UPDATE: MARCH 31, 2005 What Kind of City Are We Building?
How Do We Want It to Look?
These are two key questions that will determine what West Palm Beach will be for generations to come.
On March 31, 2005 @ 3:00 pm in the City Commission Chambers, we will take some important steps towards answering these questions. Please join City leaders, members of the Downtown Development Authority (DDA), and the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) as they examine the current master plan for the City of West Palm Beach.
Discussion will focus on what portions of the plan are relevant in today’s environment and what portions need to be updated.
This is your city, and we invite your participation. Please come out and take an active role in West Palm Beach’s future.
UPDATE: MARCH 16, 2005
Phase one of the planning for a new West Palm Beach City Center has been completed, and the results were discussed at a special session of the West Palm Beach City Commission.
The creation of the City Center is a rare moment on the City’s history which affords the opportunity to create a civic and cultural landmark born of architectural excellence, comprehensive public participation, and governmental commitment that will stand as a legacy for generations to come.
UPDATE: JANUARY 10, 2005
Members of the community
heard the results of the November 29 City Center Summit
presented by the City of West Palm Beach. The city shared
the input gathered from all segments of the city’s residential
and business communities on what they would like to see
in the new City Center which will house city hall and library.
ABOUT THE CITY CENTER PROJECT
In June 2003, the Mayor and City Commission asked the Urban
Land Institute (ULI) to study downtown and make recommendations
to facilitate its continuing redevelopment. ULI specifically
recommended that the Library be moved to “uncork the bottle”
and reconnect the downtown to the waterfront.
ULI also recommended that the City create a “civic campus”
by combining the Library and City Hall on a single parcel
of land in the downtown. As a result of these recommendations,
the City acquired the entire 400 block of Clematis Street.
In recent years, redevelopment of this block stalled because
of the outdated box-like structure known as the D &
D Center, which has remained vacant for over seven years.
To capitalize on the energy and extraordinary interest now
focused on West Palm Beach, we will locate City Hall and
the Public Library, along with the private development on
the remainder of this newly acquired block. It will become
our “City Center.” On the site of the former library, the
City will construct a new City Commons and waterfront park,
reestablishing the historic link between the waterfront
and the City’s downtown area. Even with its ocean cooled
breezes, no City in Florida is hotter than Downtown West
Palm Beach.
ABOUT THE CITY CENTER SITE
Prominently situated on one of the City’s most historic
streets, the City Center site is located in the center of
downtown bounded by Banyan Boulevard to the north, South
Dixie Highway to the east, Clematis Street to the south,
and Quadrille Boulevard to the west. Clematis Street has
long been recognized as a significant link between the waterfront
and the downtown.
Literally steps from the courthouse doors, this location
offers an outstanding opportunity for law office condominiums,
legal support services, and related uses. Alternatively,
its location in the heart of downtown makes it a perfect
site for hotel, retail, residential, or cultural uses. In
short, the possibilities for this site are outstanding.
This site will become the home of the City’s most important
civic buildings – its City Hall and Public Library. Over
500,000 people visit the City’s Library every year. This
figure is projected to double with the construction of a
new facility. Significantly, the Library will house the
world-renowned Palm Beach Photo Centre. This will mean that
the Centre’s museum and “FotoFusion” festival will draw
thousands of new visitors to the project site annually.
The City Center site is visually prominent and is served
by major roadways and mass-transit. This will allow high
automobile and pedestrian traffic volumes. A wide range
of architectural styles surround the property. Amid present
day designs, historically rich buildings reflect the City’s
history dating back to the late 1800s.
Click
here to view the Slide Show Presentation