Tamarac Village Land {Colliers}
By Kevin Deutsch
Tamarac commissioners rejected a deal on Wednesday to sell 3.47 acres of the Tamarac Village site to a developer to complete the project, saying they had concerns over the amount of planned residential development at the property.
Under the now-rejected deal, EU International LLC, a Boca Raton company led by Ekrem Uzman, would have purchased the city-owned land at Commercial Boulevard and Northwest 91st Avenue for $5.2 Million. The company had planned to build a mixed-use commercial and multifamily project with hundreds of parking spots as part of Tamarac Village, according to city records.
Only one other company bid on the project and offered significantly less money than EU International, city officials said. City staff had recommended commissioners approve the deal, citing its anticipated economic benefits.
The commission’s rejection of the proposed land sale leaves Tamarac without a developer to complete the third and final phase of Tamarac Village, long envisioned as an upscale, downtown-like area for the city. The construction would be adjacent to a Tamarac Village public park and amphitheater.
Commissioners Marlon Bolton, Kicia Daniel, Elvin Villalobos, and Vice Mayor Morey Wright voted against the deal, with Mayor Michelle Gomez casting the lone vote in approval.
Some commissioners expressed concerns over Uzman’s potential plans for the property, which they worried would include too much residential developmental – in the form of more than 300 apartments – and not enough commercial use.
“I think we’re moving kind of hasty in trying to sell this,” Wright said at Wednesday’s meeting, saying residents were promised major commercial development in the project’s third phase.
He said he was concerned EU International merely wanted to fill a new apartment building with tenants without concern for whether the connected retail space could remain leased.
“I want to make sure that we don’t get bait and switched,” Wright said.
Gomez indicated in her questions for city staff Wednesday that the deal would have been a boon to Tamarac, which has struggled to attract high-end retailers and restaurants.
The previous developer of Tamarac Village, JKM, became the city’s partner on the project in 2015 and successfully built residential phases one and two at the site. The city terminated the lease with JKM last year, citing the company’s decision not to add retail and restaurants as the reason.
Wednesday’s failed land deal would have included the same amount of planned commercial space that the city wanted JKM to construct, according to Tamarac city staffers.
Construction of Tamarac Village’s second phase was “substantially completed” last year. The project has a total of 13 completed apartment buildings with 401 units and a clubhouse, officials said.
The city said a new .75-acre public park with a splash pad and public art installations is also “nearing completion” at Tamarac Village. The project includes a new amphitheater for community events and performances. Parking for those components is supposed to be built as part of the project’s final phase.
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