A city-commissioned study says Boca Raton should consider a new City Hall. Public input on the Memorial Park master plan starts Saturday, Nov. 14.
Boca Raton’s City Hall has outlived its useful life, and the city should consider building a new one. That is the conclusion of an assessment the city commissioned from Currie Sowards Aguila Architects and has now posted for the public.
Keeping the 1964 building would cost between $23.7 million and $86 million, depending on how far the work goes, the architects estimated.
The report is one of nine building assessments the city published for its Memorial Park master plan. That plan will decide what happens to the park and the civic buildings around it. The first public input session is Saturday.
What the City Hall assessment found
The architects visited the roughly 50,069-square-foot building on June 5. City Hall opened in 1964 and gained a major addition in 1981, the executive summary says. The city has maintained it well, the report says, but it has never had a complete modernization.
The assessment found:
- aging building systems
- accessibility problems, in department offices, service counters, restrooms, the Council Chamber and the mayor’s office
- building envelope concerns
- localized structural deterioration, including wood framing at the mansards and canopies
- code-related conditions that need future investment
The architects priced the work at three levels. Each level includes the one before it.
| Level of work | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Repair or replace what the assessment found | $23,652,762 |
| Repairs plus upgrades to meet current codes | $60,223,693 |
| Repairs, code upgrades and full modernization | $86,011,333 |
The modernization figure is a planning allowance of $200 a square foot, the report says. None of the figures is based on a final design, and they cover the building only, not the site.
“The consulting team believes the City should consider a new City Hall as a practical long-term solution,” the report concludes.
The Community Center and Tennis Center
The same firm assessed the other buildings in Memorial Park. Its findings differ by building.
- Boca Raton Community Center: the building can be renovated, the assessment says, at $11.2 million for repairs, $24 million with code upgrades or $37.2 million with full modernization. It has no automatic fire sprinkler system. The architects said renovation alone “may not meet the City’s long-term goals” for a modern community center.
- Boca Raton Tennis Center: the 1991 building’s concrete structure is in generally good condition, and complete demolition is not recommended, the assessment says. The roof needs replacing, and termites were found in parts of the roof framing. Estimates run from $645,000 to $1.68 million.
- Community Center Annex, 260 Crawford Blvd.: demolition is not recommended either. Both roof areas need replacing, and the building has no fire sprinkler or fire alarm system, the assessment says.
The city has also posted assessments of the downtown library, the police headquarters and three historic houses on the Children’s Museum site, including Singing Pines. They are all linked from the city’s Memorial Park page.
The city says the assessments “do not represent final decisions about the future of any facility.”
How the master plan works
After a March 2026 referendum, the City Council directed staff to start a new planning process for the park and civic area, the city said. The council chose Chen Moore and Associates on July 28 to lead it. The firm presented its public engagement plan to the council on Oct. 27.
The process runs about six months, from mid-September to mid-March, according to the city’s timeline. Its stages are:
- October to November: listening sessions, stakeholder meetings and a community survey
- December to January: a design charrette and up to two concept options for City Hall, the Community Center, the Tennis Center and the Singing Pines building complex
- February to mid-March: a draft plan, a City Council workshop and a final plan for the council to consider
“No final design, park layout, or Master Plan has been approved,” the city said in its Nov. 2 announcement.
“Memorial Park is a place many of us have enjoyed over the years, and we want to hear the ideas and perspectives of our community,” Mayor Andy Thomson said.
When you can have your say
Public input sessions:
- 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, Royal Palm Room, Boca Raton Community Center
- 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17, second-floor mezzanine, Spanish River Library
- 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19, online (the city has not yet posted how to join)
The design charrette is at The Studio at Mizner Park, 201 W. Plaza Real:
- 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10 (introduction)
- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11
- 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12
The city will also staff a Memorial Park table at the Holiday Tree Lighting at Mizner Park, 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21.
What it means for you
- Take the survey. It is online in English and Spanish.
- Read the assessments first. Each building’s report, with its cost estimates, is linked from the Memorial Park page.
- Ask a question by email to communications@bocaraton-fl.gov, the address the city gave.
- Nothing changes yet. The council has made no decision on any building, and the final plan is due to go to the council in the spring.
For the people to contact at City Hall, see our who to call at City Hall guide. Downtown events are on our things to do page.
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