Planners approve proposal for new hotel in Boca Raton

By Dale M. King
CITY EDITOR

A Boca Raton property owner who already operates two hotels in a commercial area off I-95 at Yamato Road has gotten the city’s permission to build a third.

The Planning & Zoning Board recently approved the application of B.F. Saul for a site plan modification to add a new 170-room Hyatt hotel with a parking garage on a previously approved site.

His attorney, Wendy Larsen, said Saul already operates the Spring Hill Suites and the Town Place Suites on adjacent property.

City Planner Jim Bell said the hearing said the hearing had been continued for two weeks to work out a couple of matters.

In the end, he said, the applicant chose to pay $86,000 rather than put in a shared bike-walkway path.  If the city does not built it within at least 10 years, the property will revert to the owner.

Bell also said the applicant agreed to operate free shuttle service to the Boca Tri-Rail depot and to Boca Raton Airport.  Shuttle service may also be provided to other places, but with a fee.

Planning & Zoning Director Carmen Annunziato, in his report to the board, said the hotel and associated parking garage will replace the 6,100 square foot restaurant and 167,500 square foot office buildings that were to be built on that site. 

Annunziato said the new hotel will be six stories (about 70 feet) tall.  He said the structure is “consistent with the permitted uses in this district.”

Parking for 459 cars will be provided, plans say.  This includes 309 in the parking garage, 141 surface spaces and nine on what was formerly a Tri-Rail depot.

Annunziato said site plan approval was initially given in March 1998 for two hotels with a total of 237 rooms, an office building and a restaurant. The applicant is seeking to replace the office building and the dining spot with the hotel.

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