The Scripps Florida proposals are in.Economic Growth ahead.

The Scripps Florida proposals are in. And at least in terms of cost, there's a clear winner: Boca Raton.City officials on Monday released a $19.8 million plan to put The Scripps Research Institute's campus on 100 acres in the T-Rex Corporate Center, just west of Interstate 95.
By comparison, the Florida Research Park in western Palm Beach County would cost county taxpayers about $21 million, while a Jupiter-based proposal at the Abacoa development is pegged at $26 million.In a growing game of one-upmanship, Delray Beach today is looking to provide the Boca Raton bid with an unexpected boost: A $2 million pledge to the project.Final details were submitted Monday to county administrators considering three options as possible replacements to the Mecca Farms orange grove, where a federal judge stopped Scripps construction last year. Commissioners are scheduled to pick a site on Feb. 14 in a move designed to end the two-year battle over a project backed with $600 million in state and county money.Gov. Jeb Bush said in Tallahassee that he was waiting on more information from the three sites before he weighs in on the debate this week. He will determine, which site, or sites, provides a sure path to reaching 8 million square feet of research and development space."And it is not an exact science," the governor said. "You have to assess risk here."At a City Hall news conference, Boca Raton officials announced they jettisoned a property owned by Florida Atlantic University from its Scripps plans, instead consolidating the campus on city-owned land near Congress Avenue.Boca Raton also sprinkled in sweeteners.A property owner has committed to building at least 500 units with a mixture of affordable housing within a half-mile of the Scripps campus, the city said. Boca Raton also proposed a biotech advisory board to ensure land for spinoff business. Owners who commit their properties to biotech would get incentives, such as denser development approvals and expedited permitting.Mayor Steven Abrams drew a sharp distinction between Boca Raton's bid and the other sites, saying his city comes in at a lower cost and doesn't create sprawl by spreading the campus over many miles."But beyond that, the other proposals have many question marks as to who is going to construct the infrastructure and at what cost," the mayor said. "Our proposal doesn't require any further roadways, water, sewer, electricity or other infrastructure which could be a major cost to the county taxpayers."Also, a Boca Raton fund to reimburse relocation costs of Scripps Florida employees has $3 million in commitments, the city said. The money would probide up to $25,000 moving subsidies to Scripps Florida employees, since many live close to the institute's temporary facility in Jupiter.Delray Beach's proposed $2 million pledge likewise would support relocations, but only if Scripps scientists and their families moved into the city, Mayor Jeff Perlman said.