West Palm Beach & Palm Beach County

[Brickell]

The western line is the Tri-Rail line, which I believe is CSX right? The eastern line is the FEC. Don't quote me though.

[Urban_Legend]

The tracks for the multimodal station are owned by CSX. That's where Tri-Rail is. The other tracks (near Quadrille) are owned by FEC, and there's tentative plans for commuter service there as well. West Palm is the city where thse two tracks come in close proximity with each other, mere blocks away.

EDIT: Darn, Brickell, you beat me to it, lol.

[Aessotariq]

Palm Beach County County commissioners review alternate Scripps sites

By Marc Freeman

Staff Writer

Posted February 16 2005

Nearing a monumental vote next week on where to build Scripps Florida, the Palm Beach County Commission on Tuesday chewed on its staff's analysis of two properties that could serve as an alternative to the chosen site for the biotechnology park at Mecca Farms.

A two-hour-plus question-and-answer session by six of the seven commissioners featured no public comment, no major blowups, and no clear consensus over how the ordeal may end.

Though the county already paid $60 million for the 1,919-acre orange grove west of Palm Beach Gardens, lawsuits brought by environmental activists are forcing a Feb. 24 decision on whether to move The Scripps Research Institute project or stick it out through at least 18 months of litigation.

"It's been a tiring process," Commissioner Warren Newell said.

More than eight months of indecision by commissioners and lobbying from here to Tallahassee has left two alternate sites in play: the Briger tract, which straddles Interstate 95 in Palm Beach Gardens; and the Florida Research Park on the Bee Line Highway west of Jupiter. Representatives of those sites are scheduled to make presentations to the commission Tuesday, and residents would be able to speak before the board's vote two days later.

With a late 2006 deadline to open the first phase of Scripps Florida in jeopardy, commissioners on Tuesday discussed how the potential start of construction varies on each property due to the complexities of obtaining various environmental permits, amending land-use rules, and overcoming legal challenges.

"All the sites have very good factors, all sites have some negatives," Chairman Tony Masilotti said. "I know it's been a moving target."

He floated a scenario -- which he initially detailed last week -- to abandon Mecca Farms by selling 800 acres to home builders, turning 1,100 acres into a wetlands preserve area paid for by developers, and using all of the proceeds to help bankroll the project on one of the other, more expensive locations.

Masilotti "came up with what I think is a great plan," Commissioner Burt Aaronson said, stopping short of indicating what he'll decide.

A county report released Monday concluded that the original plan to build on Mecca Farms could cost taxpayers more than $80 million over the next 30 years. Building the biotech park on the Florida Research Park, north of Mecca Farms, would result in a $6 million loss over three decades, while the Briger tract would result in a $101 million loss over the same period, according to the report.

The report, by Scripps Program Manager Bevin Beaudet, also offers a second proposal for developing Mecca Farms that cuts out a high school and provides for more housing. Under that plan, the county could make $47 million over 30 years on the Mecca site.

Gov. Jeb Bush, whose staff on Monday met with Commissioner Karen Marcus for a Scripps update, has repeatedly said the project must provide for a 375,000-square-foot administrative complex and 8 million square feet of laboratory and office space. Bush last month called for mediation between the county and environmental litigants over Mecca Farms, but the environmentalists did not accept the governor's terms.

The state is contributing $369 million on top of the county's now-projected $300 million investment for Scripps Florida. The projected costs to the county for Scripps has ranged from $200 million to $600 million over the past year.

State and county officials say Scripps and the biotech boon it will generate will produce thousands of jobs and redefine the Florida economy.

Existing plans for Scripps and its accompanying biotech village on Mecca Farms include 2,000 homes, 8.5 million square feet of laboratory and office space, schools, a hospital and parks.

Scripps' contract with the county to settle at Mecca Farms can be changed if both parties agree. Scripps officials have told county leaders they don't have an alternate site favorite.

Environmentalists say they favor the Briger property, which is immediately south of Jupiter's Abacoa development. The groups -- including 1000 Friends of Florida, the Audubon Society of the Everglades and the Florida Wildlife Federation -- oppose Mecca Farms because of its proximity to rural communities and nature preserves and the intense growth and sprawl the development would introduce.

But Aaronson challenged their support of Briger, a parcel that had been on a list of coveted preservation sites.

Had the county originally picked it as the home for Scripps, "I will bet everyone dollars to doughnuts that the environmental community would have objected," the commissioner said.

Commissioner Mary McCarty, the board's strongest backer of Mecca Farms, challenged county attorneys over their estimates of how long each of the sites could be stymied by lawsuits. The county's contract with Scripps allows for legal delays.

Assistant County Attorney Bob Banks told commissioners that lawsuits and appeals could last for four years over Mecca Farms and the Briger tract, and two years over the Florida Research Park, formerly called the Palm Beach Park of Commerce. McCarty said that outside counsel estimated legal delays of 18 months over Mecca Farms.

While the commissioners largely refrained from sniping at each other, the meeting still featured some vintage moments.

At one point, McCarty complained that Masilotti was talking on the phone while she questioned Banks.

"I'm trying to time my back surgery," Masilotti explained.

A few minutes later, McCarty condemned a proposed development plan for the Briger property because of a lack of open space.

"I've never seen anything so disgusting," she said.

Masilotti said the commission is determined to get the project rolling.

"Everyone on this board is still interested in attracting Scripps to Palm Beach County," Masilotti said. "It's been a fact-finding mission to get the answers we need to make an intelligent, informed decision."

Link to article

[Brickell]

Wow. Leave no stone unturned in this boom.

Where is Boynton Beach anyway? Is it more Boca or more Palm Beach in style?

http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/st...tml?t=printable

Boynton Beach's boom: $800 million in new projects

Brian Bandell

Buzzing with the anticipated windfall from $800 million in new construction projects, the coastal town of Boynton Beach is set for an economic awakening.

To accommodate the boom, the quaint Palm Beach County city is starting trolley routes, adding more public spaces and cultural attractions. New hotels are also being planned amidst the construction of thousands of condominium units atop retail space, as developers continue to assemble sites for more mixed-use projects.

Mirroring the redevelopment in downtown West Palm Beach, the county's largest city, Boynton Beach's significantly smaller community redevelopment area (CRA) has captured developers' fancy for transformation.

Its $800 million in new projects, which have been approved or will seek approval in the next nine months, include 3,000 residential units; 200,000 to 300,000 square feet of commercial space; 150,000 square feet of office space and several hotels, CRA Director Douglas Hutchinson said.

All of these projects are in just 30 acres of Boynton Beach's 1,650-acre CRA. The city of about 60,000 residents is investing $40 million in its CRA over five years. Hutchinson calls it the most public/private investment in a CRA per capita in Florida.

While redevelopment is well under way in the trendy downtowns of Boca Raton and Delray Beach to its south, Boynton Beach had remained a working-class city with no central hub or standout attractions. Now the city - most famous for its national champion Little League Baseball team - is swinging for the fences.

"The people of Boynton have waited a long time for something to happen and now all these projects are hitting at once," Hutchinson said. "People will be getting whiplash looking up at all the new buildings."

A major factor in inviting development was the city's increasing the density to 80 units per acre and the height limit to 150 feet, which allowed for ocean views.

The first major project to break ground is Marina Village, a 15-story tower on eight acres along the Intracoastal. The $102 million project, which started construction last April and will be finished early 2006, will have 338 condos, 11 townhouses, 14,000 square feet of retail, a 7,000-square-foot restaurant, 1,800 square feet of offices and a marina with 38 boat slips and a gas pump.

It's the first project in Boynton Beach for Miami-based The Related Group, which will receive $1 million from the CRA to help pay for a parking garage.

"The first step they needed was people living in downtown," said Carlos Rosso, Related's project director for Marina Village. "Now the business environment will improve and jobs will be created. When you bring people downtown, that generates demand."

Hutchinson doesn't buy into the trend of New Urbanism. Instead of creating a regional attraction, he said his plan of "old urbanism" focuses on the economics of adding services and public space to support more residents.

"The problem with all these pretty places is that if you don't pay attention to people's basic needs, no one can live there," he said.

There have been far fewer condo flips from Marina Village buyers than with other county projects.

Related's Rosso said investors make up only about 20 percent of buyers in the project, which sold out in one week in summer 2003.

The residential units have been priced from $275 to $300 a square foot, Hutchinson said.

Not only is that cheaper than new units in buildings near Delray Beach's Atlantic Avenue, but projects in Boynton Beach can offer more amenities and ocean views because of the higher densities, said Jeff Krinsky, a partner in Panther Real Estate Partners. The Miami-based company will start sales in February for the 302 condos and 16 townhouses in its $105 million Boynton Beach project, The Promenade.

The residential units will be priced from the $200,000s to $880,000. The project will include retail and the city's first hotel, which will have 77 condo-hotel rooms.

The city will award them a $5.9 million incentive upon completion, which is expected two years after an early summer groundbreaking, Krinsky said.

The CRA has offered to fund half the cost of property owners who assemble large sites to sell to developers. Developers are negotiating to buy and redevelop most of the blocks from Southeast Second Avenue to Northeast Sixth Avenue in between the water and the railroad. That includes the site on the corner of Ocean Avenue and Federal Highway where the CRA has its offices next to a Bank of America office.

Maxwelle Real Estate Group recently bought one more acre for its mixed-use Boynton project, The Arches. The $140 million project will now take up a whole five-acre block, said Ryan Weisfisch, president of the Hallandale Beach-based company. He's revising the original site plan the city approved to expand on plans for 276 condo and townhouse units, mixed with retail and commercial space. Weisfisch plans to break ground by the end of the year.

"It's very early in its development - similar to West Palm Beach maybe 10 years ago," he said. "A lot of developers like to follow the curve, but people with vision saw Boynton coming a long way."

In an $18 million undertaking, the city is extending Boynton Beach Boulevard east of Federal Highway, where it will come to a pedestrian promenade along the Intracoastal.

The CRA is also in discussions with National Geographic about building a nearly 35,000-square-foot "Savage Creatures of the Ancient Seas" museum that would be supported on pillars in the Intracoastal and include fossils, a theater and some submerged exhibits.

Ken Kaleel, who's had his law firm in Boynton Beach for 19 years, says he has mixed feelings about the changes: "It's changing from a nice collegial atmosphere to a mini city. If it's done and planned out well and maintains some charm using planning and architectural design, it will be a positive for the entire area."

But Kaleel has jumped on board, too. He's the agent and co-owner of Coastline Commons, which plans to seek approval for a mixed-use center of the same name on three acres along Federal Highway. Along with 150 residential units plus retail and commercial space, Kaleel will build a new home for a local church.

[Aessotariq]

Legislators may create special tax district to help move forward with Scripps

By Mark Hollis

Tallahassee Bureau

Posted February 25 2005

TALLAHASSEE -- Nearly four decades ago, to avoid lawsuits and planning delays, legislators created a special tax district to govern what's become the Walt Disney World complex. Eager to get a similarly large and coveted development under way, legislators said Thursday they may create a comparable district to help Palm Beach County move forward with the Scripps Florida biomedical research complex.

Frustrations are boiling over in the state Capitol this week because 18 months have passed since the state set aside $369 million for Scripps, and Palm Beach County officials still aren't certain where the project will be located.

Republican leaders of the Florida House of Representatives said Thursday they are eager to see the project advance rapidly. And to nudge it along, they are considering several options, including a Disney-like special district.

Palm Beach officials and some lawmakers cautioned that such a district could invite more problems, even more lawsuits.

``That's nuclear war,'' state Sen. Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton, said. ``The job may get done quicker. I know the local government will go wild ... [but] I'm not at that stage, not yet.''

The urgency comes in spite of a decision Tuesdayby county officials to name Mecca Farms in western Palm Beach County as the primary choice for Scripps. The Florida Research Park, west of Jupiter, was made the primary alternate.

In his first significant remarks on Scripps, State House Speaker Allan Bense, a Panama City Republican, repeatedly blasted Palm Beach County officials Thursday for having not made more progress getting Scripps Florida under way.

``I'm losing my patience,'' Bense said during a meeting with House leaders. ``It's been 18 months and there's no construction started, and maybe we need to come up with a Plan B for this place.''

Bense, who runs a construction company, said further delays do not make good business sense or public policy.

``In my business, we have a saying,'' Bense said. ``A bad decision beats no decision. Inaction will get you nowhere in life, and sometimes you have to make a bad decision. I'm losing patience.''

Later in the day, speaking to reporters, Bense made similarly strong remarks.

``I'm ready for some action because, in my part of the world, my constituents weren't real happy sending some $300 million to one of the wealthiest counties of Florida,'' Bense said. ``It was a little bit of a sell. ... It's time for Palm Beach County to get moving. Let's start pouring concrete or let's start fighting lawsuits. Let's get going. ''

During interviews with reporters, Bense insisted that he's not locked into a legislative response and is content with Scripps going to Palm Beach County. But his aides and several legislators confirmed that the options include the Disney-like taxing district.

In 1967, the state created the Reedy Creek Improvement District for Walt Disney Co. It has since operated like a privately owned county. Reedy Creek straddles Osceola and Orange counties and has almost all the powers of a county government, except running a justice system. It does its own planning and zoning, for instance.

Legislators and others said the Legislature could, as early as the second week of the annual lawmaking session that begins March 8, debate legislation creating a special district for Scripps. By doing so, they hope, environmentalists' lawsuits attacking the county's efforts to amend its current comprehensive plan would be rendered moot.

``We're taking steps to help Palm Beach County achieve success,'' said Rep. Stan Mayfield, R-Vero Beach. ``Florida's main objective has always been long-term success in attracting the bioscience industry and the high-paying jobs. The bill that we're working on is going to help ensure that goal in the end.''

In the Senate, Michael Bennett, R-Bradenton is proposing a bill that abandons Scripps altogether and would redirect spending on Scripps to a politically popular state health program for the chronically ill, a program known as Medically Needy.

These legislative responses to Scripps delays are causing tremors within Palm Beach County government.

In an e-mail about Bennett's proposal to county officials Thursday, county lobbyist Kathleen E. Daley said she doesn't' think his idea will become law, but the county needs ``to be prepared for the onslaught of legislation that may occur.''

Daley said it's time for the county's leaders to show consensus.

``Now that you have decided on the sites, I think we need to show some unity,'' Daley wrote. ``If we're together, even if it's just conceptually, it will show strength. [The legislative] session is not the time to showcase any local differences, especially with all this funding ... Do not give them any reason to take it away.''

Later Thursday, several county officials contacted said they aren't surprised by the jitters in the Legislature.

``I understand the frustration of the Legislature,'' County Commissioner Mary McCarty said.

McCarty, sharing sentiments of Karen Marcus -- another county commissioner and the board's Scripps liaison -- said the county should be recognized for making progress by selecting one site to serve as the fallback should Scripps Florida not be able to go to Mecca Farms.

Link to article

[miamistreets]

Im surprised all this development occuring.I hadnt even recognized west palm as a a downtown type of city.Last time i went i didnt really pay attention to look for a downtown.I just remember a McDonald's that was really impressive.it was one close(kind of)to I-95.It had all sorts of things,TV's,a little train going in circles,and a little museum(sort of).

[Urban_Legend]

Yes, that is a pimp McDonalds, west of downtown on Okeechobee, I believe. West Palm's downtown is actually shaping up, and in about a year, you'll be able to see urban form. The great thing about downtown WPB is that it started out with NO density, just vacant lots. So developers could easily snatch this stuff up, and build right away, and we don't have to lose any historic buildings.

[Urban_Legend]

Here's a new project in the works! It's called Cityplace South Tower, from the Related Group. I'm still trying to find a rendering. But you can get a glimpse of it

here.

[Aessotariq]

Here we go!

[bobliocatt]

Great for WPB. Downtown is well on its way to filling the gap between the original core and City Place.

[streetscaper]

I know this is only a preliminary drawing, but I hope ends up looking more urban then that (i.e., no driveway, and such)...but overall great for densifying WPB:)

[Urban_Legend]

^Well, you have to keep in mind where it's being built. It's the triangular lot where Okeechobee Blvd (8 Lanes) splits into two one-way streets. I've walked over there, and it's like a noisy highway, so you won't see street furniture too close to the street. But with a little buffer (i.e. landscaping) they can make retail work.

[streetscaper]

^oh ok...I didn't know that...thanks, things make alittle more sense now.

So is the Opera towerr gonna be right behind this??

[Urban_Legend]

No, it's caddy-corner to it. I'm working on a map of West Palm Beach, where I can label all the projects....

[bobliocatt]

Palm Beach County endorses 8,000 homes in rural western area

By Josh Hafenbrack

Staff Writer

Posted April 7 2005

A vote Wednesday paved the way for almost 8,000 homes and 2 million square feet of shops and offices in the western area of Palm Beach County, as the County Commission finally approved a road map to determine how the rural area will look in the future.

The commission also dealt a blow, but did not completely slam the door, to a homebuilder's controversial proposal to put an urban community in Loxahatchee Groves. The issue will be revisited Tuesday.

The commission's 5-1 vote, approving the overall west county road map, called the Sector Plan, came amid a slew of last-minute changes and protests from residents who live in that area. Critics said the plan, approved after a tortuous six-year debate, doesn't do enough to stop explosive western growth.

"This sector plan is treating a shotgun wound with a Band-Aid," said Alex Larson, 43, of The Acreage. "Southern Boulevard is going to look like [interstate] 595 pretty soon."

The sector plan applies to 83 square miles in central western Palm Beach County, the unincorporated area north of Southern Boulevard and generally west of the Florida Turnpike.

That landscape has been radically altered since the county began working on the growth-management plan in 1999. Large-scale developments are coming, with a biotech giant, The Scripps Research Institute, planned for the Mecca Farms citrus grove and the 2,000-home Palm Beach Aggregates on Southern Boulevard.

Commissioners on Wednesday agreed to allow suburban communities in three main clusters, including the 4,700-acre Indian Trail Groves property owned by GL Homes and the 3,800-acre Callery-Judge Grove citrus farm. Those areas now could have one home per 1.25 acres.

"After 6 1/2 years, this was the best we could do," Commission Chairman Tony Masilotti said.

Wednesday's vote was not the final word. Now the proposal is sent to Tallahassee's Department of Community Affairs, then back to the commission for formal adoption.

Last-minute changes allow Lion Country Safari in Loxahatchee to build 512 homes on its property and doubled to 400,000 square feet the amount of retail space allotted for Callery-Judge Grove, among others.

Commissioner Karen Marcus, the lone "no" vote, said those changes should have been made sooner and explained in public meetings. She also questioned whether the county's already taxed schools and roads can handle more development.

In Loxahatchee Groves, a plan to allow suburban-style development along Southern Boulevard was scaled back. Commissioners did approve a compromise: one home per 2.5 acres. Homes in Loxahatchee Groves are primarily on 5-acre lots.

Still, the county-approved density would sink Land Design South's proposal for the so-called Loxahatchee Village at Southern Boulevard and B Road, managing partner Bob Bentz said.

The project, which includes 114 homes and 210,000 square feet of retail, is scheduled for an up or down vote Tuesday. But its chances appear dim. Masilotti and other commissioners said the proposal should be put on hold to see how Loxahatchee Groves' push for incorporation turns out.

The project has attracted interest in the equestrian community because it also includes space and money for a horse park and trails. It has pitted equestrians against Loxahatchee landowner groups.

Josh Hafenbrack can be reached at [email protected] or 561-243-6522.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/sou...-home-headlines

[Aessotariq]

Water and sewer lines, design plans are being completed for Okeechobee Blvd.

By Chuck McGinness

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Monday, May 23, 2005

Sometime this fall, probably in October, construction will get underway to widen Okeechobee Boulevard to eight lanes -- four in each direction -- from Florida's Turnpike to State Road 7. The new lanes will be added to the inside of the roadway.

The 3.5-mile, $17 million project will be divided into two pieces, separated by Jog Road. The eastern section will begin first, followed by the western section early next year.

[...]

Expanding Okeechobee -- the major east-west commuter route in central Palm Beach County -- to relieve the daily rush-hour charge has been in the talking stages for years. Coming out of Royal Palm Beach, an average of 60,800 vehicles a day use Okeechobee west of SR 7, about 25 percent over the design capacity.

The traffic count drops to 51,500 just east of SR 7, but builds again moving east. At Jog Road, an average of 66,500 cars a day travel the road. East of the turnpike, the number increases to 70,200.

The widening plans have been tweaked as the area continues to grow and sprout new development.

[...]

Regional transportation officials also are developing a plan to add rapid transit bus service on Okeechobee [blvd.] between Royal Palm Beach and downtown West Palm Beach.

Full article: Palm Beach Post

[Urban_Legend]

Wow, this thread sure has been revived, lol.

This will be the first major east-west transit line in Palm Beach County. Currently, we only have Palm Tran, which is a very nice busway, but is without dedicated lanes. I've love to see this idea come into fruition!

[Aessotariq]

Commissioners agree to begin Scripps construction

By Hector Florin

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Tuesday, May 24, 2005

UPDATED: 11:10 a.m. May 24, 2005

WEST PALM BEACH

[Urban_Legend]

Just to let you guys know, there's serveral new projects that Aessotariq and I discovered in WPB, and Aessotariq posted them on pages 10 and 11 of the Projects and Construction thread. As more info is released on these new projects, I'll post them!

[Urban_Legend]

For discussion purposes, I'll post some of these new project pics here:

The Whitney

Datura Center

Badcock Residential

The Carenthian

The Place via Clematis

Quadrille Place

Court House Commons

Valencia Square

[bobliocatt]

Wow, West Palm Beach has really kicked it up another level. Are all of these projects located in or near downtown?

[Aessotariq]

The 29 projects currently listed and tracked are all either in downtown, or within 2 miles of it. There are still a few downtown infill projects and high-rises outside of downtown that have yet to be added.

[Dale]

Some of these WPB developments are strikingly modern, and a refreshing departure from the too-familiar Med Rev style.

[Urban_Legend]

^Yeah, it's great to see that WPB can be original and yet true to its roots. There's a healthy mix of modern and med. styles.

[Dale]

I'd say relative to its size, WPB's downtown is growing at least as fast as any other. Maybe it tends to get overlooked because it's not building 30, 40, 50 st. buildings (owing in part to height restrictions).