Gedel Merzius, Executive Director, Riviera Beach CRA

In an interview with Invest:, Gedel Merzius, executive director of Riviera Beach CRA, outlined the CRA’s vision for growth, emphasizing equitable and environmentally sustainable housing, preventing displacement, and leveraging public-private partnerships to transform the city. “The goal is to establish Riviera Beach as a leading city within the county and the state regarding housing measures,” Merzius said.

What redevelopment projects or ideas are on the agenda for Riviera Beach CRA? 

We recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for our Element 8 Marina Village project. This project represents phase one of our broader Marina Village development plan. Element 8, situated at 1124 Broadway Avenue, will introduce 149 new workforce housing units, complemented by ground floor commercial retail space and mixed-use development, along with a public parking garage. This initiative serves as the first iteration of our comprehensive Marina Village development plan. Overall, we have eight specific projects envisioned for the marina space, designed to catalyze a downtown core. The current project is intended to highlight the potential of our Marina Village overall.

Presently, the Marina Village space is undergoing a solicitation period, which is poised to be one of the most significant solicitations in the city’s history. We are inviting proposers to submit projects they believe would be conducive for marina development. In Riviera Beach, we possess the only marina in the entire South Florida West Palm Beach area that remains underdeveloped. This area has been underdeveloped for a considerable time. It requires more development and a revitalizing touch, which we are seeking to provide now. We are actively looking for proposals and are committed to ensuring that any selected project aligns with our CRA master plan as well as our city comprehensive plan.

What have been some of the lessons learned from the Marina Village waterfront project as a public-private partnership? 

Element 8, and the Marina Village projects collectively, present an opportunity to catalyze and trigger further development throughout Riviera Beach. Such development brings with it affordable housing and workforce housing opportunities that we believe are prudent for the city. The initiation of the Marina Village project has already generated interest in other projects throughout the city. For instance, we have our 1851 space, which is currently under negotiation and slated for development. We also have our 2600 Broadway space in development, which is intended to be a mixed-use project and represents another public private partnership. The 1851 project is also a product of a public private partnership. Therefore, our primary focus is on identifying trigger developments that will help move the ball forward, encouraging more development, particularly within our downtown core. We hope this momentum will not only solidify the downtown core but also extend into other city spaces, attracting more development and enhancing our overall appeal.

In what ways do you track the impact or success of different projects and initiatives that the CRA is pursuing? 

Different development projects have different outcomes and different intentions. One of our main barometers for success as a CRA is to ensure, from a strategic standpoint, that each project fits within our master plan. We measure success by ensuring that the goals outlined within that master plan are executed in a timely manner. For a considerable period, many of the project and development plans we set forth took time to get off the ground. However, we are now starting to see many of those plans move into execution and become attainable. Within our master plans, there is always a question about development from an economic perspective. We must ensure we have budgeted sufficiently for these projects. We must ask whether the numbers associated with these public-private partnership projects are attainable given our position in 2025. Will they be attainable in 2029? Will they be attainable in 2040? We are consistently evaluating and ensuring that each project we undertake makes strategic sense not only today but also 15 years into the future. That is one of the primary objectives we seek to achieve with our planning.

What strategies do you have in place to ensure equitable redevelopment and prevent displacement or gentrification? 

Now is a perfect opportunity for our residents to come to the table and discuss what displacement actually looks like. Development brings an opportunity for new spaces to work, live, and play, but it also attracts new people and new attractions. The development of a downtown core inherently means more people. We want to ensure that we take care of the people in Riviera Beach right now. We want to ensure they are accounted for and that they are heard. So, whether that involves programs specifically discussing property taxes or programs discussing workforce housing and what that housing should look like, we want to ensure our residents are at the table when those decisions are made. We are also looking to develop a community benefits program. With all the developments we have coming forward, we want to implement a program where developers and the planning and zoning community understand that if they build in the city of Riviera Beach, they will build not only for that specific space but with the intent to contribute to the overall betterment of the city. This applies not just within the CRA district but throughout the entire neighborhood.

How are you integrating climate resilience and sustainability into redevelopment and planning infrastructure practices and projects? 

Our focus is always on sustainable practices. For every development project, we aim for high certification, meeting all leading planning and development criteria. We evaluate spaces for their suitability for Riviera Beach, a city with a significant maritime industry that includes water sports, fishing and related activities. Given our waterside location and adjacency to the Port of Palm Beach, Safe Harbor and other marine businesses, sustainability is a huge part of our strategy. We ensure our sustainability efforts align with theirs. Our planning and zoning board excels at scrutinizing developments for sustainability before approval, asking how projects will contribute to the growth of both the project and the city. We seek to replicate this approach from a CRA standpoint with all our development projects, considering how we can foster growth for both the development and the city as a whole.

What is the long-term vision for the Riviera Beach CRA and key strategic priorities moving forward? 

One of the most intriguing aspects of the city of Riviera Beach is that it remains largely underdeveloped. In contrast to West Palm Beach, which is a booming urban center, Riviera Beach feels as though the city was bypassed on the way to Palm Beach Gardens, where one can observe continuous commercial activity. My vision for the next two years is not only to complete the current projects, which are very important, but also to ensure that these projects spur development of businesses, both small and large. This is critical for generating employment opportunities and enabling individuals to reside within Riviera Beach. My primary objective extends beyond project completion. My aim is to attract businesses that align with our CRA’s footprint and contribute to the city’s dynamics in terms of employment, housing and business retention. We must support existing businesses while also introducing new, innovative concepts, such as Class A office space, to stimulate investment and accelerate progress in Riviera Beach. Furthermore, it is crucial to accommodate large-scale developments without compromising the unique community atmosphere that defines Riviera Beach. Our elected officials are strongly advocating for comprehensive housing solutions. The goal is to establish Riviera Beach as a leading city within the county and the state regarding housing measures, encompassing not just affordable housing but also mixed-use, workforce, and attainable housing for individuals across all socioeconomic backgrounds, from the working class to high-asset individuals.

Additionally, I must reiterate the significance of the multimodal transportation program we plan to implement. To enhance the economic vitality of Riviera Beach and the wider South Florida community, we must engage in serious discussions about transportation. We need to examine how to achieve parity with the transit systems of Miami-Dade County, Atlanta and New York. For the South Florida region to be considered a major international hub, a structured and functional transportation framework is essential. I frequently use Tri-Rail and Brightline and they are efficient but can be improved. Enhancement requires collaborative development with municipalities throughout the region, ensuring systems are efficient for residents in cities like Boca Raton and Riviera Beach. Transportation is a matter of personal importance and is fundamentally a huge component of economic development, which in turn attracts further investment.