The Boca Raton city council approved on Mar. 24 a controversial two-building, 12-story hotel project by James and Marta Batmasian near Mizner Park, despite opposition from residents of the neighboring Tower 155 condominium.
The decision comes just days before newly elected representatives, who campaigned on development skepticism, are set to take office. The current council voted 4 to 1 in favor of the Batmasians’ proposed Mizner Plaza Hotel at 132 and 170 Northeast Second Street during Monday’s Community Redevelopment Agency meeting.
The hotel is planned for a site currently occupied by a post office and retail plaza. Designed by HdA Architects, the new plan calls for a reduction in rooms from an earlier proposal: now at 219 keys instead of the previously proposed 242. The approval includes a parking deviation allowing two levels of underground parking with 328 spaces rather than the city code requirement of 557 spaces. The developers agreed to provide additional parking within 600 feet if needed.
To address concerns about construction impact on nearby buildings, particularly Tower 155 located just twenty feet away, the developer must monitor its structural integrity using drones and seismic sensors during construction. Some residents expressed fears about potential damage due to proximity and past issues with cracks in Tower 155 following its completion six years ago. “Construction of two more 12-story buildings with underground parking twenty feet away is ‘a recipe for disaster,'” resident Brian Kritchman said.
During the meeting, Marta Batmasian responded directly to residents’ concerns: “My heart breaks for you, it truly does, but it is not our problem.” Attorney Ele Zacharadias argued that under existing zoning rules the site could be redeveloped into an even larger residential project without view columns.
Outgoing council member Marc Widger cast the lone dissenting vote citing multiple reasons against underground parking including Florida’s shallow water table and possible effects on adjacent properties. “A parking garage within six hundred feet is a better idea,” Widger said, adding that such an option would be significantly less expensive than building underground facilities.
Looking ahead, James and Marta Batmasian plan another major development: a second twelve-story hotel at their Royal Palm Plaza property half a mile away.
