A planned project in Delray Beach near the brink of falling apart

A developer is considering a project centered around the 600-800 blocks of West Atlantic Avenue that includes a Publix, office space, workforce, affordable housing, and retail but at the moment the project has come to a grinding halt.

TONIGHT..

AFTER BIG PLANS FORA DELRAY BEACH NEIGHBORHOOD.

AMULTI-MILLION DOLLARDEVELOPMENT'S BEEN IN THEWORKS FOR WEST ATLANTICAVENUE..

EVERYTHING FROM NEWRETAIL..

TO NEW HOUSING.

BAS WPTV NEWSCHANENL 5'S TODDWILSON REPORTS..

NEW LEGALACTION HAS PUT IT ALLDOUBT..< (SOT 9:11:23) 7 SEC FORTHESE PEOPLE, IN THE MOSTHISTORIC NEIGHBORHOOD INDELRAY, THERE IS LITERALLY NOPLACE TO GO AND THERE'NOTHING TO DO.

NATS: (VO) SO,WHEN CHRIS CEASAR HEARD ADEVELOPER WAS CONSIDERING APROJECT CENTERED AROUND THE600-800 BLOCKS OF WESTATLANTIC AVENUE THAT INCLUDESA PUBLIX, OFFICE SPACE,WORKFORCE/AFFORDABLE HOUSING,AND RETAIL, HE WAS ALL FOR I(SOT 9:11:44) 10 SEC AFTER 40YEARS OF NON-DEVELOPMENT ANDJUST BUILDINGS BEING KNOCKEDDOWN AND OPEN FIELDS, THWOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FORBLACK BUSINESSES TO MOVE INTOTHE INFRASTRUCTURE.

NATS: (VO)BUT, AT THE MOMENT THE PROJECTHAS COME TO A GRINDING HALT.AND THE BUILDER, BH3MANAGEMENT, HAS FILED A BREACHOF CONTRACT AGAINST THE DELRAYBEACH COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENTAGENCY.

(SOT 1:01) 10 SEC THECRA BOARD HAS ACTEDUNREASONABLE BOTH IN THEIRCONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS AND ASETHICAL AND MORAL OBLIGATIONSTO THE COMMUNITY.

NATS: (VO)GREG FREEMAN IS A CO- FOUNDEROF BH3.

HE SAYS HIS GROUPNEEDED TO EXTEND CERTAINDEADLINES - BUT CLAIMS THE CRAWOULD NOT CHANGE THETIMEFRAME.

(SOT 3:16:03) 8SECIT WAS ALWAYS GOING TO CHANGIT JUST CHANGED IN DIFFERENTWAYS AS A RESULT OF COVID ANDA LOT OF COMMUNITY FEEDBACKTHAT WE LISTENED TO AND HEARDAND ADJUSTED.

NATS: (VO) LASTDECEMBER - THE CRA BOARD CHAIRSAID B-H-3 HAD COME UPSHORT... AFTER MULTIPLEOPPORTUNITIES I REACHED OUT TOTHE CRA ABOUT THE LEGALACTION,..

AND RECEIVED ASTATEMENT SAYING "THE DELRAYBEACH CRA INCLUDING THE CRABOARD MEMBERS AND CRA STAFFWILL NOT BE MAKING ANYCOMMENTS ON THE PENDING BH3LAWSUIT.

(SOT 9:09:12) 2 SEC IFEEL GOOD ABOUT SUPPORTITHIS PROJECT.

NATS: (VO)CEASAR SAYS HIS SUPPORTREMAINS.... (SOT 9:10:42)EVERYTHING WE'VE ASKED OFTHESE GUYS THEY'VE DELIVERED.(TODD'S TAG) SO, WHERE DO WEGO FROM HERE?

FREEMAN SAYS THECRA HAS 90 DAYS TO RESPOND TOTHEIR COMPLAINT.

HE SAYS ITWOULD BE A SHAME FOR THISPROJECT TO DIE.

IN PALM BEACCOUNTY, TODD WILSON, WPTVNEWSCHANNELAS FLORIDA PREPARES TO DROP