WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A group of businesses on Clematis Street said they are pushing West Palm Beach to create more pedestrian-only streets.
These businesses, specifically located on the 500 block of the city's historic main street, are making the argument to city leaders after an increase in turnover on the strip. WPTV has noticed an increase in empty storefronts and "for lease signs" along Clematis Street compared to a few months ago.
WATCH BELOW: Business owners along Clematis St. push for pedestrian-only area
Michele Holmes, who owns a mini market selling everything from groceries to mosquito repellent wipes, is among the business owners advocating for the change. She said high rents in the area, along with other costs, like insurance, mean she has to relocate to a different spot on the same block to keep her doors open.
"We don't see enough families," Holmes said about the current state of the area. "It just starts to be cumbersome, you know, where your profits are lower than what you need to survive."
She said businesses see a 30% to 35% increase in sales when the city closes down the 500 block for various events.
A city-commissioned consultant recently created a report examining ways to improve walkability and bike access along the downtown waterfront area. However, those recommendations focused primarily on areas closer to the waterfront rather than Clematis Street.
Read the full consultant report below:
WPTV asked the city if it had any concerns about businesses in the downtown area. A city spokesperson said they are looking at ways to promote businesses across the city.
"We are interested in the viability of businesses throughout our City," the spokesperson said. "Each day, our economic development team researches ways to promote the health of businesses throughout the City."
The spokesperson also said it did not have plans to create additional pedestrian-only areas in the Clematis Waterfront District.
WPTV also noticed on Friday several shops and restaurants have opened along Clematis Street over the last six months, like Skinny Louie and Crema Gourmet Espresso Bar. There are also locations under construction that have taken years, like Pubbelly Sushi and Bacon Bitch, the latter of which eventually went out of business.
One of those business trying to move into Clematis Street is Arya Tea Bar, which said it would open in Fall 2025. However, the tea store is still not open as of November. Its owner posted a video on Instagram asking people to do their "permit rain dance" when discussing a pause in construction that lasted a few weeks.
"This is something that I was warned about and tried to do everything I could in advance to make sure we were moving forward," said Sophie DeWaal. "But, the reality is it's just the system. ... Basically, you send it in and it takes five days for somebody to look at it, who isn’t the person who needs to review it, and then that person that routes it to the people who need to review it."
When WPTV reached out to DeWaal, who left a career on Wall Street to start the company in West Palm Beach, she said she had a pretty smooth time getting permits and called the city "incredibly" helpful. She also said the city gave her a grant to assist with her build-out.
"I believe I've posted about one 3-week delay related to permits, but that's not bad at all in the scheme of things, and we will be opening quite close to my original plan," wrote DeWaal.
A city spokesperson said it doesn't believe it has a permit problem stopping businesses from thriving in the downtown area.
"West Palm Beach is known for being one of the governmental entities in Palm Beach County that processes permits the fastest," said the spokesperson. "There is always room for improvement, and our Development Services team strives to get better each and every day."
