Boca developers say city’s housing study bucks property owners’ rights

Study rules the area can not sustain housing, recommends taxing commercial landowners instead

Rendering of Midtown Boca and Angelo Bianco, Crocker Partners’ managing partner
Rendering of Midtown Boca and Angelo Bianco, Crocker Partners’ managing partner

The ongoing saga continues between the Boca Raton City Council and two developers that have taken legal action.

A nearly year-long study commissioned by the city has recommended against building new housing developments in Boca’s Midtown commercial district, prompting Cypress Realty of Florida and Crocker Partners to speak out against the findings, as reported by the Palm Beach Post.

Angelo Bianco, a principal at Crocker Partners, told the publication the study “shows an attempt to frustrate and delay property owners’ rights.” Crocker Partners is currently suing the city, seeking $137 million in damages after it asked city officials to allow for up to 2,500 apartments for its planned Midtown Boca project.

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According to the publication, the study rules the area can not sustain housing, and instead recommends taxing commercial landowners in order to improve the area.

Cypress Realty bought about 10 acres of land in the area in 2011 with the intention to build apartments. Nader Salour, a principal of Cypress Realty told the publication he “never would have bought the land if we knew it was just commercial.”

Cypress Realty filed a separate lawsuit against the city in October. [Palm Beach Post]Amanda Rabines