WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A West Palm Beach resident says the city is moving forward with a major commercial project at Currie Park without giving neighbors enough of a voice, while city leaders say the plan was shaped by years of public input and community outreach.
WATCH BELOW: 'They’re making decisions that affect us, and they’re doing it behind closed doors,' Linda Grosz tells WPTV's Kayla McDermott
Linda Grosz who lives near Currie Park in the Northwood Harbor area, said residents feel blindsided by plans for a large restaurant and commercial building on the public waterfront property.
“This is a watershed moment for the city of West Palm Beach,” Grosz said. “They’re making decisions that affect us, and they’re doing it behind closed doors. People want to participate. They don’t want to be spectators.”
The redevelopment project stems from the voter-approved 2020 Parks Bond, which allocated $8 million for improvements at Currie Park and other city parks. Since then, the city’s plans for the century-old waterfront park have evolved into a larger destination-style redevelopment that includes an amphitheater and a restaurant capable of seating nearly 400 people.
The city confirmed the restaurant project will be lead by the Breakwater Hospitality Group. A Miami-based design company with several other restaurants in Florida. According to the designers, 'The approximately 378-seat venue would feature indoor dining, covered terraces, and open-air seating inspired by a relaxed coastal aesthetic, complemented by a 320-seat rooftop event space designed to host weddings, community celebrations, civic functions, and other special events.'
Grosz said residents expected upgraded green space and recreational amenities, possibly including a small café, but not what she described as a large commercial footprint. “Mostly people wanted a really nice park with recreational activities,” she said. “Maybe a small café where they could grab a bite, have an ice cream, have a coffee, and enjoy a beautiful park.”
But in a statement, the City of West Palm Beach and its Community Redevelopment Agency said public engagement played a central role in shaping the project.
According to the city, officials held more than 25 public meetings and stakeholder sessions and collected 166 surveys after the bond passed. City leaders said one of the most consistent requests from residents was the inclusion of food service at the park, which was later added to the CRA-approved master plan.
The city said it later conducted a second round of outreach focused specifically on park programming and restaurant preferences, generating more than 475 additional survey responses that helped shape the selection criteria for the restaurant operator.
“The restaurant is a planned component of the park’s long-approved master plan that was developed through years of public engagement,” the city said in its statement.
Grosz disputes how much influence residents actually had over the final plans. She said neighbors attended city-organized meetings after the bond passed, but the concept for a large commercial restaurant “just suddenly appeared.” According to Grosz , the city initially advertised a public selection process for the project but later limited access to the final decision-making process.
“In the end, the city shut that down, and nobody was able to attend at all,” she said. “That is the problem, and that’s why we’re here today. There is a lack of transparency.”
City officials, say the redevelopment is expected to increase visitation to the North End and support surrounding businesses while helping fund long-term maintenance and programming at Currie Park. “The restaurant is a critical component to the revenue-generating model that will help support the long-term maintenance, programming, and operation of Currie Park,” a spokesperson said.
Grosz said residents are not opposed to growth but want what she calls “smart growth” that takes infrastructure, density and neighborhood concerns into account. “Nobody here, myself, my residents, we’re not anti-growth,” she said. “We are for smart growth.”
The debate over Currie Park comes amid broader redevelopment across West Palm Beach’s waterfront, where luxury housing projects continue to rise near historic neighborhoods.
Grosz said residents remain concerned about traffic, parking and aging infrastructure as growth accelerates. “The waterfront is where everybody wants to be, and there’s only a limited amount of it,” she said. “The infrastructure is old and crumbling. Our streets are in need of repair.” Grosz also raised concerns about plans for a board that would oversee restaurant operations at the park, saying she hopes city leaders include a broad range of community voices.
“People want to participate. They don’t want to spectate,” she said. The city said it remains committed to delivering the voter-approved park improvements “in a manner that reflects the community’s priorities and the extensive public input that shaped the park’s vision.”
For Grosz , the issue ultimately comes down to trust and communication between residents and city leaders. “We need to stop, look, listen,” she said. “Listen to your community, listen to what the people are saying.”
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