BCC Workshop - 09-29-2026

Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners workshop, September 29, 2026: The board approved a proposed second convention-center hotel transaction with Related Ross by a 6–1 vote, with Commissioner Weiss opposed. Under the negotiated arrangement, Related Ross will develop a 400-room hotel and the county will acquire the completed property for $26 million, structured as a $5 million initial deposit and a $21 million payment after specified financing, equity, and permitting conditions are met. The county will lease the property back to Related Ross for hotel operations. The package includes parking and room-block agreements, a 15% small-business participation goal with a 7% minimum requirement, and a guaranteed base-rent structure; staff also cited an upfront $5.1 million parking payment. The hotel is intended to expand convention capacity and support a possible later convention-center expansion. The transaction followed a 2023 RFP that received three proposals, two deemed nonresponsive; after the responsive proposer withdrew and the solicitation was canceled, Related Ross submitted a privately initiated proposal. Staff said the economic-development statute permits negotiating such agreements without competitive bidding. Commissioners discussed financial assumptions, tax treatment, parking and neighborhood impacts, and oversight and reporting provisions.

The board also approved the annually renewed Palm Beach County–Florida Department of Health core contract, which sets shared responsibilities and funding arrangements for local public-health services; staff said its scope was unchanged and uniform statewide. That item passed unanimously, 7–0. No other procurement approvals were identified.