West Palm Beach updates: Flagler Drive sea wall, streetscape plan, revenue plan discussed

Wayne Washington, Palm Beach Post
·3 min read

West Palm Beach's City Commission met this week and discussed a variety of topics on how and when to spend money. Here's a snapshot of five actions the city took:

Flagler Drive sea wall will be elevated

The city voted to receive a $3.63 million grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to cover some of the costs associated with elevating the seawall along Flagler Drive.

West Palm is reconstructing a 1,425-foot segment of seawall along Flagler between Avila Road and Pershing Way, as well as a 300-foot section north of the Bristol condominium complex.

A 2018 seawall assessment determined that sections of the seawall were in critical condition and highly vulnerable to storm surge, sea level rise and king tides. West Palm Beach is required to match the DEP grant, which will be used to defray costs incurred for seawall work undertaken from July 1, 2022, to September 30, 2026.

A 2018 seawall assessment determined that sections of the seawall were in critical condition and highly vulnerable to storm surge, sea level rise and king tides. There are also dangers of people falling in and drowning.
A 2018 seawall assessment determined that sections of the seawall were in critical condition and highly vulnerable to storm surge, sea level rise and king tides. There are also dangers of people falling in and drowning.

Police department will use $350,000 to update its building access system

West Palm will spend $2.8 million of the roughly $6.6 million the city received in development revenue.

  • The West Palm Beach Police Department will use $350,000 to update its building access system.

  • Fire and Rescue will use $80,000 to seal and rehabilitate station office space and to upgrade some space into a mini-clinic for its Community Paramedic program.

  • Parks and Recreation will spend $625,000 to repair basketball courts at Lincoln Park and to mill and repave the parking lot of the park maintenance complex.

  • Public works and fleet maintenance gets $477,000 to fund a one-year contract for four technicians to staff a vehicle maintenance shift.

  • Engineering will use $515,000 for rail crossing improvements for the 7th Street crossing.

  • The Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach will spend $42,007 to replace its five self-checkout machines.

  • Housing and Community Development will get $724,825 for future projects.

  • The remaining $3.8 million in development revenue will be set aside for future grant funding.

A streetscape update on multiple downtown streets

The 500 and 400 blocks of Clematis Street.
The 500 and 400 blocks of Clematis Street.

The city will plan with the city's Community Redevelopment Agency and The Related Companies to upgrade the streetscapes between Okeechobee Boulevard, South Olive Avenue and South Flagler Drive along Chase Street and Trinity Place.

The city will construct the roadway improvements. The CRA will pay for them, and Related, which has developments in those areas, will maintain the improved rights of way.

A lawsuit payout of $95,000

West Palm will pay Earnest Jones $95,000 to settle a lawsuit stemming from an accident that occurred on May 20, 2021.

An award for Mayor Keith James

Multiple City Commission members congratulated Mayor Keith James, who was awarded the Urban League of Palm Beach County's Trailblazer Award during the group's 50th anniversary gala Friday night. James is the first Black person to serve as mayor since the city changed its government system in 1991, making the mayor the head of government.

Wayne Washington is a journalist covering West Palm Beach, Riviera Beach and race relations at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at wwashington@pbpost.com and follow him on Twitter @waynewashpbpost. Help support our work; subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: City meeting: Flagler Drive sea wall, West Palm streetscape updates