A coalition of students, teachers and local nonprofits asked the Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency on Oct. 28 to transfer or otherwise make available a CRA-owned lot at 29 Southwest Sixth Avenue so a fifth-grade-led program called Legacy Farmers can develop a food forest and urban farm.

Sarah Selznick, executive director of Shared Future Foundation, told the board the proposal—called Regenerating Roots—would use the parcel as “a green, cultural and educational hub” that hosts an urban farm, outdoor classrooms and microbusiness training for students. Selznick said the project has planted more than 60 native and fruit trees nearby and that Shared Future owns adjacent parcels where the group plans a nonprofit co-working space and retail activity to complement the food-forest site.

Teacher Dana Tate, who said she sponsors the Legacy Farmers Club at Village Academy, described the program as “hands-on project-based learning rooted in science, culture and community,” and said expansion onto the CRA parcel would let the club serve more students and potentially partner with Florida Atlantic University for mentoring and research. Multiple fifth-grade students gave prepared remarks describing plans to grow fruit trees and vegetables, run workshops and sell products made from the harvest.

Clint Oster, owner of General Landscape, and Pablo Del Real of Soil and Soul endorsed the proposal. Oster said his firm would support ongoing site maintenance and programming; Del Real offered background on the local history of children’s gardening programs and called the request a rare opportunity for permanent green space on publicly owned land.

City staff reminded the board that the submission is an unsolicited proposal subject to the city’s unsolicited-proposal and “cone of silence” procedures. CRA counsel said that while the public may present unsolicited ideas, the code of silence restricts board discussion of the proposal during the procurement review period; staff said the proposal can be considered administratively and brought back on a future agenda if appropriate.

No formal action was taken on the Regenerating Roots request during the Oct. 28 meeting. Speakers requested donation or long-term access to 29 Southwest Sixth Avenue, but the CRA did not vote to transfer, sell or lease the property and gave no timetable for a formal review or appraisal.

The Legacy Farmers presenters and their teachers asked the CRA to prioritize educational use, pollution remediation and community access if the board advances the request. Board members praised the students’ presentations and asked staff to outline the next administrative steps, including whether the proposal should be placed on a future agenda and the procurement steps required under city policy.