palm beach county business magazine (winter 2015)

Growing the Glades | Mayor’s Priorities | New Developments | Equestrian Sector

A Quarterly Economic Development Publication Winter 2015

THE GLADESAttracting Development Interest

PBCB Quarterly v3 i3_Winter 2015:Layout 1 2/18/15 11:12 AM


www.rbernstein.com

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CONTENTSGlades Attracting Growing Development Interest

Palm Beach County’s western Glades region is attracting growing interest fromcompanies interested in its unique combination of assets.

County MayorOutlines 2015 Priorities

School CounselorsGet Firsthand Look at County’s Key Industries

NewsTherapeuticsMD Recognized for High Growth

Teachers Get Hands-on Science Training Moving up in the RankingsRelocations & Expansions

G4S Announces Planned Sale of Government Solutions to Private Equity FirmJupiter Approves New Institute

Brownfields ProgramsHelp Leverage Private Investment For Business Development

Saluting OurEquestrian Sector

New DevelopmentsGoing Strong in Palm Beach County

TO OUR MEMBERS AND PARTNERS:

Upon reading this issue of Palm Beach County Business you’ll learn about new

opportunities for growth in the county’s western Glades region, projects underway in

West Palm Beach and, how the county is collaborating with state and federal entities

to further redevelopment and prosperity.

Additionally, this issue features news regarding relocation and expansion

projects, an innovative education initiative, and information about upcoming

community events.

I hope you enjoy this edition of Palm Beach County Business which is made

possible with the support of the Palm Beach County Board of Commissioners, and

significant investment from our private partners notably, CareerSource, NextEra

Energy, Inc. and Florida Crystals.

As we continue to diversify the growth of Palm Beach County’s growing

economy, please continue to follow us on Facebook and Twitter and watch for our

e-newsletters to stay well-informed on economic development and business news

and events in Palm Beach County.

Kelly Smallridge

President and CEO

Welcome from the President

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Business Development Board of Palm Beach County, Inc.310 Evernia Street | West Palm Beach, FL 33401561.835.1008 | www.bdb.org

Palm Beach County’sEconomic Development Resource

Published by » Passport Publications & Media Corporation

ON THE COVERClockwise from top: Mythja, Branislav Pudar, Peter Bernik


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Palm Beach County’s western Glades region is attracting interest fromcompanies that would like to take advantage of the region’s assets.

“We’re optimistic, but there is a ton of work that goes into making sure

a new project comes to fruition,” said BDB President and CEO Kelly

Smallridge at a December 16 presentation in Belle Glade.

Smallridge said there were three serious prospects considering

opening new facilities in the Glades area that would hire local workers

and construct new facilities. One prospect is a soil enrichment

company that would create about 100 new jobs over five years, the

second is a manufacturing facility that would generate about 250 new

jobs and the third is a light manufacturing company that would create

about 60 new jobs.

Smallridge made the announcement at the Dolly Hand Cultural

Arts Center in Belle Glade in a meeting with the region’s business and

civic leaders, as well as the Lake Okeechobee Regional Economic

(LORE) Alliance of Palm Beach County. She added that the BDB plans

to continue its partnership with LORE to market the Glades and create

more economic opportunities for the region.

At the meeting, Tracy Sharp, chief operating officer of Boyette

Strategic Advisors, presented an economic analysis, sponsored by FPL,

designed to identify both the challenges and opportunities of bringing

new businesses to the Glades area.

The BSA report, “The Glades Region of Palm Beach County:

Target Sector Report and Recommendations,” highlighted four key

business sectors:

� Agri-business/ food manufacturing

� Distribution/ warehousing

� Retirement services

� Recreational tourism

In discussing the report, Sharp said the Glades’ central location

between the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, was a important asset for

manufacturing, distribution and warehousing companies seeking to

serve southern and central Florida. She noted that that the region had

abundant undeveloped land, and 34,000 residents with a relatively low

median age. Key challenges are the region’s low income level and high

poverty rate.

The BSA report called for a concerted effort to brand the region,

and Sharp suggested “The Glades of Palm Beach County” would

enhance name recognition for outside companies.

Glades AttractingGrowing

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Development Interest


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Investors Making Plans for Belle Glade Site

State Providing Fundingfor Glades’ Road Projects

A group of western Palm Beach County investors are planning for

new commercial and industrial development of the 191-acre site of the

vacant Glades Correctional Institution. Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida

Cabinet approved the $1.2 million sale in June, and the site was

annexed to the City of Belle Glade in October.

“Now, we are looking at the best approaches for bringing

in new development and generating new jobs for our region,”

said Henry Rionda, Jr., president and managing partner, BGI

Group LLC. The investment group includes former Belle Glade

mayor Tom Altman.

Noting that the site is bisected by a railroad line, Rionda said the

section of the tract bordering S.R. 80/U.S. 441 would be ideal for a

regional commercial center, including stores, offices, a hotel and gas

station. Potential industrial uses, such as a warehouse or distribution

center could be located west of the tracks, which provide ready access

to the state’s rail system.

“We believe this is a prime piece of real estate with great access to

U.S. 27, running north and south, as well as S.R. 80, which goes east and

west,” Rionda said. “We are right in the middle of everything and this

is a great location to bring in new business investment.”

Gov. Rick Scott recently announced that Belle Glade, Pahokee, and

South Bay will receive $3.8 million in transportation improvement funds

through the state’s Rural Areas of Opportunity program.

“Building and repairing roadways in rural communities is a top priority

to help Florida continue to be the world’s number one tourist and business

destination” said Scott, who announced the funding in December. “This $3.8

million investment will allow our rural communities in Palm Beach County

to make important roadway upgrades so they can continue to grow.”

The projects selected for funding are:

� South Bay - Martin Luther King Blvd/Palm Beach Road and Main

Street, $1,416,687

� Pahokee - East Main, $1,374,512

� Belle Glade - SE Ave G, SW Ave H, SW 12th St, SE 7th St, South Canal

St, and West Ave A, $1,038,834

The Florida Department of Transportation will work closely with these

communities and work on the projects is expected to begin in early 2015.


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County MayorOutlines 2015 Priorities

Palm Beach County Mayor Shelley Vana believes in a coordinated approach to economicdevelopment. “As the new year begins, I will be making sure that we include input from the business

community,” said the incoming mayor in a recent interview. “I am very supportive of the Business

Development Board and its initiatives,”

As a resident of Palm Beach County since the 1980s, Vana says she has seen a growing sense of

connectivity among the region’s different business sectors, from agriculture and tourism to finance,

the life sciences and information technology. “People from many different industries understand that

we’re all in this together,” she said. “We have great leaders in education, culture and

sports, as well as business who are talking to each other and looking at the ‘big picture’

for our county.”

A top priority for county government in the coming year will be the selection of a

new county administrator, Vana said. “We want to be sure everyone feels comfortable

with our choice,” she added. “Our administrator will play a key role for years to come.”

Vana also plans to focus on economic development initiatives for the western

Glades region and the future of the agricultural reserve areas. She noted that the BDB

has been a leader in marketing the Glades, as well as supporting the county’s

infrastructure needs, such as plans for an inland port.

“We also think sports can be a more powerful economic driver for Palm Beach

County,” Vana said. “Events like the first Boca Bowl bring in tourists who might want

to vacation here, buy a home or move their business to our county.”

A native of Pennsylvania, Vana worked for the Palm Beach County School District

for 20 years, teaching at the Dreyfoos School of the Arts, Jupiter High School and

serving as a district-wide science resource teacher for Palm Beach County. She has also

been involved with public television and radio, hosting shows like “First Issue, a weekly

public affairs radio program.“

Vana was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2002 and served on the

Education K-20 Committee, Education Appropriation Subcommittee, Policy and Budget Council,

Growth Management Committee and Agriculture Committee.

She was elected to serve as Palm Beach County Commissioner District 3 in 2008 and reelected

in 2012.

“As representative for District 3, I want to focus on how we can continue to revitalize the ‘heart of

Palm Beach County,’” she said. “I’m looking forward to a great year for our entire county.”


In an initiative to inform Palm Beach County educators about the workforce needs of the businesscommunity, the Business Development Board organized a December 5 bus tour that gave school

counselors a firsthand look at key industries. The initiative’s task force is chaired by Carey O’Donnell

of the O’Donnell Agency and Ken Kahn of LRP Publications.

“The BDB has been working very hard to enhance the image of Palm Beach County’s public and

private schools,” said Kelly Smallridge, president and CEO. “We are stepping up our efforts because

it directly impacts our ability to recruit, retain and expand businesses in Palm Beach County.”

For that reason, the BDB arranged a bus tour for 45 academy coordinators and guidance

counselors from Palm Beach County’s public and private high schools. “We want them to understand

the industries driving our local economy and the skill sets required for securing various levels of

employment,” Smallridge added.

The tour included:

� Max Planck Florida Institute in Jupiter

� Florida Turbine Technologies, Inc. in Jupiter

� Florida Power and Light Co. in Juno Beach

� Baron Sign Manufacturing in Riviera Beach

� Palm Beach State College in Lake Worth (with lunch sponsored by Celedinas Insurance

Group & Bank of America)

� Modernizing Medicine in Boca Raton

� 3Cinteractive in Boca Raton

� ADT Corporate Headquarters in Boca Raton

“A special thank you to Superintendent Wayne Gent, Dr. Peter Licata and their team at the School

District of Palm Beach County for teaming up with the Business Development Board of Palm Beach

County and recognizing the direct impact education has to economic development,” Smallridge said.

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at County’s Key Industries

School CounselorsGet Firsthand Look


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Eight Palm Beach County science teachers worked alongside

researchers at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience’s second

annual teacher workshop held October 16 and 17 in Jupiter. The workshop

was created to deliver a hands-on, immersive experience for teachers,

including many educators from Title 1 schools.

The teachers sat in on lectures and learned modern neuroscience

techniques via hands-on training inside the Institute’s labs. Topics on the

teachers’ agenda included recombinant DNA, electrophoresis, restriction

enzymes, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), neuropsychiatric diseases, and

genotyping.

“We’ve designed this program specifically to explain neuroscience

research topics and techniques in a way that’s directly applicable to our

teachers’ classrooms,” said Dr. Ana Fiallos, MPFI’s head of education

outreach. “The goal is for this real-world lab experience to inspire our

teachers and provide exciting and relevant ideas they can take back to their

classrooms and students.”

Teachers Get Hands-onScience Training

TherapeuticsMD Recognizedfor High Growth

Palm Beach County made a dramatic upward jump in the rankings in the

Milken Institute’s recently released “Best-Performing Cities“ report. The institute

cited the metro area’s housing rebound as a key reason for the jump to No. 70 in

2014 from No. 163 in 2013.

Moving up in the Rankings

&EventsNews

TherapeuticsMD Inc., an innovative women’s

healthcare company, is Florida’s fastest-growing tech

company, according to the 2014 Deloitte

“Technology Fast 500.” The Boca Raton company

ranked 41st on the list of the 500 fastest-growing

technology companies in North America, including

11 from Florida.

“We are very pleased to be recognized as one of the top growth

companies this year,” said Robert G. Finizio, CEO, TherapeuticsMD.

“It is an exciting time in our development.”

TherapeuticsMD Inc. focuses on developing and

commercializing products exclusively for women. With its patented

SYMBODA™ technology platform, TherapeuticsMD is developing

advanced hormone therapy pharmaceutical products to enable

delivery of bio-identical hormones through a variety of dosage forms

and administration routes.

The company also manufactures and distributes branded

and generic prescription prenatal vitamins as well as over-the-

counter vitamins and cosmetics under the vitaMedMD® and

BocaGreenMD® brands.


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G4S Government Solutions, Inc. (G4S GS), the world’s leading U.S. government solutions

group, recently entered into a definitive agreement to sell G4S GS and other related assets and

assumed liabilities to a U.S. private equity firm and has launched Centerra Group, LLC, a global

government and critical infrastructure services company.

Centerra will become the largest American-owned provider of protective services to the

federal government. “This transaction opens an exciting new chapter for us as a corporation and gives the

company significant financial and operational flexibility to enter several new markets and invest deeper in

existing ones.” said Paul Donahue, president and CEO of Centerra.

G4S Secure Solutions in Palm Beach Gardens was not part of the transaction.

G4S Sells Government SolutionsGroup To Private Equity Firm

The Jupiter Town Council recently approved plans for the Institute for

Healthy Living, a $70 million, 235,000-square-foot patient care and

medical research facility. It will be built in Abacoa near Scripps Florida, the

Max Planck Florida Institute and Florida Atlantic University. The developer

is NuVista Living, a Palm Beach Gardens-based company led by Paul

Walczak, who also owns a senior care facility in

Wellington. Jupiter Medical Center is a

partner in the project, which will have 129

nursing home beds, 70 assisted living beds and

30 beds for neurological disorder patients.

Jupiter Approves New Institute

Relocations & ExpansionsIn cooperation with Enterprise Florida, Palm Beach County, the

City of West Palm Beach and the City of Riviera Beach, the Business

Development Board of Palm Beach County (BDB) announced that it

assisted Lockheed Martin in securing $3.2 million in state, county and

city incentives to retain 401 high-paying existing jobs

in the county.

Lockheed Martin received $320,800 from the

county, $160,400 each from Riviera Beach and West

Palm Beach, and $2.57 million from the state through

the state’s Qualified Defense and Space Contractor Tax

Refund Program (QDSC). The project is expected to

have a four-year economic impact of $356 million.

Lockheed Martin’s Mission Systems and Training

business has facilities in West Palm Beach and Riviera

Beach where the company produces advanced undersea

systems, ranging from manned submersibles to unmanned

remotely operated vehicles to autonomous vehicles.

The BDB played a significant role to ensure

Lockheed Martin was able to secure the incentive package and it is the first

time the BDB facilitated a project that was eligible for the QDSC incentive.

The QDSC is a tool to provide Florida companies a competitive edge for

defense, homeland security or space business contractors to acquire new

contracts or subcontracts, consolidate contracts or subcontracts or convert

contracts to commercial production. The Lockheed Martin incentives

will be applied to support enhancements to products, to sustain their

workforce, and provide their operation with competitive advantages.

“Lockheed Martin is such a major employer in our county that we

wanted to go out of our way to support their efforts in hopes they will

continue to grow their presence in Palm Beach County,” said Kelly

Smallridge, president and CEO of the Business

Development Board of Palm Beach County. “Due to the

nature of the defense business and the ups and downs of

federal defense contracts, it is very hard to keep those

companies competitive and help them bring down their

costs while competing for those projects without some

sort of local support.”

“I am very pleased that the county could partner

with the State of Florida and Lockheed to retain more

than 400 high-paying jobs in my district,” said

Commissioner Priscilla Taylor, who now serves as the

Board of County Commissioners’ liaison to the BDB.

“We are proud that Lockheed Martin has such a

strong presence in Palm Beach County and that we

could work together to help them compete for additional defense

contracts.”

County Mayor Shelley Vana also emphasized the need to partner

with private industry. “Our ability to attract and retain jobs and grow

our industries in advanced technology and high impact sectors depends

on effective collaborations of businesses with state and local

stakeholders.”


The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) generally defines a

brownfield site as real property, where the expansion, redevelopment,

or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential

presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. It is vital

to clean up and reinvest in these properties in order to protect the

environment and reduce blight. Examples include properties which

were used for gas stations, agricultural uses, or solid waste disposal.

Mandatory cleanup of such sites creates an additional economic

burden for the business that wants to redevelop the property.

Palm Beach County’s business assistance programs include

investment vehicles to help companies offset brownfield cleanup costs.

More than $2 million in U.S. Housing and Urban Development

(HUD) Brownfield Economic Development Initiatives (BEDI) grant

funds has been paired with $3.5 million in Section 108 Loan funds to

bring economic development projects to fruition in the Glades region

of the county. These business projects will create in excess of 275

new jobs in an area that has suffered from high poverty and

unemployment. Here are a few examples of economic development

projects assisted through the BEDI program:

� Circle S Pharmacy, Pahokee

� Muslet Brothers, Belle Glade

� Historic Belle Glade City Hall, Avenue A

� Avenue A, Belle Glade

Additionally, Palm Beach County is a partner with the Treasure

Coast Regional Planning Council and the cities of West Palm Beach

and Fort Pierce in the Brownfield Assessment Coalition, which

received a $1 million EPA grant in 2011. The grant provided funds to

conduct site assessments in target areas within the partner jurisdictions

for the reuse and redevelopment of brownfields.

To continue these efforts to help businesses grow, Palm Beach

County’s Department of Economic Sustainability (DES) is constantly

on the lookout for new sources of funding. In 2013, through an

application submitted by DES, the county was awarded $1 million

from the EPA to establish the Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund.

Through the Fund, the county offers loan financing to support cleanup

activities for sites throughout the county that are contaminated with

hazardous substances and petroleum. As more businesses leverage

their development costs through the loan fund and Palm Beach

County further demonstrates its commitment to revitalizing

brownfield areas, additional opportunities will open up for

brownfields funding through the EPA.

The diverse and experienced team at DES collaborates with

private financing institutions, business development partners,

municipalities, CRAs, and state, federal and non-profit agencies to

support economic development in Palm Beach County. The

brownfields funding programs provide an important resource to help

revitalize communities and expand business enterprises.

For more information about the county’s business assistance

programs, contact Sherry Howard at DES, (561) 233-3653.

By Sherry Howard, Deputy DirectorPalm Beach County

Department of Economic Sustainability

BrownfieldsProgramsHelp Leverage Private Investment For Business Development


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Saluting OurEquestrian Sector

On Saturday, January 17,

the Business

Development Board

hosted a special Winter

Equestrian Festival

reception at the Palm

Beach International

Equestrian Center in

Wellington. Here are

photos from that event.


12 PBCB

While commercial and residential development in Palm Beach Countycontinues at a strong pace, there is little risk of a new “boom-bust”

cycle, according to panelists at the BDB’s quarterly luncheon, held Nov.

20 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center.

“I am heartened by our county’s demographic trends,” said

Quinn Eddins, CBRE’s director of research and

analysis for Florida. “Our residential growth is due

primarily to net migration, including Baby Boomers

who are retiring or downshifting away from the

winters of the north. That means we get a more

reliable stream of people coming here, supporting the

county’s single-family and multifamily residential

construction.”

Eddins added that residential growth is also a key

driver for commercial real estate sectors, including

retail shopping centers, office buildings, warehouses and other

distribution facilities.

Attorney Harvey Oyer, III, partner, Shutts & Bowen in West Palm

Beach, moderated the panel discussion on “Palm Beach County: Local,

Regional and State Overview.”

Other panelists were Chris Roog, economic

development director, City of West Palm Beach; Joan

Goodrich, economic development director, City of

Delray Beach and its Community Redevelopment

Agency (CRA); and Natalie Crowley, director of

planning and zoning, City of Palm Beach Gardens.

The three panelists commented on their cities’

economic development initiatives as well as recent

commercial and residential developments in their

communities.

in Palm Beach County

DevelopmentsGoing StrongN

EW


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The City of West Palm Beach outsourced the management of its twoCRA districts to Redevelopment Management Associates (RMA) in

January 2014. One of our first assignments was to make a

comprehensive examination of the north end of the city and make

suggestions as to how to stimulate economic development in the area.

Some years earlier, the city had created a series of “mixed use

districts” with land development regulations that were quite

prescriptive regarding density and building heights, generally with an

eye towards making a minimal impact on the surrounding historic

neighborhoods, most of which were developed during the great

Florida building boom in the early 1920s. The mixed-use districts were

referred to with acronyms: Currie Mixed Use District (CMUD),

Broadway (BMUD) and Northwood Village (NMUD).

Curry Mixed Use DistrictThe CMUD is located east of North Dixie between the quaint

shopping center of Northwood Village and the waterfront Currie Park.

Although every parcel in the 30-plus acre contiguous site is relatively

level, facing the water and eminently buildable, no new development

had been actively contemplated there for decades, even at the height of

the real estate run-up of the last decade. Contract purchase options

had expired and many of the parcels were subjected to foreclosure.

RMA’s examination of the CMUD land development regulations

(LDRs) quickly exposed the three and four-story height limitations

and commercial first-floor use restrictions placed on all potential

development that were crushing the private sector’s motivation to

invest in the district.

Beginning with a series of public meetings in March 2014, the

CRA proposed a series of changes to the existing rules. The

surrounding neighborhoods voiced strong support for upgrading the

development potential of the area at the same time that the private

sector development community was engaged in assembling significant

holdings, recognizing that the window of opportunity for building and

financing was upon us. Working with city planning staff, the CMUD

LDRs were redrafted, changes to the comprehensive plan were

approved by the state and all city boards approved of the ordinance

changes, with final adoptions coming in November.

Conversations with private sector representatives confirm that several

significant site plans will be submitted to the city in early 2015. The

potential projects will enhance property values in the district and provide

many of the requested improvements voiced by residents, including, we

believe, an excellent chance at securing a major grocery store.

Northwood VillageThe effect of the CMUD rewrites has already been felt in

Northwood Village, as a series of real estate purchases have taken place

over the last six months in anticipation of the positive impact of the

adjacent development proposals.

On the heels of that exercise, the CRA expects to address the

NMUD regulations beginning in February. The major players that

have made investments in the village are waiting for clear guidance

from these rewrites to determine the best uses for their properties.

We anticipate that building height allowances will certainly

increase, although not to the level of the CMUD district, probably to be

capped at 6-8 floors. Because the Village was initially developed in the

1920s, great care must be exercised to preserve the existing historic built

environment while allowing significant new projects to move forward.

With that in mind, the CRA is working with the city’s Historic

Preservation staff to identify key buildings for potential individual

designation as historic sites. A TDR (transfer of development rights)

program could be developed for Northwood Village that would allow

the owners of these potentially designated structures to maintain the

buildings and still participate in the increased property values by

selling the development rights.

We anticipate that most of the new development will concentrate

on mixed-use buildings, with commercial and retail uses on the first

DevelopmentOpportunities

NEW

in West Palm BeachBy Jon Ward, Executive Director

Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA)City of West Palm Beach


14 PBCB

floors and residential uses above. All new developments will be

required to self-park. The 3.5-acre site on the western end of the

Village, referred to as the “anchor site” owned by the CRA, will be

offered for sale and development by the agency after the new

regulations are adopted.

Broadway CorridorImmediately on the heels of the NMUD rewrites, the CRA will

move on to a similar exercise for the Broadway corridor. The broad

strokes of the kinds of development that the city would like to see there

were outlined in the visioning exercise that the CRA conducted in 2014.

These changes will affect the classic neighborhoods on both sides

of Broadway, and will also impact on the major projects proposed for

the North Flagler corridor, such as the Related/Rybovich mixed-use

condo project, recently approved by the city. Taken as a whole, these

changes and the accompanying development are likely to result in the

largest boom to the north end of West Palm Beach since the 1920s.

Sunset LoungeIn the close-in Historic Northwest neighborhood, plans are

underway for the restoration of the legendary Sunset Lounge at 8th

Street and Henrietta, and proposed development of the surrounding

property. The Sunset is proposed to be restored to appear as it was about

1940, including the restoration of the huge second-floor ballroom,

mezzanine and raised stage. A new tower will be built at the northern

end of the Sunset building, containing elevators, new bathrooms and

ancillary functions, such as a green room for performers. The first-floor

lounge will resemble the same period and be operated as a public house,

while the ballroom could be available for performance space, weddings,

public meetings, reunions and the like. An adjacent structure could

house music education and training activities. Enlarging on the Stull

and Lee report, produced by the CRA some years ago, a significant park

will be created to the south of the Sunset, for gatherings and festivals and

to enhance the neighborhood feeling.

With streetscaping already underway on Seventh Street, CRA staff

will propose a new at-grade rail crossing over the FEC tracks to

encourage development and positively impact the city’s east-west

connectivity. The CRA is already assisting with improvements to local

businesses, such as the Queen of Sheba restaurant, and is proposing a

culinary component on Seventh Street.

Taken as a whole project, the Sunset development is targeted for

creating a cross-cultural destination that will appeal to a wide cross-

section of music lovers and foodies, encouraging reinvestment in this

historic neighborhood.

The ‘Tent Site’ Final negotiations are currently underway regarding the vacant

property at Okeechobee and Dixie, known as the “tent site.” The City

Commission, sitting as the CRA Board, has selected a master developer,

FRI, for a 500,000-square-foot mixed use building on the site. Although

proposed to contain an upscale grocery and other retail uses, the

primary function of the development will be high-quality health care

facilities. Talks are in progress with a number of end users, but the

development agreement must be put in place first.

Old City Hall SiteThe CRA received several responses to the RFP for development

on the old City Hall site on Banyan. The agency requested proposals to

develop a hotel on the property, as well as other appropriate mixed

uses, including residential and commercial elements.

An evaluation committee reviewed the proposals and selected two

finalists to make presentations to the CRA Board at a special January

meeting. Staff anticipates the project will include an approximately

200-room hotel. The activation of the park on the former Helen Wilkes

site, as well as potential liner buildings around the Banyan Street

garage, are also components that are requested. The City Commission,

sitting as the CRA Board, will then select a developer and direct staff to

begin final negotiations, a process anticipated to last 90 days.

Robert Stevens

NEW

Development Opportunitiesin West Palm Beach

Continued from page 13



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palm beach county business magazine (winter 2015)

Documents

growth of palm beach

evernia street west

county mayoroutlines

new jobs

gladesattracting development

glades area

business news

surea new project