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Margate City Center to engage developer talks
• Possible ground breaking in 2011
Friday,
August 6, 2010
After purchasing the 17-acre home to the Margate Swap Shop three years ago, the Margate Community Redevelopment Agency has been buying up land parcels surrounding the property as part of compiling a "City Center" development portfolio to best attract a Master Developer qualified to construct Margate's future.
For the first time since the housing market went bust, a development company is interested in building in downtown Margate.
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On May 17, the Margate Community Redevelopment Agency (MCRA) released a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) inviting developers to submit their interest in developing the MCRA City Center Master Plan, which encompasses a total 141,000 square feet of mixed used residential and commercial space along Margate's State Road 7 Transit Oriented Corridor.
Come the July 22 deadline for the RFQ, only one developer responded, eliminating the need for reviewing a shortlist of qualified candidates. The developer was DeBartolo Development/RGA Group out of Tampa.
According to MCRA Assistant Director, Dennis Holste, the first land parcel up for redevelopment is the northwest corner of Margate Boulevard and 441, the site of Margate's first Publix supermarket in the 1970s and designated on the RFQ as “City Center North.”
Best use of City Center North (10 acres) as described in the RFQ is 133 dwelling units (inclusive of 26 townhouses, 26 out building units and 20 live-work units) and a total 16,500 square feet of retail, 20,000 square feet local business incubator and a single-acre water feature.
The RFQ also provides an advantage to Margate businesses already operating in the the Community Redevelopment Area who may want to open up shop in any of the new downtown buildings once constructed.
Holste said negotiations with DeBartolo / RGA will commence in coming months with no set date for ground breaking. Although site densities outlined in the City Center Master Plan must be followed, Holste said there's flexibility with regard to building design and the scope of funds made available by the MCRA.
However unlikely a ground breaking for City Center North this year, Holste said he's hopeful for one in 2011.
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