The dispute over the proposed redevelopment of Boca Raton’s government campus has intensified following a lawsuit filed by local attorney Ned Kimmelman against Save Boca, the main group opposing the project, and its founder Jon Pearlman. The lawsuit, filed in Palm Beach County Circuit Court, seeks an emergency injunction to invalidate petitions collected by Save Boca as part of their efforts to force a voter referendum on the redevelopment.
Save Boca gathered 7,000 signed petitions from residents who oppose the project. In his suit, Kimmelman alleges that Save Boca and Pearlman have been spreading misinformation to persuade voters to sign these petitions. The legal filing claims: “Save Boca and Pearlman are conducting an audacious scheme to evade Florida law and abuse our electoral process in Palm Beach County and the City.” According to the suit, the proposed amendment to Boca Raton’s city charter—advocated by Save Boca—would prevent the council from selling or leasing land greater than half an acre. The suit argues this would create an “unworkable, very expensive” crisis for city government.
Neither Kimmelman nor Pearlman responded immediately to requests for comment.
The redevelopment plan at issue is called One Boca and is led by David Martin’s Terra and the Frisbie Group. The proposal includes city offices, apartments, condominiums, and retail on public land in downtown Boca Raton, including redevelopment of the existing city hall at 201 West Palmetto Road. It involves a 99-year lease of public land to Terra and Frisbie. The developers were selected over other bidders earlier this year.
At a September 9 meeting, the city council decided to delay approval of the land lease until after a voter referendum on the project. During a recent workshop, Rob Frisbie Jr., a partner at Frisbie Group, stated that new plans with a reduced scope would be presented at upcoming city meetings on October 27 and 28.
Supporters of Save Boca at the meeting described the project as a betrayal of public trust and raised concerns about environmental impacts, such as effects on gopher tortoise habitats. Some compared their opposition to historic public campaigns like Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No.”
Frisbie addressed these concerns: “We’re just in the design phase where we’re listening and incorporating additional feedback from the community,” he said. He also noted that enhancing Memorial Park would be a focus in the revised plans.
The proposal is scheduled to be put before voters in a referendum on March 10, 2026.
