Boca plans student zone

Revamped corridor near FAU could add college-town feel

Florida Atlantic University’s first football coach was eager in 2015 to be among the first to open businesses near the school to help give it a collegetown feel.

But former Coach Howard Schnellenberger said he and his business partner ultimately abandoned the plan to open a high-end eatery near the school. They figured it wasn’t the right fit, concluding they couldn’t turn a profit catering to students if there isn’t enough daily traffic.

“It became obvious that it was not an appropriate place for our product,” Schnellenberger said.

The university and the city both expect 20th Street — a corridor dubbed the “University District” that runs from FAU to Dixie Highway — to one day become a hot spot for students and millennials, providing a pleasant walk to stores and restaurants.

Now, finding businesses that can succeed financially while appealing to students is the goal for city officials, who two years ago announced plans to transform the area into a student-oriented extension of FAU.

The city doesn’t know yet exactly how it will do that, but plans have started taking shape.

Next month, a consultant will discuss with the City Council how to improve 20th Street, presenting ideas that came from a brainstorming session between city officials, FAU staff and other stakeholders.

Among the ideas: revamping sidewalks, bike lanes and landscaping, as well as rezoning areas to accommodate student-oriented businesses, such as stores and casual restaurants.

The city hired the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, a nonprofit that assist cities in planning economic-development projects, to oversee the recent summit and make suggestions.

Transforming the area will require collaboration with dozens of businesses currently on 20th Street. The mile-long stretch comprises a mix of building types in an area that “lacks a consistent identity,” the nonprofit’s report says.

“The businesses that exist all have to be taken into consideration,” said Troy McLellan, president of the Boca Chamber of Commerce, which has so far backed the project. “It’s hard right now to determine where there would be a burden until this policy is set and we know what the district looks like.”

McLellan said Lynn University and Palm Beach State College could benefit from a student-friendly district because they, too, are near 20th Street.

Adding more things to do off campus would be greatly appreciated, said FAU sophomore Kerry Joseph. The health administration major recently transferred from Florida International University and said he wishes FAU was as connected to the city as FIU is with Miami.

“When I was transferring here, that was one of the things that people would put on reviews is that there’s not really much to do and not much around,” Joseph said. “I think we have a couple plazas here and there, but it isn’t really focused on campus life.”

Students from the university’s architecture school also had made renderings with their ideas for the district in 2015 when plans were first announced. The 3-D models showed the strip lined with a mix of storefronts and park space while the road was split by tree-filled medians.

But while no designs have officially been set for the area, Bill Walker is worried his motorcycle shop won’t fit in with the city’s vision. Boca Cycle is in a steel building that sits right in the middle of the district.

“I don’t see it as a bad idea necessarily,” he said. “But for regular middle-class folks, I see nothing wrong with this street in this area.”

Boca Mayor Susan Haynie said new zoning would keep current uses in place, while a rise in property value could encourage current landowners to sell their plots and relocate.

“If we’re creating this university district, it may be to the point where it incentivizes them to sell their property to someone with more of a university business,” Haynie said. “We’re not going to force anyone to leave.”

But the businesses that do move in will have to be student-oriented to do well, Schnellenberger said. He said his proposed business targeted high-end residents, and was too narrow in focus to be successful on 20th Street.

“No matter how good your food is, it won’t work if it isn’t something very handy to everyone,” he said. “It’s going to have to be more of a young people’s place.”

More off-campus amenities also would help FAU in its efforts to transition from a commuter school to a more residential campus. With about 4,300 on-campus beds, the university is aiming to at least double the number of students living on or within walking distance to campus.

In the past decade, the university increased from about 25,500 total students to nearly 30,600, records show.

The growth comes amid recent momentum to expand the campus. University Park, an off-campus student residence hall, opened in 2015 on 20th Street, and another student housing complex is awaiting city approval. Boca officials also will look into policies to make it easier to build student housing with new zoning categories.

Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater also will soon start his job as FAU’s strategic initiatives lead. Haynie said he will be instrumental in helping plan the district.

Peter Hull, FAU’s vice president of public affairs, said in a statement that the plan will be a chance for the surrounding community to make the area more attractive.

It is unclear how long it will take to implement a plan because many aspects of it are still in the air, including the “University District” name, Haynie said. No companies have yet officially announced plans to move in, but Haynie said she hopes the street improvements will draw investors to the area.

“If anyone has any suggestions, I’m all ears,” Haynie said.

“When I was transferring here, that was one of the things that people would put on reviews is that there’s not really much to do and not much around. I think we have a couple plazas here and there, but it isn’t really focused on campus life.” Kerry Joseph, FAU sophomore

Haynie