Boca's new 40-foot observation tower offer panoramic view of ocean, Intracoastal and city

BOCA RATON — From the time he was a young boy, Jacob Kosowsky loved the outdoors.

One of his favorite spots was the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center's observation tower. This year, it was rebuilt in his honor.

Kosowsky died in a 2018 Utah traffic accident. At the time, he was 21 years old and enrolled at Vanderbilt University, now his sister Mia's alma mater. In 2016, he'd graduated from Boca Raton High School.

"He intuitively knew that how we interact and engage with nature could pave a beautiful path to personal growth and spiritual awareness," said his mother, Sharilyn Jones. "That stayed with him throughout his life."

The observation tower, renamed "Jacob's Outlook," debuted this month with a June 13 ribbon-cutting ceremony that marked its official opening to the public.

Like the original tower located at 1801 N. Ocean Blvd., Jacob's Outlook is 40 feet tall and offers a panoramic view of the city, the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway. It also features a 700-foot ADA-accessible ramp for visitors who use wheelchairs or have strollers. The previous tower did not have a ramp.

"Families come to us from all over the world," Gumbo Limbo manager Leanne Welch said. "Nature and science is for everyone, and we want to make sure that everybody that wants to be here can visit and do so safely. We're here to meet their needs."

The parking lot, too, was just rebuilt, Welch said. Three new ADA-accessible parking spaces were added. And both bathrooms have been redone to fit current ADA standards.

"Our building and our grounds, we've been here for 40 years," Welch said. "Standards have changed over time, but we're trying to catch up where we can."

"It's been a long wait," she said. "I'm so excited to finally have it."

The previous observation tower was 35 years old and was dismantled in 2016 because of safety concerns. Being a wooden structure on the beach, the tower deteriorated over time, Welch said. But since her start at Gumbo Limbo eight years ago, she's been awaiting its return.

The rebuilding of the tower cost $2.4 million. Kosowsky's family donated $500,000 toward its construction.

"Their generosity has helped to build a legacy that will be enjoyed for generations," Mayor Scott Singer said of the family before ascending the new tower for the first time on June 13.

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Additional funding for the project came from The Coastal Stewards and the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District. The new tower took nine months to construct.

In coming months, interactive exhibits will be added to the ramp, Welch said. They'll help people better understand their surroundings as they climb to the tower's top.

"We're going to talk about the importance of barrier islands, what you see across the street, what you see when you look beyond the waves," Welch said.

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Kosowsky's family hopes Jacob's Outlook will inspire its visitors to feel connected with nature the way he was.

"He constantly sought that environment of oneness with nature, what he and I liked to call sublime adventure," Jones, his mother, said. "That was what we always looked for together. So our hope for the tower is that this profound understanding sort of allows us and guides us."

At the top of the tower is a plaque written by Jones in honor of her son.

"A vista to inspire the soul, from the depths of the ocean to the skies above," the plaque reads. "May you be moved by its beauty and hold it in your heart."

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Jasmine Fernández is a journalist covering Delray Beach and Boca Raton for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at jfernandez@pbpost.com and follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @jasminefernandz. Help support our work. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: New ADA-accessible tower in Boca Raton offers view of ocean, city