what could be built here. That's where the container concept came up. It did not include these two parcels because again we didn't have them at that time. Separately, this site right on the corner of 8th And Atlantic has been going through more than a remediation process.

It's technically cleared now but it's still tied to a remediation process that's in the median. So that's something that I wanted to bring up as we're now kind of hitting the reset button to start back at the beginning of how this even started in the first place. So when we originally looked at designing something here while this had that remediation situation on it. We had a pad here. So there was not actually a building or any groundwater needed.

It was just a pad that would be built over this until we could figure out the situation with the remediation. So I just wanted to kind of start there as you all think about what to do and what next for this site. So here's kind of a summary of where we are with this remediation. It started in 2006 when we purchased the property. 2022 we were able to remove the equipment.

However, again, it's still in a monitoring and testing status because back when we purchased this property it was tied to a contamination found underneath Atlantic Avenue. So the two got tied together. Our site was clean because we had all the equipment there for over twenty five years. But the median obviously would not be able to have that same clean up process. So we are still working with the environmental consultants in Palm Beach County on how to handle the situation.

We've explored many, many different options trying to untie these two parcels, which they told us they won't do that. So at this point if we're considering what we can do with the property since we have more land now, what we were asking the consultant is to try to give us some kind of a report now that that we're considering other alternatives. Maybe they could give us some all clear or a thumbs up essentially with stipulations. You can do this, not that, if we're going be building something different than a slab, basically. But again, the site is clear.

Whatever is happening is underneath Atlantic Avenue which they're still testing and kind of figuring out what to do with that. We even ask them, well what if you actually clean that up and remove it? All these things are questions that are ongoing. But it's just taking a really long time. And if you pull up our site or we try to sell it, it will come up as having this remediation open is kind of the issue that we've been facing for all this time. So these are pictures of just from the past. You'll see that green fence if you remember there for so long. And at one point we put some covering on that to showcase some of the things that CRA has done to try to make it look a little bit better. And then thankfully we were able to have it removed after. So this is an image that we just received from the environmental consultant that shows like basically that plume.

So this on the top is where the unique oil, that's the site of the former gas station. And then this circle is where the plume is basically. It's contained. And Christine, if you have any comments about that. You guys had just talked about that earlier.

Yeah. So this is a very conservative drawing in terms of the location. It's it's just from the consultant's sketch, its approximations, but it is contained with it right all underneath Atlantic Avenue. And he's basically stated that for the course of approximately almost twenty years, the plume hasn't really grown in size or migrated out of its location. There are a variety of different chemicals with really long names and they all don't exist.

They all have different kind of parameters. Right? But this is, you know, the drawing that he provided us that captures, like, everything in a very conservative fashion. So they are exploring different options in terms of how to successfully fully remediate the groundwater plume and obtain the no further action letter or I guess stamp from the state. So that's where we are right now.

We've been kind of stuck in this just testing and monitoring phase for a very long time because the plume is right under the FDOT owned and controlled Atlantic Avenue. And remediation in that location is difficult because it would require closing down significant portions of West Atlantic Avenue. And we're trying to just figure out how not to do that, but also how not to tie any other sites into this remediation effort as well.

Question. When you say they, who Oh,

the consultant, Palm Beach County Environmental Protection and then the State Environmental Protection Department as well.

But to clarify, just for everybody else because I was up here when this was happening. Regardless, we were still able to proceed. That's where we got the idea of putting something up as a structure above the ground versus digging into the ground. And it doesn't stop us from going forward with what we had been considering.

Yeah, exactly. So that's of where this all came from and I wanted to I thought it was important to show, going way back to 2021, even with what's happening here under Atlantic Avenue, it's not a threat. There isn't a concern in that sense. We're just showing why we're still tied to this remediation because it was tied together in 2006, unfortunately. And And they won't untie it. It's just constant, like I said, testing and monitoring, testing and monitoring. So maybe we end up back in the same situation with the RFP of some kind of similar design where we're putting that stage area or that pad of some sort. But again, just want to get you all up to speed on the history and how we got to where we are now. And maybe it's the same type of project that we're looking at. We just have a different mechanism to achieve it.

Could I, Chair? I feel like we have to proceed with the same kind of project. The city is developing that reputation and this has nothing to do with the CRA but with the golf course where we had five different applicants out working tirelessly to produce something that we were asking for and then it fell short. This happens often. We put a lot of time and energy into this. The applicants put in a lot of time and energy and I think the best thing we can do to mitigate the damage that we caused is to go back out the same way we were so that the same applicants have the opportunity to come back in front of us. That's my opinion. Well,

with what you're proposing, the same applicants do have the opportunity to come back in front of us.

Well, think that's where we have to figure out what we're doing. Because again, when we started this, we didn't have as much land. So right now with these two pieces that we acquired, this is just under two acres, which is pretty decent. That's what we're looking at on the South Side with the 600, seven Hundred, 800 Block. The 708 Hundred Block are about two acres as well. So if we wanted to look at Other options. Other options or throwing this in the mix of like a potential location for something that we were trying to fit on the 67800 Block, it just opens up this piece to us. And again, it could come back to the same outcome of that similar low scale development. And we don't have to decide today, but I just wanted to start that discussion and I conversation with

appreciate you giving us that option. Thank you. Mary, you want to chime in on this?

No, I mean I think that I've watched this plume for a long time. I am stunned that we were told originally it was migrate and migrate, I am stunned that it has not migrated and migrated. Happy that it's sitting under Atlantic. And I hope it stays there. Hope they figure out a way to to remediate it, you know, further. But I'm agreeing with your proposal.

Okay. Alright, thank you. Commissioner Marker,

Do you have any agree with what the mayor said?

Yeah. I agree with what the mayor said. I'm I'm in agreement on the proposal as well.

Okay. And commissioner Holmes?

Can you go back to

the picture of, like, the

like, the the map of it, the aerial? No. The one that has the

the property.

Not the Yeah. That one. That one. Not the plume. This little strip in the middle, we don't own that. That's it's that little strip in the middle, we don't own that.

That's Sierra

doesn't own

that? No.

That's part of a platted alley.

That's an alley.

Part of whoever comes in on this

They could have abandoned are going

to asking for an abandonment.

So they could abandon that and this would be contiguous.

Well, it's an alley to nowhere. Typically, without holding the city to anything Yes. But typically, an alley to nowhere is abandoned pursuant to some kind of a development plan. Yeah.

So then

we can ask for that.

This is

a good sized property at this point. I mean, notwithstanding this remediation issue, would would this be big enough for the grocery store, for instance? That, you know, that would clear up the whole three blocks on the other side and make that, frankly, a hell of a lot easier to to figure out if we weren't trying to jam a grocery store in on that side of the street. I just don't know if this is big enough. Again, I know the remediation thing's an issue. But

It is. So one of the future the items we'll talk about later is with the commercial real estate agents. So that could be something we say, hey. Pitch this. If you wanna like see throw this into the mix as a potential location and leave it there for now. And once we know that, then we know if we wanna go which route we wanna go. But because it's now two acres, I mean, that's it's pretty decent. You know?

Throw that

out there for you guys to to figure out.

But we're gonna be looking for state legislation to help us.

Done. Maybe I can help with remediation. Remediation. So that's my my other question is, what what is the pathway way in terms of remediating this? Is it similar like a brownfield where there's like a framework to get grants and then, like, get remediation?

Well well, I think it's it's the location because it's under Atlantic. So our site had all the equipment. Yeah. You'd have all the equipment and and, you know, we were hoping when this when we first started the discussion of untying and what are we doing about a year and a half ago or so, we were they were trying to see if it shrunk or moved. Like you were saying, the thing has not moved, gotten smaller, bigger. It has just sat.

Know they moved. They do.

They they they typically I mean

Yeah. But not if the pollutant is is has been taken out. There's nothing polluting it currently, so it's not moving.

It's Some of that stuff doesn't respond to aeration either. So some of it is short of digging it out.

So we're just at a stalemate indefinitely with this remediation

That's what we're trying to undo that stalemate. Don't and that's why I think the report we asked the consultant at this point if we're considering any option besides the pad to actually get a written what are we really looking at? Because all we've had is conversations. It could be this, it could be that, and, you know, a lot of speculative things. But I would like a little more of a detailed analysis. If we build x, this is what we get. Y, this is what we

Is that force coming,

that Yes. Analysis?

So we're gonna ask for that. Okay. We don't think we need vote for that. We've already started that discussion with the consultants to actually get a formal, a more formal report. They give us quarterly updates. They go and test all the time. We talk to them all the time. But we're looking for more of a future outlook, like realistic future outlook of where we're at. Because if it just has to be a pad, then we just need to know. And I think they will be the ones to tell us considering they're the ones out there testing and doing Well, all that.

I mean, I actually I agree with Commissioner Casal in terms of our reputation of, like and it's, again, not indictment on staff or really even this commission necessarily, but that we do ask for stuff and then we change our minds after people spend a lot of time and money on it. And a lot of it's just the way it it's just kind of optics. But it does kind of make us not look super friendly to business in general. And I think that's something that we need to be very cognizant of going forward. I think we're all on the same page about economic sort of recruitment into this area.

And so I do think we need to watch that. But, again, if if this is in flux right now, I do think that we should kinda hold off on on coming up with another plan until we know really what our full slate of options is. I'd hate to call in another, like, RFP at this point And then be like, hey, by the way, you're free and clear now. This is good to go. And then we could move a grocery store. There'll do something interesting. We've already wasted a bunch more people's time with money when they sent RFPs to us to do another container project or whatever. So I just I'd love for me and again, probably won't be here but I would think hearing back with that more in-depth analysis before moving forward with any kind of solicitation would be the right play. That's my opinion.

And I think I mean, I'm all for getting it official as well, so that you will know whether you have to do the pad. At least we'll have it in writing from the experts to say that. You know, and then, you know, always, always open to other options. And two acres is quite substantial. Yeah. Have to have to sure.

Are you going to be I think you the CRA should pursue, in any case, the abandonment of that

They need a development plan. Right? We can do that.

Well, I mean That I mean, maybe

not because I said it's it's it's typically, if it's an alley to nowhere, they will entertain it. Because they're not really maintaining

it. Will.

City's not maintaining it.

We are. I think we do have a development plan. We've been talking about this thing for so long. Have RFQs. We can show intent and we have the I have some sled transformation plan. There's things I think evidencing that we are rebuilding and doing work here. And that would that would happen regardless whether it's now or later. We would need to do it.

I just think you'd do better with your proposal if you could show a truly contiguous parcel.

Yes. So we can start that. That's fine.

Good

points. So do you need any action here or

No. I'll just gonna recap what we're gonna do. So we are interested in RFP at some point. It doesn't have to be at this immediate right now. We're going to work on getting a report from the environmental consultant and we'll also start the process of the abandoning of that strip of alley.

Sounds great.

Okay. You. Don't need to vote for that. Just we'll No. Continue

you're next. Oh,

surprise. Again. Okay.

Okay. So this is what I was alluding to earlier, is the update on the professional commercial property real estate marketing services solicitation process that we went through. So there were a few meetings ago that Michelle Margaret brought up about market analysis and testing the market and finding out information from the market. And we did that. We had in our request for qualifications that was done earlier this year. And we had two different real estate brokers respond. We entered into a contract with JLL. CBRE also responded. They just had a bit of a different approach to it. JLL gave us an hourly rate.

CBRE's was just a monthly retainer. So we elected to go into contract with JLL. There's the history. So they gave us two proposals. So one was for $218,000 and $440,000 And the services ranged from just doing the market studies, that's on the lower end.

The higher end would be full bidding services, the market services and full bidding assistance all the way through, including financial analysis, everything. So we thought they were very high. So we've been trying to negotiate some lower amounts with them because I don't think we have a lack of interest at this point in these parcels. So I think what they were looking was probably well above and beyond what we were looking for. So when this was brought up at our board meeting, we went back to JLL to find out if there's any other types of services that they could offer to us that would be more reasonable considering where we are.

But these proposals are still valid. If we want to consider them, they're absolutely there as options. We just thought that they were a little bit on the higher end. So they did give us this option for a market sounding service proposal. So I know the grocery store option has been a really, really obviously top of mind for us for a really long time with these parcels.

So they gave us this option to interview grocery stores to provide a sense of interest in the interest from the grocery store market and potentially opening on West Atlantic Avenue. So this could be something where I mention if we want to show them all the parcels and say, hey, here's Northside, here's South, what do you think to the grocery stores and get their feedback. This cost is just over $25,000 It would take about six weeks to complete. So we kind of like this option considering that we really are trying to go strongly with this grocery store option. This is all the proposals are attached to the agenda item.

But we thought this would be a reasonable next step with this process of trying to build West Atlantic Avenue. I'll add in the next item is talking about the 600, seven eight hundred blocks. We've been drafting an RFP for the 600 block to specifically attract a grocery store. We also threw in there a discussion about the 700 or 800 block, if you would like. I think that if we go this route with JLL that maybe we table that item until January, or we could still talk about it and then look at issuing in January. But I thought if we go this route, we would just give it some time to see what the results are.

Okay. Commissioner Cotel.

Sure. Should we table both of these in light of what we all understand is currently going on, which is we maybe potentially have a grocer, and we also may have somebody coming in with a proposal proposal for us. So expending the money now if we have a grocer wouldn't even make great sense.

Actually we can.

Yeah. So why don't we table both of these issues, both B and C until further notice because I think we're all having the same conversations out in the public and we all understand there are things happening. It's up to you.

We absolutely can. I think the market sounding might be a good idea even though it's spending a little bit of money because it's us actually going on someone on our behalf and not developers going Maybe to try to solicit because we have

let's push forward with B, the twenty five thousand and then hold off on C until we get that information because it's relevant.

Right. I think there's a difference because we have the site control. So we're the ones as the property owners going to say, Hey, this is what we want to build on our properties. When you have others going out kind of on our behalf but not really no contractual relationship, it gives you a little bit less leverage, I guess. We have that control. And I was going to suggest if you want to have a board representative sitting on the calls, that's something we're fine too. Otherwise we can handle it and staff. I know Commissioner Markert, since

you let him use his corporate expertise.

He's a marketing guy,

Yes. And a grocery

guy. Is this a paid petition, Angela? Is this paid?

$0 and $00

0¢ with a lot of appreciation.

We did the last study. The market actually has changed. The market is kind of, you know, with the whole the way the financing is doing now, be real curious to see what, you know, a market sounding. I think that makes commissioner Casals, you know, I think we can put the other stuff off now because that would just be spending money and we don't know what it's gonna look like. And let's see what we got before we commit to anybody.

Right. Definitely.

Yeah. I agree.

Okay. I was gonna come to you. Yeah.

I'm fine with that. Yeah.

Okay. Commissioner Market, do you have anything else to add to that?

I I think that's a great idea, and I'd be happy to donate as much time to helping Renee on that, including calls or whatever. No no problem.

There's no extra pay, mister Marker.

$0

is dollars.

I like

the word donate.

That's good.

I like that too.

It as long as Angela says thank you, I'm okay.

Absolutely. You have my deepest appreciation. Alright. Thank you. Are we Sure.

Well we'd have to bring a work assignment back but can we just do motion to approve a work assignment now?

You're asking for direction on C. My

direction No, it's would be on B.

We already said we're

postponing the She

said we're still on B. We don't

have to vote. It's a discussion.

No. So what we'll do, we'll get a full work assignment. We have our special meeting coming up on December 4. So we'll get the work assignment together and bring that December 4 so we'll have that on the agenda officially and then we'll take a vote at that time. So you will Yes, we got our direction.

We're referring to 8B?

That's B. C is different. So C we're just going to table. Motion to table to a later date.

Do I need a motion

No, to

it's a discussion. You need a motion to table it? It's a discussion. Okay, so moved.

Second. Chair Burns?

Yes.

Vice Chair Marker?

Yes.

Deputy Vice Chair Cassell? Yes. Commissioner Carney? Yes. And Commissioner Long?

Yes. Okay. Thank you. Moving right along. We are at new business.

And Renee is presenting. Yes.

Where are we? Okay.

Afternoon commissioners. Christine Tipps, assistant director. The item before you is related to 95 Southwest 5th Avenue. As you recall, this is the building that you had previously designated in 2024 for medical tenants to serve the needs of residents within the set. That building is nearing completion.

There were there was a issue that came up during inspection with the elevator that we are working to resolve, and hopefully, we will be resolving that soon. So at this time, the design of 95 Southwest 5th Avenue was approved with the intent to place a mural near the entrance on Southwest 1st Street. So we would need to put out a call to artists because the mural that was part of the renderings is just a placeholder to show where it would go. On the left side, you'll see the building now and the location on the exterior of the building where the mural would be placed. So the intent is to put out a call for artists to seek an artist to work with the set community to develop and create a dynamic mural that is embraced by and rooted in the values and culture and history of the set community.

The artist will research the history of the set and Frog Alley, work with CRA staff to conduct a community outreach meeting, and use that feedback and input to help develop the theme and vision for the mural design. The final mural design will come before the CRA board prior to going before the city public art and advisory board for mural permit approval. Selected through an evaluation committee comprised of CRA staff, city staff, community stakeholders within the CRA district and the set based on qualifications, experience, previously completed and installed work similar in size and scope to what we're asking for for the mural on this building. And we're asking for your input to on the call to artists and authorize CRA staff to issue that call to artists for the 95 South West 5th Avenue Building.

Okay. Well, my input is call the artist. Let's get him moving and get that mural up. I'll start on this end. Commissioner Long?

Yep. Let's call him. I'm in.

Okay. Commissioner Market, do you have any comments?

No. Phone home. That sounds good.

Okay. Commissioner Mayor. Commissioner Mayor? Okay.

I just was curious. Are we gonna give a preference to local artists as opposed to I mean, we doing anything like that or we just just call the general artists? I'm fine with either. I'm just curious how you were planning to do it.

No preference, just to call generally.

Okay. That's fine. Just curious. Yeah.

But anybody would part of the call to artists is working with the CRA staff to organize a community outreach meeting to gather that input from the community for the theme and design of the mural.

Commissioner Castell?

Yeah. I'm excited. I somehow thought we were already down the road further on this. I remember at the last meeting. So it's very exciting. Thank you. Okay.

What do you need?

We need a motion to authorize staff to issue the call to artists.

Second. Vice chair Markert?

Yes.

Deputy vice chair Cassell? Yes. Commissioner Carney?

Yes.

Commissioner Long?

Yes.

Chair Burns? Yes. K.

Nine b. Me.

Yes. Okay. So this is a follow-up on three properties that were referenced during our September 30 meeting. We've talked about them in some form or fashion, some for years, some just in the last year or so. So I just wanted to give you some follow-up information. So I'll go through each of them. So first is the property behind Arts Warehouse on Artist Alley. I reached out to the owner and his response was this was to see if he's interested in exploring any potential sale or opportunities. He said he would be interested in exploring any potential sale and would accommodate the CRA's needs if he wanted to conduct an analysis. If you recall, we discussed this in April and decided not to do an analysis.

But he says that he is open to whatever thoughts we would like to have there. The other was the Swan property. That's in Osceola Park neighborhood. That property is not available at this point. And I'll also reach out to the school district about the former Palomosa. That also is not available at this time. All okay. So if we had any interest in looking at the Artist Alley property, I would suggest to have an actual agenda item and our January meeting to allow us time to prepare it. When we've had this on the agenda in April we reached out to a consultant to get quotes about analysis for these properties. And it was about I think 7,000 to $10,000 I have to check.

But I would want to go back and prepare an actual item if you wanted to consider that.

Okay. Well, would like to consider that putting it on as an agenda item and receiving the analysis. But I will go to my colleagues. Commissioner Cassell.

Well, you're saying put it on as an agenda to discuss receiving an analysis. Correct?

Yes. Yes. This is similar to what we did in April. We went out and got quotes and then brought that to see if you the board would like to consider an analysis not to actually purchase. We need to find out what we Well, could do

I'm going to say again if we're going to do this then go look at the LaDowney property on Federal Highway as well because I think that's a far more suited property for what you're talking about. It's 5,000,000 an acre versus 10 million acre. No ingress, egress problems. No stacking issues. This property on Artist Alley is right on the railroad track. You'll have stacking. There's entrance on Federal And Dixie Highway. I can go through the whole list again. There's there's only one entrance off 4th for the Artist Alley property. There's also bus transportation, which does the full route on both the north and south side directly, in front of the property on Federal Highway.

So if we're gonna discuss properties, I wanna discuss both of them because I think that property, if it's still available, is a far more suitable property for workforce housing.

Have we gotten any information about this property that Commissioner Kussal is referring to? Because I thought we had.

I spoke to the gentleman before when we had this discussion. But we didn't have it on as our analysis. Because we decided not to go But

what was the

He has it for sale. He was open to options.

She

ate acres at $15,000,000 $5,000,000 an acre. Mr. Mr. White's property is 1.2, 1.92 and it's 21,000,000, 20,200,000.0 and it's questionable what you could even build there. The other property on Federal is at least it's like a large block. You could definitely build on it.

Wouldn't an analysis let us know what we could build there?

Well, I'll call him first because I I'm gonna say that's what the analysis was Yes.

Look. I can tell you one thing. The white property is still for sale. I don't know if the LaDowney property is.

Okay. Right.

That property is not selling at 21,000,000. Sorry.

Commissioner Long.

Well, the truth is we don't know what either property we don't know what the Joe White property is selling for.

It's been on the market for,

like But we don't know what it's currently selling for. We don't know. I spoke with the property owner. He conveyed that there was some flexibility in terms of the price based on an analysis. So to me, that's the whole point. Otherwise, we're just speculating, and we're speaking in conjecture.

So

I have I'm gonna finish. I have no issue also analyzing the property on North Federal. I don't think it's suitable, frankly, for workforce housing. But instead of us just offering our opinions on what we think might be suitable and better layout, whatever, let's do our due diligence and get an analysis on both. I'm not even gonna be here. I'm encouraging you guys to get an analysis on both. Can I finish one sentence, please?

Why don't you think it's a good location?

I'm gonna finish my statement. Thank you. Not answer not being interrogated.

So you have already said that you would like for us to include that property along with the others.

Exactly. And I'm I'm I'm saying I'm fine with that. I think you guys should have all the information to make a decision. That's it.

Thank you.

That's

all. Are you finished, do you have something else to say?

No. I just think we should analyze both, and I'm gonna punt it to you guys because I'm out of here.

Thank you. Alright. Mayor?

I think that

the reality is we don't know what actually can be built on any of these properties. Right. And at the end of the day, when you're in that business of developing property, it's what how many keys can you get on a particular property? And that's how you really do your analysis. So I don't really know what each qualifies for because they each have Each one of these properties actually are in different sections, which have different density requirements, which is interesting because we have, like, a lot of different options.

I think that I I personally think that the costs I don't care which one you choose. I'm just wondering where we would get the money. Because, I mean, apart from anything else, we've got a $42,000,000 commitment we're doing in Pompeii Park. I mean, as important as I think the issue is of having workforce housing, I don't know where we're gonna get the money. So I think but before I would willing to spend any money, I wanna know what I could put there and how many units I can actually get on the site. And addressing the ingress, egress problems, which are serious. Addressing location, it's whether or it is appropriate there. These are all good questions. But I don't know what you can put on any of these sites. So it's just like

So are you in favor of the analysis? Yeah. Think we a

bonafide analysis of what you can actually do there where someone can say you can do x amount of units per acre. This is how the ingress, egress is. You know, I mean, like, I would be buying it a guy would be representing a buyer to a piece of property that what we would use to do is we get the zoning verification letters, and we would get a site plan drawn up to say what you could or couldn't do.

So right now, we're just trying to decide whether we want to put it on the agenda. Correct.

And now I think there's two properties potentially. Right. And you're interested in both or just one? Both. Why not? The mayor. Okay. Well, I'll call mister Ladhani because I don't know what you're here. I'll call him and if he is, I'll explain to him the situation. If he's open to it, then I'll include it in. Otherwise, it'll just be the R. S. Alley property.

Okay. And Commissioner Market, you want to weigh in on this?

Yeah. I'm in agreement. I think we should look at both properties. Let's see what the numbers show. And then to the mayor's point, you know, then we have to sit down and have the hard conversation about finances and what we can afford to do as a city. But I I think it all starts with having a full analysis of the two properties. I'm I'm I'm in favor of doing that.

Thank you. Okay. We have an agreement to happen on the agenda. So we need a motion for that or we're

good? No motion. We got it.

You're up next.

I have Christine do this one.

Good afternoon. Flip flops.

This is Renee. On my end, this is Renee.

I think flip flopped. Yes.

We we switch it up a little. So the item before you concerns funding method on the development of affordable and workforce housing. If you recall, on 08/28/2025, you approved the issuance of two RFPs, one for twenty twenty five dash o eight at 216 Northwest 8th Avenue. It's a single single family residentially zoned lot. And then another for three lots on what used to be 704 Southwest 4th Street, but we got got three separate addresses now for those three lots that we platted.

Subsequent to August 28, we did have an inquiry from a one of our nonprofit housing development partners that brought up the challenges that are related to the rising cost of construction. And we looked at our past RFP, specifically the RFP that we put out in 2019 for the development of Corrie Jones Isle. And we are proposing at this time to include language that the following costs may be eligible to receive funding assistance from the CRA subject to availability so that it wouldn't be incurred by the developer or the homebuyer. That would include architectural and engineering services, development and construction permit fees, including impact fees, construction financing, and any of the road right of way infrastructure construction that would be required by the City of Delray Beach. Beach.

So the proposer could request funding assistance within their submitted proposal and let the CRA know what they're requesting the funding assistance for. Additionally, with the rising cost of construction is also the rising cost of housing. We would like to add that the CRA provides subsidies to assist the homebuyer with the cost to purchase the home, and such a request would also be made at the time of submitting the proposal. So that is the language in front of you that we would like to add to the RFPs prior to issuance. With the note also that the funding assistance and the subsidies won't be available to developers that are required to provide workforce housing to fulfill another government requirement related to any other project.

Over to the board. Okay.

Commissioner Levy. Oh, I'm sorry. I just add one thing too. So another thing that we're noticing is that some of these lots that we've purchased, and I'll show you the example, in particular one of, like this. When we purchased these lots, this was all one PCN that we had to split. And the lot sizes were not the standard sizes and we had that with other situations as well where there's more work that's coming on that's not typically building the home. These lots don't have any infrastructure. They never had any water. So the non profits and our partners are having to actually go in and rebuild and reconstruct portions of streets more so than they were doing before. Which is why we thought this would be a good avenue to pursue.

We did it for Corey Jones. We gave full construction loan for that project. Plus subsidies, I believe it was up to $85,000 per home. I don't think any home that needed a subsidy did not use that maximum amount. But I think as we're trying to really find these lots and almost make them ourselves because there's such a shortage of land, we're running into issues with some of these lots.

So that's also another reason we were trying to come up with strategies to help because we didn't want to put that cost on the partners to build which oftentimes would then be transferred to the buyer. In this case, we could look at the cost and see things that we could keep and absorb ourselves that wouldn't be passed on and help with the cost of homes because we are anticipating the potential of having to do enhanced or more infrastructure than normally would be with these lots.

Okay. All right. So, well, I'll just start off saying that I'm in support of adding that language to, have construction funding assistance and the subsidy. So, commissioner Long, I'll You start with agree? That's it? That's it. Commissioner Markert?

I agree also.

Okay. This is good. Man.

I agree. Yeah. Would like to see we've been doing those three lots since I got on here.

Yeah. Last

time. It's not the first time, but the second time. Okay. But Alright.

We're gonna get some construction going.

I agree too. I think this is perfect timing too. When Mr. Hernandez came in front of us and talked about how people couldn't afford, the subsidies seemed necessary to make it happen. Thank you to you and the staff.

Okay. So do we need a motion here to add this?

Motion to authorize issuance of the revised RFP for the disposition of CRE owned vacant lots for the development of workforce and affordable housing

so moved

second deputy vice chair Cassell yes commissioner Carney yes Commissioner Long?

Yes.

Chair Burns? Yes. And vice chair Margaret?

Yes. Okay.

Okay. And on to rack.

Alright. So I am going to do this update today. We've had one meeting so far since we installed the new RAC group. All three members were on before so it was a nice kind of homecoming. Only two were able to attend our first meeting. But we shared information about the property that we assigned them to discuss in Osceola Park. They already started churning out some really good ideas. The person who couldn't make the meeting was the person who lives in Osceola Park. So we'll update her. But I know she has a lot of great ideas as well to share.

And actually, interestingly enough, at Burning Conversations, I met a gentleman that works with a lot of churches, Haitian churches in Osceola Park and around the city, who's really excited about this property and wanted to share feedback and interest as well. So I told him, please come to a meeting. Maybe we can have meetings separately. But they have a lot of ideas potentially for the site. So I think it's a good shift of our interest into that area. He was really excited and the members of RAC two to see us kind of spreading out our interest a little bit. It was positive. We'll have another meeting in January where we'll start getting a little more feedback. This was just the first meeting to share what we're going to be doing so they're ready to work.

Okay. Thank you. Sounds good. Other business?

Me. Okay. Surprise. Surprise. Comments. Okay. First I wanted to share about Palm Beach County Days in January. So I was planning to attend just to share the good works that our CRA is doing. I know our chamber always has a pretty good delegation last year. We were up there Commissioner Long about this. We were up there when we had the situation with CRE is going on. I wanted to attend or go again just to go with the chamber, kind of have like our little mini delegation like we did. This year it was really positive. Talked to a lot of representatives and had some good feedback from them. So just wanted to share that first.

Next is the special meetings. I just wanted to reiterate that again. I know we talked about this a couple times briefly at the end of the last meeting. We did not have a December meeting scheduled. But we would like to hold this special meeting on December 4 to discuss the West Atlantic Master Plan Set Transformation Plan Amendment. So we have been working really, really hard on drafting and redrafting this document. We believe it'll be ready hopefully by early next week to share with you all. This is just us approving in substantial form. It still has to go to planning and zoning, and ultimately the city of Delray Beach would have to adopt the plan. But we wanted to get the ball rolling, because if we did not move it forward now, we would be into the January before our board would hear it.

And then we would be further down the line with the city's review. The plan I can say is largely the same. It's more condensing and making things a little bit more streamlined. I think when we did our outreach meeting, one of them we had stickers. We went around the room and prioritized things. We were able to extrapolate over 100 individual action type items from the plan which is a lot. So we tried to just condense that down. In principle a lot of the things are the same. We just tried to slim down 100 different action items because it was just a little overburdensome and a lot. So we're excited about that. This meeting, we only have that topic. We may have one or two other items on the agenda. It should be a short agenda. But this was the only time that we could find to get everyone together to consider this.

We noticed that meeting? Do you have to notice it?

We just did, yes.

I'm going to be fifteen minutes late to that meeting.

Ms. Oh, that's okay. Should we start it at 10:30? Pardon me? Ms. If we

could do that, I would

We could, I think, yeah.

If you could do that,

that would be perfect. Ms. Yeah, we can. The only item presented will be this item where we're gonna go through a summary PowerPoint of it. That should take about thirty or forty minutes. And then the other items will be on consent.

But

I'm gonna be in I still got my meeting at noon in West Palm.

Yes. I'll have you out

of there. I know you've had a great

meeting here.

So since you've already noticed it though for 10:00 is that presenting a problem? No,

it's okay. Can move it. We just put it up on Legistar. That's all. It's just a Legistar thing. We're just recommending for the city to approve it. It's just kind of like a formality that we're the ones that prepared it. We're just asking the city if they will adopt it. And when we share it with you all, of course provide us your feedback. It'll be changing as we go through the steps. This is just the first kind of brush at this for us to review it. But yeah, definitely share any feedback once we send it to you all. And then we'll try to incorporate or discuss it at the meeting. But the meeting shouldn't be too long.

That will be my final one.

I know. We scheduled it just for you. We had to do one more.

We're doing a workshop tomorrow. Yeah.

His favorite thing. Two hour workshop.

It happen. 12:00. There has just been a lot of intentional planning and working on this, so I just want to commend you and your staff and the community as well. I mean, at the first couple, I know we had over 100 people attending, and so the community got really involved in this and thank you for your staff and Inspire as well. This was a great project, a great redo. Yes. Thank you. Thank you. You've got

something else. A couple more things. So we have our next CRA social which is also on December 4. So after our meeting in the morning you can hang out with us in the evening time.

Oh, really?

From five to seven we will be discussing the or actually showing or having the document that was on our agenda for the West Atlantic Master Plan Set Transformation Plan Update. We also recently just added code enforcement. I know they're trying to go out there and share information of what they're doing. So we invited them to come out to our social and be there as well. So if you have any code enforcement questions, please come out and join us. And Happy Thanksgiving. Very grateful for you all. It's such a pleasure working with every single person here. I know we have the best time and we do a lot of hard work. I just want to say thank you from us. Thank you.

That's all I have. Okay, so we have we are at the public comment portion. We did a flip flop today. So, if you have anyone for public comment, you can approach the lectern, give your name, zip code. Right?

We don't have that rule. Don't know what the rule

is for. I think we're doing

something. Have now a zip code. We just changed it.

We have recorded two.

We have six audios. Okay. We could do it at the

end. We'll do the audio at

The kids have to leave at five to go home.

I'm sorry? The kids have

to leave at five so we can think It's

okay. Okay.

Good evening board members. My name is doctor Sarah Selznick. I reside at 1700 Northwest 2nd Ave here in Delray Beach. Here to speak about the proposal that was submitted last night. I've lived in this city for more than twelve years and have worked full time in the set that entire time.

In 2018, my husband and I established the Shared Future Foundation, a five zero one c three with one purpose, to invest deeply our time, our resources, and our relationships into the regeneration of the set community. Since 2018, the foundation has granted more than $2,280,000 directly into the Set and we are asking our friends and colleagues to do the same. Just this past Thursday, we raised nearly $3,000 at our home, all of which will be invested back into the Set community. The foundation also owns another $2,000,000 worth of real estate in The Set, most of which is being conveyed to first time homeowners in support of affordable housing efforts led by the Delray Beach CDC. I share all of this to say we are committed and here for the long haul.

These resources have had real impact because of our partnership with coalition and the network of strategic partners working tirelessly to protect and uplift the set, the soul of Delray. The coalition itself grew from essentially no operating budget in 2018 to $204,653 by 2021 and over 1,130,000.00 by 2022. I volunteer full time hours with no pay because I believe deeply in residents leading their own transformation. Major philanthropic partners have followed this work. $400,000 from the Walton Family Foundation, $600,000 from the Mellon Foundation, which launched our community led real estate strategy.

We are also backed by national experts, Dina Hayes Green of the Racial Equity Institute, award winning architect and designer, Germaine Barnes, and vice president of research, doctor Bruce Jones of Howard University. Most recently, our foundation allocated 90,000 in in partnership with the coalition in legal resources to support the community in establishing a community loan fund, a neighborhood trust, and property management company. The plan is for this parcel along with the other parcels owned by Shared Future to become some of the first properties stewarded by the neighborhood trust. On the ground, our 5th Avenue space, which is adjacent to this empty lot, is in constant vibrant use. Wellness circles and guaranteed employment programs, nature play with Coco Plum Nature School, financial literacy with pathways of prosperity, community meetings, birthday parties, markets, and outdoor events.

Shared workspace for at least six nonprofits and two small businesses. And we haven't even renovated the building next door yet, which is fully funded and will soon host three additional small businesses including a bookstore, coffee shop, and home of Peach umbrella network. Meanwhile, the fifth grade legacy farmers are installing a fruit forest and building a micro enterprise with their teacher, miss Dana Tate. Shared Future Foundation, a nonprofit sorry. Can I have two minute two thirty more seconds from someone else?

Thirty seconds? Okay. Go ahead.

Shared Future Foundation owns three of the four surrounding lots. They are in the name of Community Holdings, an LLC owned by the foundation. The CRA owns no surrounding lots. The parcel we are requesting from the CRA, just point one six acres, is the missing fourth quadrant. Together, these lots have become a campus of innovation, culture, and community care. We are also committing to building four affordable single family homes in exchange. Currently, the lot is a dumping ground. The CRA is contributing to the slum and blight they are charged with eradicating. Instead of sitting on land that could be transformed now, meet us with support tonight. If we can combine the trust we built with residents and the institutional power of the CRA, we could do something truly transformational.

I'm asking you to please say yes instead of the easier no. Choose partnership, choose regeneration led by the people who call this place home. Thank you. Thank you.

Tell us your name.

Good evening. My name is Keely. Remember, I'll be reading this for miss. Ornella. Good evening. My name is Ornella, and I live at 44284 Dusty CT Apartment 206. Story.

Where? Just reading this for Oranella, I believe.

Go ahead.

And and I

I don't.

I'm here to speak in support of shared future foundations proposal for the empty lot at I don't know what that's. You're okay. I'm speaking on behalf of Soil Soul and Soul. We are a community based nonprofit that grows the well-being of people, place, and pay offer by offering group of mindfulness training and session for children and adults as well as earthwork activities that help us maintain nature, spaces, intentionally alive. Soil and Soul and other organization use the 5th Avenue space as our home for connection and community building.

This space allows us to host our weekly wellness circles where residents come together for for movement, mindfulness, and community support. This is the place where we run our earthwork sessions, helping helping people reconnect to nature and health through hands of stewardship. This space also serves our as our office and grounding place we meet with families, quarantine guarantees employment, and build financial wellness programs that have already been red stupid. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Yeah. It was very brave. Scary up there. It is.

Good evening, members of the CRA board. My name is Dana Tate. I'm a resident at 114 Northwest 18th Street, and I am the fifth grade teacher at Village Academy and the coordinator of the Legacy Farmers Program. I've been teaching for twelve years, nine of which have been at Village, and I'm here on behalf of my students and to share our vision for the property at 29th Southwest 6th Avenue. Thank you for the opportunity to share what this project has already done to for our students and what we believe it can grow into with your support.

This year alone, our students have experienced a level of hands on education that most 10 year olds never receive. They've learned directly from regional experts across across Palm Beach County to learn about sustainable urban farming and food forestry. They have even studied how city government works and what the CRA is, something that even many adults don't fully understand. These experiences have ignited an excitement for learning that carries back into our classroom. Students are writing essays about plants and ecosystems with a depth of curiosity we rarely see from 10 year olds.

They're practicing teamwork, leadership, public speaking, and scientific thinking in ways that align closely with project based learning best practices. They see the connections between reading, writing, science, math, culture, and community, and they understand why learning matters. But we have reached a limit we cannot overcome without additional space. Right now, the number of students we can include is small. Our vision and our responsibility is bigger.

With this additional land, we can expand the program to include more more grade levels, cross age mentoring between elementary, middle, and high school students, weekly outdoor science, art, mindfulness, and environmental literacy classes, family engagement events, community workshops led by students, nature based cultural learning grounded in the heritage of the set. The land becomes more than a garden. It becomes an outdoor classroom, a community hub, and a cultural space. It becomes a place where students learn science through real soil, plants, and ecosystems. Families can garden, cook, and learn alongside their children.

Elders can pass on cultural knowledge and natural practices. Community partners like Soil and Soul, the Children's Garden, Pike Place, and FAU can teach on -site. Kids can explore future careers in agriculture, environmental science, landscaping, engineering, and entrepreneurship. Our we just have a new partnership with Florida Atlantic University called Chips and Salsa, which opens even more doors. Students will now learn how to use microchips to collect data on soil health, temperature, moisture, and nutrient levels.

This introduces them to environmental science, coding, and digital tools at the age of 10. And we're only at the beginning. This project is also deeply tied to place. Our students are growing up in the set, a neighborhood with a rich cultural history and a legacy of resilience. Through this project, they learn that the land around them has value, that their voices matter, that they can take care of the place they come from and shape its future.

By giving us more land, you are giving our students a permanent site for outdoor learning, a safe, beautiful place to explore nature. I get ten more seconds. More here. A platform for leadership and community service, a way to connect with their culture and environment, a stronger sense of belonging and pride in where they live. You're also giving families a reason to gather, learn, and build together.

A food forest is not just an educational tool. It's a community anchor. Our students are showing us who they can become when given space, resources, and trust. More land would let us continue building a program that is academically rigorous, culturally grounded, community led, and filled with joy and purpose. Thank you for believing in the potential of our young people and in the power of growing something meaningful together. Thank you.

Good

evening, CRA board members. My name is Henry, and I am a fifth fifth grader at Village Academy. I am part of the Legacy Farmers Club at the Village Academy, and I am here tonight to speak again on the property at 29 South 29 Southwest at 6th Avenue. We need this land to support our club and our vision. This club is new at Village this year and we have already gone on many field experiences that have changed the way we see nature, food, and our community.

Imagine what we could accomplish if we kept going. We learned from experts all over Palm Beach County. We visited Pike Place Food Forest in Jupiter and learned from Amanda Pike who showed us how a real food forest works and how every plant supports the next one. We visited the Swington Community Garden and learned from miss Michico who taught us about layers of the food forest and how to build our own property. We also went to the Dere B Children's Garden where Shelly Zacks showed us how kids can help take care of space that is beautiful, peaceful, and full of life.

We learned to plant trees from landscape architect Clint Oster and how to take care for our existing property from Mr. Pablo from Soil and Soul. We've learned we've even learned how our city government works. Most 10 year olds don't don't even know what the CRA is, but we do. We understand how the board helps improve neighborhoods and how decisions are made.

Learning this has taught us that kids can have a voice in our community and that our ideas matter. These field experiences have inspired us to work harder than ever. We've practiced writing essays about plants, ecosystems, and our environment. We've learned to collaborate, to research, and to bring back what we saw on our trip so we can apply it at school. Every trip we take gives us more ideas, more motivation, and more excitement for what we can build.

Now we want a space of our own, a place where all this learning can continue to grow. We want a beautiful outdoor classroom where we can learn from nature, teach each other, host our family, invite other classes, and give back to our neighborhood. If we had more land, it could become a living classroom that students could use for many years. We could grow plants that help our community, create habitats for animals. Can I get like thirty more seconds?

You're learning. Go ahead. Yeah, sure.

Practice science outside and learn skills that make us healthier and more connected to nature. This space wouldn't just help us, it would help the students who come after us too. We have already learned so much this year and we have even bigger plans for the future. We hope the CRA will support our dream of expanding our food forest so we can keep learning, teaching, and creating opportunities for our community. Thank you for believing in students and for listening to our ideas. We promise that if you give us this land, we will use it with pride, responsibility, and love for our community.

Thank you. Thank you.

You definitely are learning. Good

evening, everyone. My name is Tamaya, and I am here because I am part of something powerful, something that is changing how kids in Delray Beach learn, grow, and dream. I am a proud member of Legacy Farmers, a youth led project built on leadership, culture, and community. Legacy Farmers is not just a garden. It's not just a club.

It is a project where kids learn real skills that matter in real life. We learn how to grow food from the ground up. We learn how to take care of the earth and understand the history of our community, and we learn how to turn ideas into businesses that can support our families and our neighborhood. This year, our learning has taken us all over the county. We met experts who showed us that plants can feed us, heal us, and admire us.

We tasted foods we have never tasted before. We asked questions, we experimented, we made mistakes, and we got better. Every week, we learn something new about what it means to lead. But Legacy Farmers isn't only about what we've done. It's about what we're building next.

Next. We have big plans for the future. We will learn to take photos so we can document our work and tell stories with our own voices. We will learn how artists use native plants to dye fabric and create products we can sell. We will learn about herbalism, how plants can support health, culture, and tradition.

We will learn from scientists at FAU who want to help us understand ecosystems, soil, water, and climate. And we will keep building our own small businesses designed and run by students like me. We are ready for all of that. But to make these dreams real, we need one thing that will make possible, land. Thank you.

Thank you.

Hi. My name is Claudia. I am a student at Village Academy, and I am a member of the Legacy Farmers Club at my school. I am here again to ask about the poverty at 29 South Southwest 6th Avenue. Land is where we grow.

Land is where we practice. Land is where we experiment, make decisions, and learn from the results. Land is how we take this project from an idea to a legacy. With land, we can build a permanent farm where every new group of students can learn hands on science, leadership, culture history, and business management. With LAND, we can create a space where families, teachers, and communities community members come together to learn, eat, create, and celebrate.

And with land, we can build a place that belongs to the set, a place rooted in the history and future of our neighborhood. We are not just asking for space. We're asking for a chance to grow a generation of young people who know how to feed themselves, support their community, honor their culture, and build their future with their own hands. We are ready to work. We just need the land to do it. Thank you for believing in us, and thank you for giving us the chance to build something that will last. Thank you for

your time.

Thank you.

Good job, Andrea.

Hello, good evening. Pablo Del Real with Soil and Soul. I'm one of

the nonprofit agencies that works out of this space that's adjacent to CRA property. And I'm trying to understand why we're back here. We were here a month ago, over thirty days ago. And as I understand it, there was an offer made on the property, so we're not really asking for you to give it to us, we're asking for you to sell it to Shared Future Foundation. In my understanding, they've met all the requirements of submitting a proposal to the CRA.

And it's been more than thirty days and we haven't heard anything. So I'm curious about that. And last time I heard that there was a cone of silence in effect for that period, okay, I get it. But that period should be over as far as I can tell. We were here a month ago, you heard from a lot of the students, you've heard about the other agencies that use that space. And I think we're talking about a very small percentage of CRA property. My understanding, you all own about 500 acres in the city. Correct me if that's not accurate. We're talking about a a piece of property that's, less than a quarter of an acre to add to an existing campus. And many of the CRA lots can be used for affordable housing.

And you heard that Shared Future Foundation together with Delray Beach CDC is supporting that. And as I understand proposal includes four lots for more additional housing from Shared Future Foundation in exchange for this one lot, less than a quarter acre, that's adjoining the campus that's already there. So I'm not sure why we're having to come back here and ask for this. There's money on the table. It's good money.

It's part of a bigger project that's gonna support a lot of people. And, I honestly wanna know why there hasn't been any response. And I wanna just add that this is a unique opportunity for the CRA and for the city of Delray Beach. And it's surprising to me that there wasn't more enthusiasm, more cooperation, collaboration from the CRA, and that there's just been silence. It's really confusing.

So I hope that you'll be able to address this tonight. There's a proposal, valid proposal on the table to support many residents in a unique property that that you own and that's up for sale. Well, being proposed to be bought. So please help us out with that. Thank you.

Thank you.

Hi, everyone. My name is Kristen Karstarphen, director of collective action for the coalition. I'm here today to advocate for Shared Future Foundation acquiring the empty parcel of land, 29 Southwest 6th Avenue. I don't wanna stand up here long I do wanna share my experience and observation of the joy, community, economic development, and access to healing on a continuous basis. However, that is at a limited capacity.

With ShareFuture Foundation obtaining the empty parcel, we'll be able to increase the usage of our current community space. We're currently on 32 Southwest 5th Avenue, and 34 Southwest 5th Avenue. That functions as a co working space, an intimate nature space, community outdoor event space, and now a funded urban farm managed by the Legacy Farmer Club and those amazing children that you just saw from Village Academy. Help us continue to grow the impactful work that's happening in this beautiful place, not only for the people you heard from today but for generations to come. I grew up here and I know how impactful it is to have a community space that you can go to outside of school, outside of church, just to be with your fellow residents, your community.

So I know that it will be impactful for these young folks, not only for their future and how they see careers, but, you know, internally how they see people, family, and love. So I advocate for Shared Future Foundation acquiring the property. Thank you for your time today. I hope we get a yes.

Thank you. For the ones on Yes. To oh the teacher is gone. I wanted to say I hope those students got extra credit for that.

They're all listening out there. They're just

getting Okay. So students, I hope that your teacher gives you extra credit for your reports and

Good your morning. Thank you for all you've My name is Fernando Wolfen. I live at 744 Southlake Avenue, Delray Beach 33483. And I would like to to share a message on behalf of Coco Plum Nature School and as a mom of two boys if you can hear me. Garden.

I'm calling to advocate for shared foundation shared future foundations proposal. We use the 5th Avenue space at least twice a week to host nature play sessions for young children in the stat. And for my students, this space is more than a classroom. It is a safe, joyful, clean environment where children can explore, create, and learn through the natural world. And as the new urban farm and food forest takes shape, we will be bringing our students even more regularly to tend the land, to learn about gardening and ecology, and to understand what it means to care for their community from the ground up.

I support this project because it invests in the well-being of children, families, the earth and the next generation of environmental stewards. It expands the space where learning, imagination and nature can come together in a neighborhood that deserves these opportunities. The children deserve these opportunities and the families altogether. So I'm asking that the CRA supports this project so our children can continue to grow in confidence and knowledge and in connection to their community. If you have any questions, you may reach me at fernanda@cocoplumnatureschool.org. Thank you so much, and have a beautiful day. Bye.

Good morning. My name is pastor Richard Dames. I live at 407 Northeast 17th Avenue, Boynton Beach. I'm speaking in support of Shared Futures Foundation proposal for the empty lot that's on 6th Avenue. Speaking on behalf of Pathways to Prosperity, which provides financial literacy, economic empowerment, and workshop located at the hive.

This space allows us to meet residents where they are right in their own neighborhood and to provide them knowledge along with coaching and support that helps family build stability to reduce debt and to also plan for their futures. Demand for these service is growing and the Hive has become an essential trusted place for this work. We support this project because expanding this space means expanding opportunity and so we're asking the CRE to wholeheartedly support this project. Thank you. Have a great day.

Hi. My name is Jennifer Jones. My address is 639 Kingbird Circle in Delray. I'm speaking support of the shared future foundation's proposal for the empty lot on 6th Avenue. I speak on behalf of the Pitrabula Network, a collective of small businesses and entrepreneurs rooted right here in the set.

Our network was the Blackmere's market here on-site and we use PR that are already built and gives local vendors an opportunity to meet their clients, to sell, to grow, and to thrive. And the building next door, as it's being renovated, it offers a space for four new small businesses as well as a space where we can have vocational training, a space for employment, and for the entrepreneurs in our community. We support this project because it's strengthening the economic hobby of the circle of 5th Avenue. It strengthens small businesses. It encourages growth and wealth in our community.

The expansion of the business of that space allows for small businesses, not outsiders to come and grow and build wealth right here in our community, where, fortunately, we want to continue to see it thrive. We would love to see more growth in our commercial corridor. So we are asking necessary to support this project in a set so that small businesses can continue to rise, continue to thrive right here in our community and regenerate wealth in our neighborhood. As a small business owner myself, I do use the space and the hype, and it supports my capacity to meet with my clients. And as a small business, I really benefit from this space. Thank you for your help, and thank you for your support.

Commission oh, he left already. Commissioner Mark Kaczor. He couldn't hear. Yeah. Okay.

Hello. This is Burn. 2578 Lake Ida Road. I happen to be a millennial here in Derry Beach, Florida. A very, very, very concerned citizen.

I have my business here at the Hive where we do a lot of community organizing and, you know, we learn together, we play together, and it's actually just a place where community can oftentimes come and convene when we have different projects or different programs. And I want to just say that I advocate for the 5th Avenue to gain more space so that our little ones not only, you know, our own personal little ones but the little ones in the community also have a place to go. I do know that there's a lot of outreach that happens from that area in space. There's a lot of learning and growing together that happens in that space, and there's a lot of programming that happens in that space that I think is kind of vital to that community and the growth and the trajectory that we're going in. So I am in support.

I hope you all can consider that it's not just space to us, but

it is also community building. Thank you. Yes. Hello. This is Erwin Sinhaan. Yes. Hello. This is Erwin Sinhaan. Address, 34 Southwest 5th Avenue, Dairy Beach, Florida. Just reaching out in regards to the agenda.

I'm here on on behalf of just millennials in general in the area in Delray Beach. You know, we are, you know, a group of young adults who live in the set, and we actively use the 5th Avenue space for our meetings and gatherings. Also, I'm co owner of an insurance company, Blackstar, that utilizes a co working space. This space is more than a building. It's one of the few places in the neighborhood where, you know, we come together, learn, and celebrate, and actually see ideas take shape.

We support this project because it expands a space that already works as again we are using it currently. We're asking the CRA to support this project so we can continue to have a spot that young entrepreneurs can kind of grow from go from and there. So thank you for your time.

That's it. Thank

you. That's it for me.

Good afternoon. My name is Angela Hill. I live at 1101 Northwest 3rd Terrace, Delray Beach, Florida 33444. I am speaking in support of the shared future foundation proposal for the empty lot on 6th Avenue. I speak on behalf of the Peach Umbrella Network.

It is a collective small business who benefits from The Hive which is the current property that sits adjacent or in front of the small empty lot. Our network hosts Blackmoon's Market on this site using the kiosk already built to give local vendors a place to sell, grow and thrive. As this building next door is renovated, it will become a home for four new small businesses, a space for vocational training creating real opportunities and skill building employment entrepreneurship within the community along with several other adversaries. We support this project because it strengthens the economic heartbeat of our community, the historic 5th Avenue, it expands a space where local businesses not outside developers can grow, build wealth, contribute, thrive culturally within our home. We are asking the CRA to support this project so that the set small businesses can continue to rise and help lead and regenerations of our neighborhood.

Thank you. Angela?

That's it. Okay. Okay. Public comment is over. What about this project? What can we talk about? What can we not talk about at this time?

Ma'am, the cone of silence is still in effect.

It's still in effect? Yes, ma'am. Okay. So that would answer why there's been no discussion about this, Ms. Pablo. Alright, so are there we're at the end of our agenda, correct?

Yes, we are. Okay. Alright.

Comments.

Do we know when these folks would get some kind of

feedback on this front?

By Monday.

Yes. By Monday? Yes.

By Monday. Okay. That's and so that is because I have something I wanna say, it will have to wait until Monday. Of December 4. Yes. Alright. Alright. Let's zip until Monday. Just zip the lid.

Commissioner Super quick. Thank you. I just we stopped doing the public comment via phone in the commission meetings post COVID. I I like that people can call in for their convenience, but sometimes I don't. Can I get the gist of it, but oftentimes I don't even I don't always know what they're saying? It's sort of it could be my issue, not the system. But I like it when people come here and speak to us and we see them. I'm just wondering why we're still doing the phone when we stop doing that all over.

So we just kept it on. I think the two public common things that we hadn't adopted from the city was stopping the phone line and also the one hour limit on commons. So those are the two things that we just never discussed. We can absolutely. We just have to amend the bylaws and we can do that.

There were at least three people on there that I personally know who are at work. So, CRA meets at 04:00 in the afternoon and not everybody is off work, so having the ability to do it by phone, know,

Right, can't afford a difference if you come want

make a comment.

Thank you. Do

you want to consider the hour adoption?

Feel like we should do that one.

We just never did that one either. We'll leave it as is.

The public comment closing after an hour, we never meet an hour. Ours aren't really We can impose it just in case.

We'd like to, we can. It just is a by law change, that's all.

We've never gone over I mean, if you want to entertain that, I'm okay with just leaving it where it is because we've never gone over an hour. I don't know.

It's just

I would entertain it, miss Burns, if it's on the same subject because it could happen. I mean we only do that when it's repetitive and redundant on one subject.

We have had that happen. I mean it happened you know years past some I of our

mean it's okay.

I don't I don't mind. Mayor?

I mean, I think an hour is enough time for public comment. I think that, you know, I I think it's unlikely we're gonna test that limit but there may be the time we do and it's typically the same issue being discussed Exactly. Over and over again.

Yes. It would have to be the same subject and that that was We we faced that. We just never made that change. I know the city implemented. We just didn't discuss it in years past.

I don't think it's One item you or one approach you may consider, if you have a large number of people who wanna speak, you can limit the conversation less than four minutes by motion. So Or three. Per meeting. If you have a 100 people and you you wanna, you can limit them to two minutes or one minute

so you do it at each meeting when you when

you meeting by meeting yes ma'am

I like that

yeah that's a good policy like we'll

do research we'll write that up and have it on the December meeting

thank you

welcome Any other comments?

No, thank you.

Any comments?

I love the kids. I could listen to them all day.

I know, me too. That's why I was sitting up here with the rubric, was like, oh, they got an A, she

got an A.

Kids are great, they probably say grow up. I love them when they're that age. They all did a great job.

Well, I I had I don't have any other comment. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. I'll be in Vegas for the week and enjoying myself in

a checkbook, I hope. Right?

Who I don't have a checkbook.

$0.00.

My name on it.

$00 and 0¢.

Absolutely. Alright. Well, meetings adjourned. Oh, I'm sorry. City attorney.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Okay. Thank you. Alright. Meeting's adjourned. Thank you, everybody.