WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — City leaders in West Palm Beach on Thursday will unveil the new look of the 200 block of Clematis St.
After six months of construction, some local businesses were forced to cut down on staffing and even struggling to stay open.
The manager at Pizza Girls, a restaurant on Clematis Street for more than 20 years, said they have lost up to 75 percent of its business because of the Clematis Streetscape project.
With construction of the 200 block of Clematis Street now complete, many business owners are excited to see things pick up for the winter season.
One of the goals of the project is to make the area more pedestrian friendly. The entire block was transformed, now featuring more shades trees, wider sidewalks and a curbless street design.
Visitors to downtown West Palm Street will also notice the street now has a more modern and vibrant design. The makeover also includes narrowed traffic lanes to slow cars down along with high-visibility crosswalks.
City leaders will kick things off at 5:30 p.m. Thursday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, complimentary food, drinks and live music.