Should West Palm Beach allow a 25-story tower on Flagler Drive?

11 Comments

  • roosevelt - 6 years ago

    related is willing to build, unlike other developers who sit on parcels for years complaining about construction costs...

    support growth. our city deserves it.

  • Vicki Markovic - 6 years ago

    This is INSANE! Do we really NEED to keep "KOWTOWING" to the Related Group?
    Shame on Mayor Jeri Muoio and her CRONIES!
    I was born in WPB and know "from whence I speak"!

  • Fred Teets - 6 years ago

    How many times do the Mayor and Commissioners get to vote on this issue? I guess as many as it takes to get the answer they want! With the new Commissioners, my guess it only needs one more! I could go on and on but I think I've made my point. Others have made very valid points - read their comments.

  • Brenda Teets - 6 years ago

    The voters voted and are being ignored. This was also voted down once by the City Commissioners - that should be enough to show that the citizens of WPB are against this 25 story building and all the traffic woes that go with it. Why can't the Mayor listen to the voters and citizens?? Stop ruining our downtown and trying to make it into a European City!

  • Nancy Pullum - 6 years ago

    Thank you Mr. Christie for a thoughtful piece on the reality of what is happening and a reminder of the history of this Okeechobee Business District from a short while ago.

    It is interesting that this go round there seems to be little mention of architecture, architects, or preserving the iconic church, as the previous presentations focused on all of these issues while leaving the discussion of the changes of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan and Zoning Code like ghosts in the background. One important thing to note is that giving the regulatory permissions through the approval of the Okeechobee Business District in no way guarantees that the building pushed by the Related Company would have to be like what was proposed the first time. It could be a different building or the company could finalize their contract with the church and even sell the property surrounding the church to still another investor! During the last episode one of the things touted by Related to alleviate additional congestion was a cell phone APP to let people determine when the worst congestion was. This time we have a Mobility Plan from the Mayor - a plan that has yet to even be approved by the Commission. This is an enigma at the very least.

  • Peter A Belmont - 6 years ago

    I agree with all of the preceding comments. It seems incredibly cynical for Muoio to be forcing this issue to be revisited when it was turned down by the Council only six months ago. Related is said to have put much money and "influence" behind the new Council electees in order to bring the One Flagler matter up again and decided in its favour. And our Mayor continues to ignore the will of the people as expressed in the referendums on what development should be allowed along our waterfront. WHY???? Our own PB Post is against the project (not the building itself nor the idea of good office building development in WPB, rather the need to have it placed where it is proposed). And then there's the nonsense of attempting to ease traffic congestion, which would unquestionably be aggravated by the One Flagler development, by wanting to "encourage" people to walk and bicycle in downtown and to "discourage" the use of cars, as expressed in the Mobility Plan........ok maybe for two or three of our mild weather months, but this is a hot, steamy climate for most of the year; office workers will no doubt happily come to work sweaty, and older folks will undeniably be grateful for the opportunity to enjoy the walking and cycling experiences to get around instead of using their nice, airconditioned cars. Give us a break....leave our beautiful waterfront alone and place your high end (or any end) office developments west and north where there is so much empty space and so much crumby commercial construction.

  • Mark Baccash - 6 years ago

    Related stated 1000 white collars will work out of that building. This added to hundreds of workers going in and out on the Royal Palm bridge at the same time will make for gridlock. How about office towers at the north end of Quadrille where there is less traffic and the same objectives can be achieved. What’s in it for the Mayor? Why has she been so ferociously single myindrd about getting this spot zoning through? Is there a Related job for her after her term ends? For her and Green?

  • Archie Maughan - 6 years ago

    Crazy. Will add to traffic but mayor concerned with mobility. 2 class A office projects ( Greens and Related’s 330) going slooowly uncertain of the need, spot zone painted up like lipstick on a pig to bamboozal everyone with the IN code, OBD in the hope they can sneek it through. As proof ms Mouio did not publish the adgends until after 5:00pm last Friday but she claims to want input. The opposite is the case. First is the legal notice published un the paper which is devoid of any useful information and written in bureaucratic legalese in very small print to ensure the public remains in the dark.

    If the church is such a treasure our city has been and is callously ignoring the contribution of this grreat African-American architect. They can declare it a historical building at their next meeting!

    The tactics have been bare-knuckled, heavy-handed and stealthy to quash any effective opposition.

    Both new commissioners’ campaigns were managed by the same that managed Mouio’s. Look up up the campaign financial reports in the public record. It is also incredable that Moffett dropped out the day before the deadline to file as an alternate candidate could file. Strange. Moffett always seemed intent to ruun again.

    Something stinks. Why the rush?

  • Lorenzo borghese - 6 years ago

    Why not do this the democratic way and have the people vote vs. having the ELECTED officials make decisions for us? I understand if the decision was to put in another stop light but this is major and will impact West Palm Beach forever. There are so many better places that are zoned for this type of commercial building yet they want to change the rules to benefit Related? What this means is that no zoning laws are ever protected. All that is needed to change these laws is a few greedy individuals. What a joke.

  • Brittain Damgard - 6 years ago

    This is sad to see the changes coming to WPB. There has been no vision as to the outcome of the waterfront. We all know that development is inevitable, but the WPB commission has not thought this out clearly. Our town doesn't need more traffic at that intersection and truthfully to have that lovely church overshadowed by a tall mirrored skyscraper is a true shame. I wish this could be stopped and that the commission and the mayor would reflect on the future and not on the tax revenue.

  • Penny L Young - 6 years ago

    Are the results of a referendum not law? The voters expressed their preference for a 5-story limit, all with the intent of protecting the character and image of our city. Few would sanction the Miami Beach or Ft. Lauderdale look of back-to-back skyscrapers.
    Equally concerning is the impact on traffic. Already there are jams at the bridge and surrounding roads with resultant poor air quality from the idling cars.
    The Quadrille Business District was established to consolidate skyscraper business as well as apartment buildings, close to the train station and City Place businesses. That development will provide bountiful tax revenue and enable WPB to thrive, maintain its buildings and infrastructure.
    Forcing this building is a travesty.

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