Boca’s adding new lighting downtown after council approved $228,000 for decorative streetlighting installation and electrical services by Universal Electric of Florida Inc.
“We’re putting 1,400 lights in our downtown.” Deputy Mayor Andrea O’Rourke said at Tuesday night’s city council meeting.
“This expenditure is for changing out the existing decorative light fixtures. The fixtures are aged and are in need of replacement. The new fixtures will be LEDs,” Municipal Services director Zachary Bihr told Boca Voice. “Staff is estimating mid- to late summer to release the contractor to start changing out fixtures. The maintenance cost of the existing fixtures has increased incrementally over time as they have aged.”
Link to downtown map: https://www.downtownboca.org/162/Downtown-Boca-Map
Here’s what else council approved:
- Gumbo Limbo Nature Center could reopen as early as June, City Manager Leif Ahnell told council. [Guided tours will open June 1, the city announced later.] City staff has started checking with volunteers who run the center welcome desk. “We want to make sure we can get the appropriate number of people back to reopen,” Ahnell told council. The center’s boardwalk through a coastal hammock is open. https://www.gumbolimbo.org/
- Council authorized permits needed for Boca Raton Museum of Art to demolish the western colonnade in Mizner Park Amphitheater. Council had already approved the demolition, part of the museum’s site plan to make the entrance visible to visitors. Here’s a link to their new look: https://bocamuseum.org/introducing-our-new-look
- The city’s new waterfront park is moving along after council approved Burkhardt Construction Inc. to hire a construction manager. Work has already started on Wildflower Park, and Silver Palm Park is next. The city’s renovating both sites and combining them with access under the Palmetto Park Road bridge over the Intracoastal. Silver Palm remains open for docking, but Wildflower is closed to the public. https://www.myboca.us/1773/Wildflower-Silver-Palm-Park-Site
By Marci Shatzman
