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Hundreds of Pompano Beach residents recently attended the Downtown Roundtable Discussions between March 17th and March 24th. What emerged was an exciting series of events where our residents were able to build our City’s future together!

Held at multiple locations throughout the City, these meetings were a vital platform to share facts, engage residents and garner input about our new Downtown. Initially, some residents arrived with concerns and misconceptions, while others were interested in learning more about the details of the project and how to be involved in the process. Overall, the discussions fostered a deeper understanding through informative presentations and roundtable talks, allowing residents to ask detailed questions and learn about topics that interest them. At the conclusion, the majority of people were excited about the project and the opportunities it will offer them, their children, and many generations to come.

At the event, hot topics included money, taxes, traffic, jobs, and other economic opportunities. So here are some highlights. For a comprehensive insight, watch the full video below:

Will building the Downtown raise my taxes?

No. This project is self-funded, meaning it pays for itself through land sales and the new property taxes it will generate. The new Downtown will not result in higher property taxes, and in fact, it will create a surplus to fund other essential needs.

Is the City spending $2 Billion to build the Downtown?

No. The $2 billion figure you have been hearing about is the value of the entire Downtown once it is all built out. The City’s contribution is approximately $200 million, and the private sector’s contribution (hotel, office, residential, restaurant, retail) is estimated at $1.8 billion. Now, that is a great return on investment (ROI).

So how will the CRA and City pay for their $200 million investment in the project?

The CRA will issue bonds to pay for the infrastructure (linear waterway for drainage, roadways etc.) and can easily repay the debt with their current income stream. The City will issue bonds to fund the new city hall, community center, and parking. These bonds will be paid back over time with the land sales and the new taxes generated from the new buildings in Downtown, making this a self-funding project.

Will the City be overburdened by debt if they issue bonds to pay for the Downtown infrastructure?

No. The majority of the City’s current debt is from the G.O. Bonds approved by City voters in 2018 to deliver all the substantial improvements you have witnessed over the past 6 years (new pier, new fire stations, new lifeguard towers, new parks and improvements, new streetscapes etc.). The City has a great credit rating from a national credit rating agency and can afford this investment.

All cities issue bonds to finance improvements that can impact our residents in the near term and enhance their quality of life for public safety, public health, and enhanced quality of life for its citizens.

How will our City benefit from this investment in the Downtown?

Our $200 million Public investment will bring in $1.8 billion in Private investment. That is an outstanding Return on Our Investment (ROI).

Currently, the vacant land in the Downtown is not generating any money for the City and is actually costing residents millions annually for maintenance and policing. The CRA which owns the land, will then sell it to investors who will develop projects on the property according to the Master Plan by Roca Point, including residences, a hotel, retail, restaurants etc. The City will reap money from those land sales and the new construction will bring new taxes to cover our investments and provide new revenues for our residents. More importantly, the New Downtown will bring thousands of jobs to our City creating opportunities for our residents. Our New Downtown will have large open spaces for outdoor events.

What’s been the CRA’s Success Rate with Investment in our Community?

Did you know for every $1 the City and CRA have invested in our community redevelopment projects, we have received $22 in private sector investment in return? That is a lot of new money coming to our city to help keep your taxes low.

Why do we need a new City Hall and why should it be in the Downtown?

It’s a smart financial move. Spending over $18 million to maintain the aging City Hall that the City has outgrown is not a good investment of your tax dollars. A new, efficient City Hall will actually save taxpayers $1 million a year in operating expenses.

The new City Hall will also meet floodplain requirements, ensuring that it will remain operational during and after a major storm event.

Lastly, relocating City Hall will allow the current prime location to be sold, creating new revenue for the City from the redevelopment. The new City Hall will become an “anchor” for the Downtown, attracting new businesses, including restaurants, retail shops, and offices—creating new jobs and removing blight.

What job opportunities will the Downtown create?

Investing in our children's future means building a thriving community. The Downtown will be an economic engine for the City for generations to come, creating jobs and opportunities to Pompano Beach, including the projected $42.4 million in annual tax revenue for the City, County, and schools! The Downtown will also generate over 3,000 long-term jobs and 5,700 construction jobs at build-out, ensuring a brighter future for our residents for generations to come.

The Downtown project will create opportunities through office space for local jobs and local businesses, including restaurants, shops, and services, corporate headquarters, and commercial space for entrepreneurs. At the Roundtable meetings, outreach was conducted to local business owners and potential local business owners. If you would like to learn more, please visit this link.

To help our young people get the skills needed to get good-paying jobs, we are proposing that an array of services be offered in the Downtown at the new community center focused on education and mentoring.

What Amenities will the Downtown Offer?

For residents who attended the Roundtables, there were numerous displays on view showcasing the amenities, public spaces, residences and more, along with cultural and educational opportunities. Input boards were available for residents to share the experiences that they want to include which will inform the programming and design.

And to ensure our residents and essential workers remain an integral part of this community, per the City’s code, 15% of the residences will be designated as workforce housing.

We were so grateful to all the incredible input everyone provided as they detailed what experiences they would like their Downtown to include!

How will the Downtown affect traffic?

If a city is growing, it will attract more people. If we do not grow, our children’s future opportunities will diminish. Thankfully, Pompano Beach has been proactive in planning for our future.

A wealth of transportation studies have shown that the better connected a neighborhood is-- the more convenient it is to walkable destinations- the more trips are taken by walking than driving.

We are developing our Downtown to be walkable, and we have been proactive in establishing a Multi-Modal Task Force Committee to implement a Transportation Master Plan including rail, bus, micro-transit (i.e. Circuit), and trolley. The New Downtown will be built over a 10-15-year timeframe. We are on it!

Through the Downtown Roundtable Discussions, residents transformed initial questions into a collaborative vision for our City's development. By engaging in open dialogue, participating in detailed presentations, and exploring specific topics in focused group sessions, residents gained clarity, contributed valuable ideas, and engaged in the excitement generated by creating our future--now!

We are grateful to all who participated, and we hope everyone will view the event video:

And mark your calendars for our upcoming Meet the Architects events and the City Commission Presentations https://www.downtownpompanobea...