FL: Boca Raton Tri-Rail station may get 8-story addition with shops, eateries and homes

A big plan to overhaul the grounds of the Boca Raton Tri-Rail station could introduce an eight-story development that offers new homes, restaurants and shops off Yamato Road.

It aims to become the latest community placed near a South Florida transit hub — an increasingly popular approach — where residents can conveniently walk to catch a commuter train or some other type of transportation.

Boca Village, planned for 680 W. Yamato Road, would occupy part of the pre-existing Tri-Rail parking lot and vacant land next to it. It is just one of the developments in the works along the Tri-Rail corridor, which spans across Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties.

So why have these become more prominent in recent years when Tri-Rail has been around for more than three decades? For a while, the areas around Tri-Rail stations were quite industrial and not alluring to live by, said David Dech, the executive director of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, the agency that oversees Tri-Rail.

But in recent years, the transportation authority has been “very aggressively” cleaning up and repairing the stations. And over the next couple of years, Dech said the agency will invest $40 million into the stations while also working with South Florida municipalities to make the properties more attractive.

“You have to be a good neighbor, and you have to be someplace that someone wants to live around,” he said, adding: “But also it’s just a different trend.

“And you see people with the younger generations who don’t necessarily want to own a car or don’t want to have two cars. This is that we’re seeing an evolution of lifestyle of people who don’t necessarily want to drive.”

Envisioning a community

As currently proposed, the Boca Village project would offer 340 residences, 51 of which would be affordable and workforce-housing units. It also would dedicate more than 30,000 square feet to commercial uses, such as restaurants and shops.

The project’s architecture would draw on the city’s classic Mediterranean Revival style with decorative columns, arches, stucco walls and outdoor and indoor spaces so people can “meander through the site,” according to documents from Miskel Backman LLP, the law firm behind Boca Village.

“There is a focus on the pedestrian experience, ranging from expanded sidewalks, multi-modal paths, to retail promenades. The diversity of uses within the site exemplifies the hectic nature of life,” the firm states.

It says, “The details and architectural design choices of Boca Village gleam with elegance, demonstrating the soul of architecture: balancing utility and beauty.”

Steven Abrams, the former executive director of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority and former Boca Raton mayor, said “now is the perfect time” for Boca Village to rise.

“Transit-oriented development projects are popular as ever now and are in demand,” he said. “As traffic congestion increases, it’s a great alternative to live right where you can access public transit so you can live there and you jump on a Tri-Rail train in the morning if you commute to your job.”

The transportation authority may financially benefit from Boca Village, too, with the agency standing to gain revenue from the leases that would eventually occupy the project.

“This is uniquely positioned at the Tri-Rail Station and at the Palm Tran stop, so no other property can brag that they’re that closely located,” Abrams said. “And as far as the retail, it’s going to serve both the residents of the project, and it’s well-positioned to serve the commuters at the station.”

New communities near transit

The Federal Transit Administration defines “transit-oriented developments” as compact, mixed-use communities located near a transit option where people have access to jobs and services.

Seeds for such developments took root in 2015 when the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority received a $1.25 million grant to select stations in seven municipalities for which transit-oriented developments could rise.

The seven selected were: North Miami Beach, Miami, Hollywood, Oakland Park, Wilton Manors, Delray Beach and Palm Beach Gardens.

Renderings for each city’s development illustrate sophisticated hubs that reflect efficiency and movement, generating a sense of ease for traveling tourists and everyday users commuting to work.

A ‘fast-growing’ trend

When drawing upon examples for transit-oriented communities, Dech looks to those neighborhoods around Miami-Dade’s Metrorail stations.

These communities are defined by Miami-Dade County as “a fast-growing community development trend that includes a mixed-use of housing, office, retail space and amenities integrated into a walkable neighborhood and located within a half-mile of public transportation.”

“Transit-oriented communities provide better access to jobs and housing for people of all ages and incomes.”

Nearly a dozen such communities already were completed in Miami, and more are still in the works.

“There are very few people who do it as well as Miami does,” Dech said. “Around the Metrorail stations, Miami has done a fantastic job.”

Changes ahead for Boca Raton

Transportation-oriented developments also are popping up more within Boca Raton’s boundaries.

Right next to the Tri-Rail Station is the Boca Raton Innovation Campus, which is expected over the next 10 years to be transformed into a “mini-village” with residences, shops, office space, an entertainment venue and grocery store.

And near the Brightline station by the downtown, plans are in the works to redevelop the city’s outdated government and sports facilities and possibly add residences, shops, restaurants and amenities to make the area more alluring to residents and visitors.

Dech is optimistic about transit-oriented developments’ success in Boca Raton, particularly the upcoming Boca Village.

“What a great spot, you know?” he said. “You’re close to restaurants, you’re close to the malls, you can hop right on I-95, you’re a couple of miles from the beach. I think it’s going to be a great location.”

“If I look at it right now, it’s an eyesore. It’s a vacant lot next to a train station that we’d like to turn into a beautiful mixed-use facility.”

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