Crocker Partners sues Boca Raton over delays for Midtown Boca project

Crocker Partners is suing the city of Boca Raton over delays it alleges the city caused on its Midtown Boca project.

Boca Raton-based Crocker Partners initially envisioned between 1,300 to 2,500 apartments and condominiums in the “live-work-play district.” Plans for the project have stalled, however, after the city council voted earlier this year to adopt a small area plan instead of a mobility designation, according to the Daily Business Review.

Crocker filed a two-count lawsuit on May 22 seeking declaratory relief, alleging that the city’s actions in the Midtown area violate state law and the city’s comprehensive plan, code and land development regulations. Crocker alleges the city didn’t follow with its own procedures, and is arguing that the adoption of a small area plan for Midtown violates its comprehensive plan, according to the complaint.

In 2010, the city council amended Boca Raton’s comprehensive land-use plan for the 300-acre area and directed city staff to write new zoning rules for development there, but zoning for the area remains unchanged. In January, the city council refused to rezone the proposed Midtown Boca district.

The latest lawsuit is the second legal action Crocker has made against Boca Raton. On April 10, Crocker filed a notice for $137.6 million in damages, claiming it wasn’t allowed to proceed with the project due to government actions.

The area, located just east of the Town Center shopping mall in Boca Raton, would become a rezoned district known as Midtown Boca. [Daily Business Review]— Keith Larsen