Schmidt Report

The SCHMIDT REPORT - JANUARY 2026

City Commission Meeting 12/8:

This meeting began with a lengthy formality whereby the commissioners unanimously gave the state approval to rename about 5 miles of Southern Boulevard "Donald J. Trump Boulevard." Bear in mind that Southern Boulevard is under the jurisdiction of the state, and the initiative to rename the section between Military Trail and Mar-a-Lago is entirely the idea of the state legislature---and they really don't need the city's blessing. Furthermore, there will be no alteration of road signs---the street signs will still read "Southern Boulevard." But the state now has the city's blessing to install 5 or 6 signs off the side of the road at key entrances that indicate "Donald J. Trump Blvd." There was a fair amount of public comment pro and con in equal measure. But Commission Peduzzi reminded everyone that the matter is really beyond the commission's control and he urged commissioners to approve it for the sake of "being a constructive partner" with the state legislature.

City Art & Culture Director Sybille Canthal then gave a presentation describing "Petals of Moon," a large, partially-gilded sculpture by Sinta Dantra that is part of a large sign welcoming people to West Palm Beach to be installed at 8111 S. Dixie Hwy. Approximate total cost: $800k.

There was a first reading of "District Point," a 10-story, 280-unit apartment building proposed at 1501 Belvedere Road, (at the corner of Mercer Road, close to 95). 71 of the units will qualify as "workforce housing," and the developer is seeking setback reductions and permission to use a city-owned easement as an entrance.

Development Services Presentation 12/9:

This is the first Development Services Presentation by the new Director of Development, Anna Maria Aponte. The purpose is to summarize major developments in WPB that are either under construction, approved, or proposed---plus assorted statistics and new policies. Here are several (whew, this place has gone nuts!) major projects in or near downtown which are either approved or under review. This list omits the projects already under construction.

460 Fern Street, 7 stories, 340 unit condo (approved, but not yet started)

400 Hibiscus Street, 24 stories, 86 unit condo (under review)

1701 N. Flagler Drive, Ritz Carlton condo / hotel, 138 units (approved)

1830 N. Dixie Hwy., "Pine Street Assemblage," two towers, 367 units (approved)

1901 N. Flagler Drive, "Shorecrest" condo, 27 stories, 100 units (under review---sales center is on Rosemary in City Place)

2015 Broward Avenue, "Parkland Tower" 80 units (approved)

2121 N. Flagler Drive, two condo towers by Jeff Greene, 152 units, 24 stories (under review)

Two projects in the NORA district: 122 unit condo, and a 350 unit apartment complex (both under review)

Belvedere Road & Mercer: "District Point" apartments, 270 units--of which 71 are "workforce housing," (approved)

Norton Museum Phase 2 expansion: 98k s.f. expansion to the north, plus a parking garage across Dixie to replace the current surface parking lot (under review)

1111 S. Flagler Drive, "Family Church Towers" two 20+ story towers (approved)

Other interesting tidbits:

---$17.2m in building permit fees collected so far in 2025, a new record. 85% of all permit fees collected are for commercial projects.

----The taxable value of WPB property increased 9% this year, which is on par with the annual average increases going back to 2014

----WPB added 668k s.f. of office space in the last 4 years, with an additional 1.3m s.f. under construction

----there are 1,641 hotel rooms in WPB, with 500 more to be added soon when the Convention Center II Hotel and the Viana Hotel (619 Evernia Street) are built.

---The Cleveland Clinic will soon propose a major project

----as of March 2025, residential buildings may be built up to 7 stories along Broadway Avenue between 25 St. and 59th St.

----by 2029, the city wants to approve large numbers of autonomous vehicles, but they've not yet named a vendor.

Downtown Master Plan "Visioning Meeting #4" 12/9

This meeting was mostly a rehash of ideas from DMP designer Bernard Zyscovich which I'd heard before and summarized in our November DNA newsletter (see below). Zyscovich and his team will give a very similar presentation to DNA members on January 27. From there, he will present his plan to the Downtown Action Committee in January, and a commission vote 6/26/26. One change: in the past Zyscovich mentioned that he wants future buildings along Flagler Drive to have a 50' setback from the road. At this meeting, he increased that setback to 100'. It's important to remember that Zyscovich advocates for 25-story limits along the intracoastal and between the train stations downtown---whereas a few commissioners and the mayor mused aloud that they wouldn't be opposed to 30-story limits in those same areas.

Other tidbits:

DNA board members have heard repeatedly from downtown residents that they are concerned about increased traffic and parking problems associated with the unprecedented flurry of development going on downtown. However, there is very little mention of these concerns at meetings about the Downtown Master Plan---aside from comments by residents. So, past-DNA president Michael Cuevas and I are trying to raise awareness of that issue by meeting with people who may be able to exert influence. We met with Anna Maria Aponte and her team Dec. 18, Land-use planner Brian Chegius Dec. 19, and Brian Ruscher, Deputy Director of Multimodal for the Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency (TPA) Dec. 22. All of those meetings have been productive and informative, and our next objective is to meet with D. A. C. members whose approval is key for the DMP. The bottom line: aside from installing a traffic crossing over the Tri-Rail tracks on Fern Street, there is little or nothing planned to accommodate inevitable increases in traffic. This is partly because city government is under the impression that there is "excess capacity" on downtown streets, based on a 2018 traffic study. Other transport factors:

---one area where the DNA is making headway is pressing the importance that all new downtown buildings must handle all of their parking, delivery, and garbage collection needs off the street---which will go a long way toward improving traffic flow. One hitch here is that it's unclear if new downtown buildings are required by code to have garage entrances tall enough (13 feet) to accommodate such trucks. Another hitch: package delivery companies such as Amazon, UPS, and Fed Ex have already told the DDA that parking off the street is a waste of their drivers' time, despite having to pay many tickets for illegal parking. So, convincing them to use off-street parking will require stiffer financial penalties.

---rumor has it that The Brightline (owned by Fortress Investments) is in financial trouble and it wouldn't surprise anyone if it went bankrupt within 2 years. One possible scenario is that the Tri-Rail stations and tracks will be repurposed for a normal commuter train that acts more like the Tri-Rail, stopping in every burg between here and Miami. The hitch is the cost of building all those new stations.

---everyone knows that the Tri-Rail is also in financial trouble, with the feds pulling funding. But the theory is that the lost fed money will be offset by new money / taxes from all the cities that the Tri-Rail serves.

---another rumor has it that there's been talk of installing a traffic crossing on 7th street over the FEC tracks so that downtown commuters can drive a straight shot between N. Dixie and Australian Avenue. The main hitch is the FEC's strict policy about insisting that 2 crossings be removed for every new one installed---because the FEC hates crossings since they potentially create accidents and slowdowns.

---the prevailing opinion of the experts we've spoken to so far is that there aren't many ways that downtown streets can be widened or redesigned. Therefore, traffic and parking problems will increase, and that's just tough bananas for downtown residents and workers. In addition, the mayor wants to close at least one lane of Flagler Drive downtown as part of his "Your Waterfront Your Way" plan.

---Schmidt

posted by | 275sc
January 12, 2026

THE SCHMIDT REPORT - December 2025

11/10 city commission meeting:

This meeting mostly concerned commissioners approving design changes to "The Marina", a 19-acre site along the intracoastal between 38th & 44th streets (formerly Rybovich's marina). It had been approved several years ago, but the developers wanted to change some of the site plan (adjusting setbacks, parking needs, etc.). A few interesting statistics were cited during the presentation:

---The population of WPB has increased 12.5% since 2019

---Average assessed values of WPB property have doubled since 2015, increasing 45% since 2021

Also, commissioners approved a step to making way for the future site of Publix downtown, by declaring CRA owned lots at 202, 204, and 206 N. Sapodilla as "surplus," enabling them to be sold to Publix. In order to arrive at a sale price, the city will solicit 2 professional appraisals of the parcels' combined value.

A representative of the Fraternal Order of Police spoke, defending WPB police captains placed on administrative leave while an investigation of financial misconduct proceeds.

"Your Waterfront Your Way" city commission work session 11/17:

The "Your Waterfront, Your Way" initiative by the mayor was discussed, and he distributed copies of an 89-page report to commissioners on his recommendations for design changes to the downtown waterfront. That same report is published online: just google "City of West Palm Beach "Your Waterfront Your Way" report, then click on "final report" near the top. It's full of interesting demographic and foot-traffic data, especially on pages 20-29. In sum, the mayor wants to attract more people from poorer neighborhoods to the waterfront, because people polled in those neighborhoods currently find the waterfront boring. But he doesn't want to turn the waterfront into Coney Island or Myrtle Beach, which is reassuring. As you'll see in the report, the proposed changes are small, not massive. He wants to:

1) convert the 2 northbound lanes of Flagler Drive downtown into lanes reserved for bikes and trolleys. The current 2 southbound lanes will be converted into a single southbound lane and 2 northbound lanes. Reviving the trolleys seems dubious, since they were removed years ago due to an obvious lack of ridership.

2) There was lots of discussion about "branding" the waterfront to appeal to tourists.

3) The mayor wants to appoint a waterfront committee with a "quarterback" to shepherd the project along.

4) Commissioner Lambert wants more shade trees around the great lawn---she complained about insufficient shade during Saturday green markets.

5) Commissioner Fox strongly recommended the reactivation of the jet-ski / small-boat rental on the middle dock. She also prompted Tony Garcia, designer / consultant of the new waterfront, to again promise not to expand any marinas or dockage along the waterfront.

Other Tidbits:

----The West Palm Beach CRA has been allotted $100k to study possible sites for new dog parks / playgrounds on city-owned land downtown. A few potential sites: the 600 block of Evernia and 321 S. Flagler. Chris Roog at the CRA has been in contact with the DNA on this issue. He raised young kids himself while living downtown, and understands residents' desire for landscaped, fenced, tidy areas where dogs and little kids can safely run around.

----Rumor has it that the Arthritis Foundation building at the southwest corner of Dixie & Hibiscus is being eyed by a developer who wants to build a 25-story condo tower there. Bear in mind that the proposed Downtown Master Plan, yet to be approved, is seeking to limit building heights in the 300 & 400 blocks to the current 12-story maximum. So, don't be surprised if you see a rush of proposed building projects that want to submit their applications before DMP height limits are imposed. Also be aware of the approval and public notification process: developers are only required to present their projects to the general public at city commission meetings if they are not seeking variances---which is typical.

----Schmidt

posted by | 15sc
December 05, 2025

THE SCHMIDT REPORT - November 2025

City Commission and CRA meeting 10/14:

The City commission unanimously approved issuing a $25.5m, 15-year bond so that the city may use that money to purchase the right to collect rents on the triangle of land between The Ben Hotel and Flagler Drive. The city already owns the land, but the current landlord, Frank Navarro, wants to sell his rights. Bear in mind that the total cost of the bond over 15 years will include $12.5m interest plus $1.5m assumed debt, for a grand total of $40.4m. That land has 4 tenants: Elizabetta's, Bar Capri, The U. of Miami, and the temporary ice rink that The Ben installs around Christmas. Total annual (net) rents: $1.162m.

posted by | 275sc
November 05, 2025

THE SCHMIDT REPORT - October 2025

City Commission Meeting 9/2:

This short meeting contained nothing notable, aside from 4 women who spoke out against a rumor that some unnamed person supposedly has proposed renaming Southern Blvd. "Donald Trump Blvd." The mayor and commissioners had no comment on that matter. Slight kerfuffle: the commissioners are supposed to vote on a new annual budget for the police department in October. City protocol demands that they are not allowed to meet with the police chief to discuss it. Instead, the mayor has directed them to submit their questions to the city administrator. Commissioners Ward and Fox complained about that restriction.

CRA meeting 9/2:

There was a presentation about the 2026 CRA budget that contained assorted pie charts showing

posted by | 275sc
October 12, 2025

THE SCHMIDT REPORT - SEPTEMBER 2025

City Commission meeting 8/4:

There was considerable discussion about an additional $80k in repairs for Evergreen Cemetery at the corner of Tamarind & L.A. Kirksey Street. The problem with old cemeteries is that they were typically private enterprises when they were new, and funded & maintained via plot sales and fees. But after a few generations, the plot sales dry up and there's no living relatives around anymore to finance regular maintenance. So, the city is forced to take over management and maintenance of old, small cemeteries such as Evergreen and Woodlawn (on S. Dixie opposite PBAU). There was also a presentation by the city on their "5 Year Strategic Goals" required by the federal government in order to continue to receive about $5m per year in H.U.D. funding for affordable housing, homeless assistance, and HIV assistance.

City Commission work session 8/11:

The City Office of Sustainability hired a consultant who gave a presentation on the "Tree Canopy Assessment Update."

posted by | 275sc
September 07, 2025

THE SCHMIDT REPORT - AUGUST 2025

7/7 City Commission Meeting:

Nothing of note concerning downtown residents.

7/21 City Commission Meeting:

This meeting mostly concerned minor issues irrelevant to downtown. But it included the presence of State Senator Mack Bernard (district 24) and State Representative Jervonte Edmonds (district 88---which does not include downtown) giving a report on recent legislation efforts in Tallahassee. Some of these are worth noting:

1) The State House of Representatives has 120 members, 33 of which are democrats.

posted by | 275sc
August 10, 2025

The SCHMIDT REPORT - JULY 2025

June 9 City Commission Meeting:

This meeting was short, with only a few tidbits relevant to downtown:

1) The first reading of a new, proposed code ordinance occured. If passed at the June 23 commission meeting, major construction projects will be required to submit a plan and pull a permit for employee parking and materials delivery routes. The goal is to minimize traffic & parking chaos in the surrounding neighborhood.

2) During Covid, Governor DeSantis authorized / encouraged the expansion of outdoor seating for restaurants and bars.

posted by | 15sc
July 13, 2025

THE SCHMIDT REPORT - JUNE 2025

SCHMIDT'S ADVOCACY REPORT for May 2025 Newsletter
May 12, 2025 City Commission Meeting:
This commission meeting was excruciatingly long (4 hours), due to an extensive presentation about "Flagler House", a proposed condo tower at 3705 S. Flagler, just a few hundred yards north of Southern Blvd. It will be 18 stories, 39 units, with a concealed garage on 1.4 acres. In order to garner neighborhood support, the project proposes a public path between Washington Road and Flagler Drive along the south side of the property so that pedestrians and dog-walkers can more easily access the waterfront. A crosswalk on Flagler Drive will also be installed, along with a dog & human water fountain. In order to mitigate king-tide incursions on Flagler Drive, the developer (Kolter & Perko) will also install weirs in the storm sewers in that area. Many nearby residents spoke with passion about the project, with approval vs. disapproval evenly split. The motion to approve a rezoning of the 1.4 acres to accommodate Flagler House passed unanimously.

posted by | 11sc
June 13, 2025

THE SCHMIDT REPORT - APRIL 2025

SCHMIDT'S ADVOCACY REPORT for May 2025 Newsletter

April 28, 2025 City Commission Meeting, DMP Consultant Meeting and Visioning Meeting Highlights

Item 10.1: There was lots of talk about the 800 block of Datura Street. With Vanderbilt University moving in, the WPB Department of Community Services and their 200+ employees need to move out. For some time, Community Services have been eyeing a larger space at the corner of 45th Street and Australian avenue---a 41 acre parcel already owned by the city and occupied by various city offices. At that site, Community Services sought commission approval to build a 4-story office building and 5-story parking garage, which was granted unanimously. Commissioners were emphatic that the surrounding neighborhoods have ample opportunity to hear presentations about the project nearby. Community Services helps veterans, homeless, senior citizens, AIDS patients, etc., and some commissioners wanted reassurance that homeless would not be housed at that facility---and that same assurance would be given to neighbors.

posted by | 275sc
June 13, 2025

THE SCHMIDT REPORT - March 2025

SCHMIDT'S ADVOCACY REPORT

Downtown Master Plan Panel #1 , March 20, 2025 -The Downtown Master Plan was first created in 1994, revised in 2007, and the mayor wants to revise it again to reflect changing times. Downtown Master Plan Roundtable #1 was the first public meeting on that topic. Roundtables #2 and #3 will be April 24 and May 22. The format: local developers and government officials give power-point presentations and are interviewed by a moderator regarding their concerns about attracting and retaining residents and businesses.

Here's the gist:

1) Gopal Rajegowda from Related Ross lives in Flamingo Park, and he believes that there is an urgent need for taller, denser buildings appealing to both the rich and poorer folk in and near downtown.

posted by | 275sc
June 13, 2025