This article, originally published by Al Zucaro on BocaWatch.org, is preserved for historical purposes by Massive Impressions Online Marketing in Boca Raton.
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Publisher’s Comment:
Close your eyes….visualize this….Standing on the northeast corner of Camino Real and Federal in front of 101 Camino Real; a 160 foot structure dominating the entire skyline. Now imagine walking north on Federal to the very next parcel of land where within the five years will be two more 160 foot structures; to wit: the Mandarin Hotel and a yet unnamed ‘for sale’ condo structure. Continue your walk to the north where you come to a bend in the road leading to Mizner Boulevard. As the road bends, on your right is the existing Townsend Place structure; next is the Mizner on the Green complex; a complex that will soon not be there. In its place will be three (3) high rise building, just under 1,000 linear feet along the east side of Mizner Blvd…..Continue this imaginary walk to the corner and the existing 200 East building begins to loom large all the way to Palmetto Park Rd…..So OK…the east side is now all high rises….The west side of Mizner Blvd still remains with the charm of Royal Palm Plaza….not for long….On the drawing boards is the redevelopment of Royal Palm Plaza to five (5) 160 foot structures completing the vision captured in today’s political cartoon….’Concrete Canyon’…no longer a figment of your imagination but what will be the near future of downtown Boca Raton….That future is now!
Al Zucaro
Image created by Jessica Gray
And I’ m sure , where the post office is located now on NE 2 st plus all the property to the west it and the small lot to the east of it , will both nicely fall into place in the concrete canyon. Remember Tower 155 is behind it.
My town that i have lived in since 1957..it being EATEN ALIVE by concrete.
When all city council members leave office, We the citizens, will be left with their rotten eggs on every corner.
Boca Raton a city of Parks not much longer š Our city was always something special,quaint & Mizner like … I am for progress just not changing the āguidelinesā that attracted me & many others to Boca Raton .
I’ve been using the term “concrete canyon” for a while now and it’s sad to know others have the same view. I also use the terms Ft Bocadale or Boca-Dade. Too bad the council and other leaders didn’t put as much emphasis on “developing” new school buildings for our children.
Boca wasnāt quaint and Mizner stop the political nonsense it was dying shops were vacant,other than Mizner no need to go down town,this site was a start s decent info source now just a forum for someoneās political ambition, so the new vibrancy is welcome and properly planned
Complainers enjoy complaining, Boca will never be like it was in the 50’s, that was a different planet! Wake-up its 2018…Boca is the new Fort Lauderdale and will be just fine. The people will be coming from the north in droves in the next five years no matter what, so get ready, participate, plan and enjoy the ride….or get out of the way.
Larry and Thomas, the residents are rising up and don’t plan on “getting out the way” as you put it. You must be a snowbird or tourist looking for a new cool restaurant that you can go to on the intercoastal twice a year and than fly back to New York. We plan on enjoying the ride but under our terms. It is our city not yours. Also, understand we are all for growth but smart growth that will not destroy our quality of life as in traffic, parking, We actually supported a huge development on Mizner called Mizner 200. On 8 acres and 4 will be open space and green. The developers met with the citizens and we all agreed it was cool. Nice setbacks, 150 shade trees, a couple of benches . Not much. Plenty of parking. We supported Ocean One at corner of palmetto and A1A. Same architects. Than we had a bldg. called the Mark which looks identical to the prison in Ft Lauderdale . Boxes with windows. Never again. We are taking control for the first time and the cty will be developed smartly . We are glad the developers are here but they have to understand the residents make and enforce the rules not their cronys as in the past. We plan on making this a world class city that both residents and businesses and tourists like you appreciate and will long to move here.. So, we will not be the new Ft Lauderdale we will be the new Boca Raton. Great parks, vibrant , great schools, etc.
STOP ALL BUILDING !! We the citizens of Boca Raton DO NOT WANT ANYMORE CONCRETE BUILDINGS….
Our visitors come here, for our Use to be town, away from big city cement towers…. Real Estate,
Developers are ruining our town…
THIS IS NOT NEW YORK…..money hungry developers get rich on deals, paybacks, kick backs and don’t t care about the citizens, raise taxes, etc…. Mizner built our town to be a quint town with no interference of of big cities….The last few years the founding rules & laws were thrown out
to serve the greety… Nothing was to be built taller the the Mizner statue, the Boca Hotel was to be seen through out the city and neighborhoods
to signify the history of our town!!!!!!!
I have lived here for over 35 years and the past 5 yrs the mayor has caused, higher taxes, prices, over crowding of schools, parking problems & more accidents, cut our fireman, police, teachers..
The amount of coxsman arriving in BR over the next few years will be amazing. Plenty of fish to be had of all ages. Please, let’s not forget what fun Mizner can be on a Friday or Saturday night. Coxmen unite!