Delray Beach CRA approves RFP for West Atlantic redevelopment, requires active frontage and encourages extra parking

The Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency voted unanimously to issue RFP CRA-2026-05 for the redevelopment of the Southwest 600, 700 and 800 blocks of West Atlantic Avenue, with staff setting an issuance date of October 7, 2026 and a submission due date of December 2, 2026.

Assistant Director Christine Tibs told the board the draft solicitation covers roughly 7.26 acres of CRA-owned, CBD-zoned parcels and relies on the city and CRA design standards. "We are planning to issue it Wednesday, October 7th," Tibs said, summarizing the timetable and requirements for responses.

The RFP as amended at the meeting directs proposers to prioritize active ground-floor uses along Atlantic Avenue. Board members instructed staff to require 100% retail/active frontage for the corridor (matching central-core frontage rules) rather than the current 50% minimum for West Atlantic, and to build preference language for uses that remain open and lit during evening hours, such as restaurants and entertainment venues. Staff will also include the CRA's design guidance and the draft transformation plan as evaluation criteria.

Commissioners emphasized parking as a practical constraint on downtown viability and asked staff to solicit proposals that consider additional parking solutions. The board agreed not to mandate a parking garage but to add language encouraging proposers to include extra parking or flexible parking strategies as part of their submissions.

The draft RFP maintains the board's prior direction that 40% of housing proposed within the project should be reserved for low- and moderate-income households; staff clarified that CRA-owned off-site lots may be used to meet the 40% requirement when appropriate. Appraisals updated in June 2026 will be made available to proposers and the board.

The agency also approved a set of CRA incentives intended to support site infrastructure (including a Development Infrastructure Assistance Program that may reimburse up to 75% of eligible site-improvement costs for the project, capped at $1 million and tied to five-year projected tax increment). The board voted to issue the RFP and to approve the incentive program as revised. The RFP will trigger the procurement cone of silence on issuance; all proposer questions must go to CRA staff.