Plaza Real: Boca Raton, Florida

Summary

Located at the epicenter of Boca Raton's Mizner Park, Plaza Real attracts users all hours of the day and night to mingle, relax, people-watch, or play. With views of unique Mediterranean-style architecture, access to the Boca Raton Museum of Art, the Count de Hoernle amphitheater, movie theaters, and an abundance of nearby restaurants and retail shops, visiting Plaza Real makes the ordinary seem special.

Designated Area

The plaza lies between West and East Plaza Real, and Northeast 2nd and Northeast 5th Streets.

Formerly the site of abandoned Boca Raton Mall, Plaza Real and the surrounding mixed-use development Mizner Park attracts users all hours of the day to walk, relax, or play. Photo courtesy of the City of Boca Raton and the Boca Raton Community Redevelopment Agency.

Planning Excellence

Located at the epicenter of Boca Raton's Mizner Park, Plaza Real attracts users all hours of the day and night to mingle, relax, people-watch, or play. With views of unique Mediterranean-style architecture, access to the Boca Raton Museum of Art, the Count de Hoernle amphitheater, movie theaters, and an abundance of nearby restaurants and retail shops, visiting Plaza Real makes the ordinary seem special.

Plaza Real, and the surrounding mixed-use development of Mizner Park, resulted from a comprehensive redevelopment strategy and plan whose goal was to give residents a reason to go downtown. Prepared in March 1988 by the Boca Raton Community Redevelopment Agency, the plan was implemented with $56.6 million in public funding and led to the redevelopment of the former Boca Raton Mall, which had closed in the late 1980s.

Mizner Park was accomplished through a public/private partnership among the City of Boca Raton; the Boca Raton Community Redevelopment Agency; the original developer, Crocker and Company; and cultural users.  Today the public/private partnership that contributed to Mizner Park's success continues between the City of Boca Raton, Boca Raton Community Redevelopment Agency, and General Growth Partners (GGP) and cultural users.

Four-blocks long and linear in shape, Plaza Real is looped around by one-way streets, leaving about 200 feet between the buildings and plaza. The greatness of the space is related not only to the space itself but is relationship and interface with adjacent cultural and commercial uses.  The plaza is anchored on the north by the Boca Raton Museum of Art and Count de Hoernle amphitheater and on the south by the Mizner Park Cultural Arts Association Center. East and west the plaza interfaces directly to ground floor restaurants and retail shops, with offices and apartments overlooking the plaza. The space itself is defined by four fountains, three wrought-iron detailed gazebos, and majestic Royal and Washingtonian palm trees located along the entire length on the plaza on both sides. Benches are located every few feet along with small gardens, grassy areas, and spaces for statues and other public art.

No details were spared when building the plaza. The layout and building placement were designed to create a "Venturi effect" that enhances the breezes that flow through the plaza. Parking structures were strategically designed and located so that the loop streets could be completely closed for special events and festivals resulting in one contiguous pedestrian space.

With Mizner Park's stunning architecture and design, described by University of Washington architecture professor Anne Vernez Moudon as "a post-modern reincarnation of 19th-century Paris and Barcelona," Plaza Real is a welcoming and comfortable public space for residents and visitors alike.

Plaza Real provides access to an array of cultural institutions and entertainment venues, including the Count de Hoernle Amphitheater. Photo courtesy of Centre for the Arts at Mizner Park.

Defining Characteristics, Features

Planning and Development

• This park is located in the epicenter of downtown Boca Raton's Mizner Park, a 30-acre residential, social, business, recreational, cultural, and shopping district
• "One of the first and most successful mixed use redevelopments of a mall site in the United States," acording to Nathan Cherry, author of Grid/Street/Place: Essential Elements of Sustainable Urban Districts
• Adjacent to public parking, transit stops, bicycle parking and pedestrian paths
• The plaza pays tribute to many stylized details and elements of Addison Mizner, who is largely credited with creating Boca Raton, particularly in the use of stone columns, fountains, and the look of wrought iron detail of the park benches and gazebos

Details and Features

• 1.2 million pavers were put in by hand to create the sidewalk and the street; parking spots are marked off by different colored pavers instead of a painted line
• At the center of the plaza is the Snyder Fountain, named after Jamie Snyder, former chairman of the Community Redevelopment Agency, who helped make Plaza Real and Mizner Park a reality
• Four public parking garages, bike racks and wide sidewalks cater to pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicle traffic, make the space easily accessible by automobile, bicycle, and foot

The Mix of Uses

• At the north end of the plaza is the Countess De Hoernle Amphitheater and the Boca Raton Museum of Art.  An additional building site for cultural use is currently used as green space
• At the southwest end of the plaza is the Mizner Park Cultural Arts Center that includes a 315-seat Black Box Theater and Exhibition Space
• Restaurants, apartments, townhomes, office space, and retail shops surround the east and west sides of the plaza
• Location of many community events, including an annual arts festival and numerous concerts

No detail was overlooked when designing Plaza Real. Its well-manicured and aesthetic landscaping creates a serene environment amidst Mizner Park's Mediterranean-style architecture. Photo courtesy of the City of Boca Raton and the Boca Raton Community Redevelopment Agency.