Story, photo by Dale M. King
BOCA RATON – Levitz Plaza, a once thriving shopping plaza in north Boca Raton, has been on the skids for years.
Plans approved in 2006 for a Mizner Park-style mixed use development called North Boca Village, also containing a new structure for the Caldwell Theatre, was crushed by a falling economy and ended up in bank foreclosure earlier this year.
But the plaza that’s empty except for a carpet and tile store is about to get a new lease on life. The City Council held two public hearings on plans for the Broadstone at North Boca Village, a complex of 384 residential apartment units along with the already-built 29,494 square foot (333 seat) Caldwell Theatre.
Lengthy discussions at Planning & Zoning Board meetings and the two hearings preceded the City Council’s unanimous and eager vote of approval in June.
City Manager Leif Ahnell said in a memo the applicant, Alliance Residential Company LLC, will offer “luxury ‘for rent only’ apartment units with multiple product choices designed in a Spanish Mission architectural style.”
The residential portion, Ahnell said, “will have a varied mix of unit/building types consisting of townhouses, garden style apartments and mid rise apartment buildings. The units will be in three- and five-story buildings and will be comprised of one, two and three bedroom units ranging from 651 square feet to 1,786 square feet.”
The city manager said the applicant “purports that the mix of unit types will appeal to a wide range of residents.” He said the applicant provided city staff with a market study showing “the viability of the project and the need for multi-family rental apartments in this area of the city.”
More than a half-dozen years ago, North Federal Highway came under city scrutiny with the appointment of a Steering Committee and the creation of a “charrette,” or guide to development, with residents’ help. North Boca Village grew out of that charrette, and was initially seen as the key project to revive the highway.
North Boca Village was to be a mix of residential (49 townhouses and 336 condominiums), retail (100,600 square feet), office (53,990 square feet) and restaurant (40,000 square feet) uses, with roads connecting the buildings – much like Mizner Park. It also included the theater.
The original developer planned to raze the plaza after allowing the Caldwell, formerly located in that building, to build a new theater slightly north of the Levitz site. That structure was finished in 2007, but North Boca Village was never even started.
Attorneys Charlie Siemon and Wendy Larsen presented the plans for Broadstone. It had to go through a lengthy permitting process, and the city had to change the zoning from mixed use (MU) to village center (VC).
Plans say recreational amenities for Broadstone include a centralized park area, tot lot, putting green, pool with cabanas and a gazebo. There will also be a two-story clubhouse (over 7,000 square feet) slated to contain a fitness center, game room, club room, business/conference rooms and leasing offices.
All access points to the residential area will be gated. Broadstone will not have the network of streets that North Boca Village would have had. The existing driveway serving Caldwell Theatre will remain free of a gate.