Developer sues city of Boca for $137M

The proposers of a mammoth development have officially filed a lawsuit against the city of Boca Raton over its refusal to approve the rules that could have added up to 2,500 new condos or apartments near the Town Center mall.

Crocker Partners, a real estate and management firm, is asking for $137.6 million in damages, alleging a City Council vote to reject Midtown Boca damages not only the value of the land it would have built on, but also other nearby properties it owns. That includes Boca Center, a nearby shopping and dining plaza on Military Trail. The new development would have been nestled between Interstate 95 and the Town Center.

“Due to the fact that the city has taken an obstructionist, non-cooperative approach, we are left with no choice but to move forward [with the lawsuit],” said Angelo Bianco, managing partner of Crocker Partners. “We are saddened that the city has forced our hand in this matter and is endangering the financial health of our community and placing a tremendous burden on its citizens and our neighbors.”

Boca has not yet been served with the suit, said spokeswoman Chrissy Gibson.

The suit, filed Tuesday, alleges that Boca has not responded to overtures to negotiate a resolution to the dispute, which has caused a drop in the

value of the 67 acres Crocker Partners owns.

The proposal envisioned a “live-work-play” center called Midtown Boca, with residences, shops and restaurants that would connect the Town Center with a Tri-Rail station that’s going in the vicinity. But as plans rolled out, residents complained the development was too dense.

During his successful campaign in August, Boca Mayor Scott Singer said the plans raised red flags.

“There are too many unanswered questions about traffic, transportation and getting people across Military Trail,” Singer told the Sun Sentinel in August.

Crocker Partners developed Mizner Park in 1991, the downtown complex that includes a mix of dwellings, shops and restaurants.