Plans Studies and Ordinances
North Federal Highway Redevelopment Plan
The majority of the 206-acre North Federal Highway area was a County enclave that was annexed to the City in 1988. The City adopted a "Finding of Necessity" and the Community Redevelopment Area was amended in 1987 and 1989 to include most of this annexation area. The City paved streets and installed water and sewer service within the area in 1992. The remaining County enclaves, including the Delray Swap Shop, were annexed in 1994.
In general, the properties fronting on Federal Highway are used for commercial purposes. For many years this frontage was utilized for strip commercial and auto-oriented uses with little sense of order. Buildings may be up to 48' in height but most development in the area is single story. Up until the mid to late 1990's there were many commercial structures that, due to age and obsolescence, were poorly maintained or abandoned, creating a negative economic impact and blighting influence on the entire area. Homes within the residential areas were generally in poor condition and undervalued compared to other eastern neighborhoods in the City.
In 1996, a joint effort between the City of Delray Beach Planning Department and the CRA was launched to write a redevelopment plan for North Federal Highway. The plan called for creating a higher density (up to 18 units per acre) multi-family zoning district, an overlay district over a portion of the General Commercial which would allow, under special circumstances, light industrial uses, and a large beautification program. The residents in the area opposed the higher density components of the plan while the commercial interests largely supported it. The City and CRA revisited the plan in 1997. After a community wide planning charette facilitated by the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, the provisions allowing for increased densities were eliminated, and in March of 1999 the City adopted the North Federal Highway Redevelopment Plan.
In the years since the plan's adoption, several blighted buildings were demolished and/or redeveloped, including the old Miller Dodge dealership, Arrow Trailer Park, and the Delray Swap Shop. Two new high-end residential developments, The Estuary and Old Palm Grove, have been constructed in the area between Federal Highway and the Intracoastal Waterway. These developments have increased the property values of the older adjacent neighborhoods, and are helping to provide a local customer base for businesses along the highway. There are still several aspects of the plan that need to be implemented, including connector streets, pocket parks, and beautification of the neighborhood streets.
Plan Objectives
- Improve the visual appearance of the corridor;
- Reduce and eliminate marginal and inappropriate land uses;
- Direct smaller business operations to more concentrated area;
- Provide economic stimulation and investment in the area;
- Creation of jobs;
- Stabilize and preserve the residential neighborhoods through new development, beautification, redevelopment, and the elimination of blight;
- Eliminate slum and blight through acquisition of properties.
Click here for further information about the North Federal Highway Plan.