Council Locks In Save Boca, FAU Closes Out at Home, and a Free Fit Fest at BRiC
Public-land protection passes 5-0, the Holiday Inn on NW 53rd becomes 125 apartments, and Boca police push back on swatting calls.
Council Locks In Public Land Protection
Ordinance 5784 passed unanimously; a related charter amendment heads to voters by March 2027.
Tuesday night, City Council passed Ordinance 5784 unanimously, blocking the sale, lease, or transfer of city-owned land larger than half an acre without going through a public process — the Save Boca measure residents have been pushing for since the rejected Terra/Frisbie deal near Brightline. On the same night, council voted 4-1 to send a charter amendment with similar language to voters at a special election no later than March 2027.
The ordinance takes effect now, but a future council could undo it with a simple vote. The charter amendment, if voters approve it, would bake the protection into Boca's governing document — much harder to dislodge later. Watch for the specific ballot date and any new RFQ or presentation that references the Brightline-adjacent land.
Holiday Inn on NW 53rd Becomes 125 Apartments
Council approved the conversion 4-1, with affordable and workforce units near the El Rio Trail corridor.
Council also approved Resolution 45-2026, converting the 183-room Holiday Inn at 701 NW 53rd Street into a Commercial Industrial Multifamily Development with 125 rental units, including affordable and workforce housing. The hotel's amenity building becomes a restaurant with outdoor seating, three retail spaces get added, and the project picks up five public parking spots along the El Rio Trail corridor near Tri-Rail.
If you live or work near Yamato and the El Rio Trail, expect activity there to look very different a couple of years from now.
Boca Raton Police Push Back on a Wave of Swatting Calls
Four false threat calls in roughly a week hit Boca Community Middle, Town Center, and Blue Lake Elementary.
In the past week, Boca Raton Police have responded to false threat calls at Boca Raton Community Middle School, Town Center, and most recently Blue Lake Elementary. Every one turned out to be fake. Mayor Andy Thomson addressed the incidents publicly, and police say these calls are often routed through VPNs and foreign countries, making them tough but not impossible to trace.
Boca Raton Police have also been clear: swatting is a criminal offense that can carry prison time, and they intend to pursue it. If your kid's school goes into a hold or lockdown, that's the protocol working as designed — but if it keeps happening, expect parents to push for more answers.
FAU vs. East Carolina Closes the Regular Season at Home
Friday at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m. at FAU Baseball Stadium.
The Owls close the regular season at home against East Carolina. Friday's game starts at 6:30 p.m.; Saturday's finale starts at 1 p.m. at FAU Baseball Stadium. Saturday is the easy family window: an afternoon first pitch, conference baseball on the line, and a quick hop back toward downtown after the game.
Free Baptist Health Fit Fest at BRiC
Saturday noon to 4 p.m. with bootcamp, yoga, Pilates, Zumba, line dancing, screenings, and healthy bites.
Baptist Health Fit Fest runs Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. at Boca Raton Innovation Campus, 4920 Conference Way N. The official schedule includes bootcamp with Barry's, yoga with Gro Yoga, line dancing with Chris Decker, Pilates with Form 50, and Zumba with Bernadett.
Make it a Fit Fest Saturday: go for the free wellness programming, grab brunch nearby on Glades, then walk the El Rio Trail afterward. BRiC sits right on it, which makes this one of the easier weekend plans to stretch without over-planning the day.
The Cher Show Finishes the Season at The Wick
The Wick's season finale brings Broadway Bob Mackie costumes and three Chers to North Federal Highway.
The Wick's season finale runs through May 31, with performances this weekend Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. The production uses original Broadway Bob Mackie costumes from Costume World, and three actresses play Cher at different ages.
Tickets are listed at $89 to $119. If you want the full Boca theater-night version, pair the show with dinner along Federal or Mizner before heading north to the Wick.
Eric Darius Plays The Funky Biscuit Saturday Night
Contemporary jazz saxophone in the 400-capacity room on SE Mizner Boulevard.
Eric Darius brings his jazz, R&B, and funk live show to The Funky Biscuit Saturday night. The show is listed for 9 p.m. at 303 SE Mizner Boulevard. If blues harmonica is more your speed, Jason Ricci and The Bad Kind play the same room Friday at 9 p.m.
Boca Turns 101 in Twelve Days
Boca Raton incorporated as a town on May 26, 1925.
Twelve days from now, on May 26, Boca turns 101 as a town. Boca Raton incorporated on May 26, 1925, after an earlier incorporation under the name Bocaratone. A century later, we're still arguing about land use downtown. Some things age well; some things stay exactly the same.