Commissioner Tommy Rosano hosted a town hall in Margate on Thursday to discuss plans for a large downtown redevelopment on land owned by the Margate Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), saying the meeting was convened "to discuss the downtown project." Rosano said the CRA owns roughly 50 acres in the area that includes ACE Plaza, Chevy Chase Plaza and additional parcels along 441 and that the city is again negotiating development after years of litigation and stalled proposals.

Rosano framed the meeting as a listening session and repeated a position he described several times during the meeting: the city should keep control of its property and shape what is built. "We own the property," Rosano said, calling ownership key to negotiating rents, attracting businesses and earning revenue for the city. He warned against giving away too much land in a single deal and said the commission will seek resident input as negotiations continue.

Why it matters: Margate's CRA property has been the subject of developer proposals and a nearly seven‑year court case that constrained action on the land. Any agreement could change the look and economic profile of central Margate, affect longtime small businesses in ACE Plaza and influence annual city revenues.

Discussion highlights and options under consideration

Rosano summarized past deals and proposals, including a contract that he said called for 968 apartments on three CRA parcels that he opposed. He said Colliers, a consultant the city hired, solicited proposals and presented three large developers to the city. Rosano said those developers offered different plans and at least one indicated it would not place apartments on the east side of the downtown parcels; one suggested 27 townhomes as an alternative. He recounted a range of numbers mentioned in the solicitation, including earlier proposals of nearly 968 units and, in some developer submissions, discussions that reached as high as 2,200 units.

Residents and small-business owners at the meeting urged the city to protect ACE Plaza tenants and asked for firm, long-term lease commitments. Noor, an ACE Plaza store owner, said, "We are okay there. We can stay there forever," and asked whether commissioners would secure long leases. Joey Ruiz, who owns an antique shop in ACE Plaza, described the plaza as a historical, family-oriented site and asked, "Are we on borrowed time?" Several speakers urged that business stability be addressed in the developer negotiation, including by a multi‑year lease or compensation if a lease were broken.

Community engagement, timing and developer roles

City staff and others at the meeting described a multi‑month process of community engagement before any developer agreement is finalized. A staff member identified as Kale Curtis said the city expects 6 to 12 months of meetings, surveys and design work before an agreed developer's agreement is reached. Curtis also said the city's development partner will be Brookfield and that the partner has experience attracting restaurants and operating food-and‑beverage components: "they have an extensive experience in food and beverage," Curtis said.

Speakers offered alternative priorities and uses. Resident Tony Spavento warned that a promenade-style retail district may not be viable in Margate and urged the city to consider job‑creating uses, such as medical offices, training and research facilities, and music‑focused venues. Other residents proposed waterways access, amphitheaters, a public lawn and a program of regular entertainment and festivals.

Revenue, parcels and phasing

Rosano provided the city's rough financial framing: he said the ACE and Chevy Chase plazas together bring in "over $700,000 a year" in revenue and suggested the city could earn substantially more from a redeveloped, income-producing downtown. Rosano and other speakers pushed for a phased approach, starting with the east side of the CRA holdings and negotiating parcel‑by‑parcel rather than handing the entire 50–60 acres to a single developer at once.

Infrastructure, affordability and other constraints

Residents asked about impact fees, parking and sewer infrastructure. Rosano said impact fees are typically paid by developers and that infrastructure and event relocation (fireworks, festivals) would need to be addressed as plans firm up. On affordable housing, Rosano said developers sometimes advertise "affordable living" and that the countywide rental benchmarks used to define affordability could make units cost several thousand dollars per month — clarifying how terms are used in practice.

Next steps and city position

Rosano said the city still owns the property and will continue negotiating. He urged residents to attend future meetings, submit ideas and said he would press commissioners and staff to incorporate community preferences. No formal motions or votes were taken at the town hall; staff described the process as entering a negotiation and community‑engagement period rather than a decision point.

Ending note

Town hall participants pressed city officials for konkrete protections for small businesses and a public schedule of engagement; Rosano asked residents to "get involved, email your board members" and said he will keep advocating for resident input while negotiations proceed.