Woodfield Plaza, the Publix center on West Yamato, sells for $90.3 million

Sushi Dojo, an omakase restaurant, is opening its doors at 450 NE 20th Street, Suites 103-104 in East Boca. The restaurant is billed as "intimate and energetic." The city and the Boca Regional Chamber will mark the opening with a ribbon cutting Thursday, Oct. 22, from 5 to 7 p.m. That celebration is private and by invitation only, so it is not a public drop-in.

Councilmember Yvette Drucker leaves the City Council on Nov. 9 to run for clerk and comptroller of Palm Beach County. The council chose not to look for a replacement, so the seat will sit empty until the March election, leaving four members. Deputy Mayor Michelle Grau said she thinks the four can reach consensus, a 3-1 vote, on what comes before them. A 2-2 tie is different: whatever is up for a vote is automatically denied. Boca has already seen it happen. In April, with Drucker absent, a vote to take the Boca Raton Innovation Campus out of its development plan deadlocked. City Attorney Josh Koehler said at the time he had never seen a tie vote in 15 years working for the city. Once Drucker leaves Nov. 9, anything before the council that splits 2-2 will be denied. Mayor Andy Thomson says the council can reopen applications for the seat if ties become a problem.

Boca's total millage rate edged down while Scott Singer was mayor, from 3.6787 in his first year to 3.6649 in his last. Had property values held flat, that drop would equal $1.38 per $100,000 of a home's taxable value over the whole stretch. Values did not hold flat. Yearly city property tax revenue rose from about $66.4 million in fiscal 2018 to almost $121 million in fiscal 2026, a jump of nearly 82%. That 2026 budget was the last one passed before Singer left office earlier this year. Population grew over a similar span, from about 93,400 in 2018 to almost 101,000 in 2025. This year's budget, under Mayor Andy Thomson, nudged the total rate down again to 3.6639 by lowering the debt-service rate. The argument over what counts as a tax increase is now headed to voters. Amendment 3 would lift the non-school homestead exemption to $150,000 starting in 2027, then $250,000 in 2028, with inflation-based increases after that.

Boca's second annual Mobility Workshop runs Thursday, Oct. 29, from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at Florida Atlantic University. Admission is free, but space is limited and pre-registration is required. The idea is for residents to hear about mobility projects now underway and swap ideas on where local transportation is headed. City Public Works & Engineering staff will give updates on current programs. From 6 to 7 p.m., students take over with poster presentations.

Crema Gourmet West Boca celebrates its grand opening Thursday, Oct. 22, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 3011 W. Yamato Road, Suite A-20. The plan includes coffee, fresh plates, a ribbon cutting and giveaways. Every freebie requires a purchase of $15 or more, and gifts are limited to one per person each day while supplies hold. On Thursday, the first 100 qualifying guests get a tote bag and a chocolate chip cookie. Friday's first 50 get a croissant. Saturday and Sunday each reward the first 25: a mini chocolate croissant, then a mini muffin.