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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Monday’s city council agenda (January 23, 2017) includes a discussion on the city’s potential sale of their municipal golf course that is located outside of city limits (west of the turnpike). There are three offers under consideration and the city council is expected to determine which offer is in the best interest of the City in their selection process.
The Lennar offer for $41 million includes the swap of the Boca Teeca golf course property ($51 million without the golf course swap), but this does not include the hotel property on the Southeast corner of NW 2nd Ave. & Jeffrey St. Residents have opposed the exclusion of the hotel property and have encouraged Lennar to include this property in order assure that a public use would be expected for all of the properties formerly operated as the Ocean Breeze golf course. Is the Lennar offer in the best interest of the City as compared to offers from two other developers for $73 million?
If the city accepts the highest cash offer, then there is no further economic benefit to the city, that is, no additional use by residents or tourists who may wish to play a public championship level golf course within our city. What is the economic benefit of a public golf course – $1 million to $5 million or more per year? The Allianz golf tournament at the Broken Sound Old Course touts over $20 million in economic benefits for this one week event each year over the past few years it has been located within our city.
What is the economic value of acquiring and preserving over 200 acres of green space in our city? If the city paid $150,000 per acre for the land where the Countess de Hornle park was developed, then the comparable value of over 200 acres of open space would be valued at over $30 million. When this valuation of $30+ million is added to the $41 million cash from Lennar, this would approximate the offers from the other developers without including the ongoing economic benefits mentioned above. I will not even attempt to compare the value of the 200 acres in Boca Teeca to the Wildflower property that the city bought for over $3.3 million/acre which has yielded no public benefit for over seven years, as this would result in an astronomical comparable valuation for the golf course property.
The residents in the Boca Teeca community are looking for a permanent solution to preserving the golf course property as green space and for the property to be used only as a golf course, as required by their deed restriction on the golf course property. Should the city decide to accept the Lennar offer (hopefully enhanced to include the hotel property) then this would not only benefit this area of north Boca Raton, but the entire city would benefit as top quality a 27-hole golf course would be expected to attract many visitors and new residents to our area, especially during the winter months. Under the operation of the Arnold Palmer Golf Management Company, the Ocean Breeze golf course often had over 300 players per day during the winter months which would bring economic benefits to the entire city. The Greater Boca Raton Beach & Park District has unanimously agreed to cooperate with the city in the acquisition and improvement of the golf course property at Boca Teeca which would serve all residents and attract a high caliber of golfer/visitor to our area.
City residents and golfers are encouraged to attend meetings at city hall and speak in support of bringing championship level public golf to our city. This is a Win-Win deal for the city and the residents.
The author is a resident of Boca Teeca. Why is this not mentioned in his profile or this article. I would prefer to hear an unbiased opinion on this matter. why would anyone want more development on any part of Glades Road. It’s a traffic nightmare already?
Exactly!
Can Boca Watch please reaching out to the candidates for the upcoming election to ask their position on the sale of the existing municipal golf course and how or if they think the City should procure the Ocean Breeze property. Also ask if they would support keeping the Ocean Breeze property as a 27-hole golf course and what other public use they would envision if the City becomes the owner of the property.
In November I wrote on my campaign website that I support Keeping Golf in Boca. Preserving green space as we move into the future is a priority in order to maintain the status of “world class city” that has made Boca Raton the stand out city that we are. http://www.andreaorourke.com/blog/
I fully support preserving the Ocean Breeze property as a valuable green space and a world class public golf course. My commitment to this has been and will remain unwavering. Al Zucaro 561-644-1665
We need a world class golf course at Boca Teeca !!! Please support it !
If it was such a fantastic and successful golf course why did it go bankrupt? If it is such a wonderful property why was their only one bidder when it did go belly up (the lender)?
I do not believe the city should sell the municipal golf course to Lennar or any other developer. I don’t see the purpose of giving up public green space to a developer who will only add more traffic to our already over burdened streets especially Glades Road. The “saving” of the Ocean Breeze course shouldn’t be the city’s problem.
Keep the Boca Municipal Golf Curse.
Nora
Your comments “Keep the Boca Municipal Golf Curse” Is a funny line or a bad typo. Shouldn’t a MUNICIPAL anything be in the Municipality? Or do you want to stay outside the box?
HMM…
Over 200 acres East of 95 in one of the most prestigious cities in South Florida. South Florida one of the most prestigious section of one of the most prestigious States in the United States. The USA one of the most prestigious Countries in the world.
Opinions are similar to Real Estate.
They are all over the place, but not all are created equally.
Buy the former Ocean Breeze Course. 24 million is a steal.
Leaders Lead.
Cil
CPA,
RE BROKER – FL, NY
Nora, her words are how many of us feel… There is nothing funny about her words nor was it a typo. She was simply stating her comment in which you had nothing better to do than comment back with your own vague comment. If you and others had any common sense, and apparently you think you do, you would know that traffic is a huge burden enough on Glades Rd as it is, and to build more buildings while having to knock down more of Boca’s beautiful landscape is straight up sick. Money and power isn’t everything in this world, and one day money-hungry people, who are never satisfied, will reap the disasters of tearing down God’s green earth for greed!