WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The city of West Palm Beach is exploring development beyond a new marina on its waterfront.
Emails, which WPTV received from a public records request, show Mayor Keith James asked to begin discussions about projects along the waterfront targeting the Banyan Street parking garage and the great lawn on Clematis Street.
Diane Papadakos, who is the director of communications for the city of West Palm Beach, said the city is working on a plan to understand people's perspective on amenities along the waterfront in an email.
“[The] mayor is forming a committee to discuss how to activate the waterfront," she wrote. "They are working on a plan now."
Papadakos said the only idea she remembered hearing was a children's playground area. She didn't comment if plans for those projects were affected after the council ended negotiations with a marina developer in July.
The great lawn, which is located at 100 Clematis St., is a green space area for the public to use for a wide arrange of activities. It also has become a place where homeless people seek shelter. According to the city of West Palm Beach, the Banyan Street parking garage has more than 100 spots near shops and restaurants on Clematis Street.
Diana and Freddy Naranjo, who spent their Sunday afternoon watching their three children play on the great lawn, said they enjoy watching their kids use the green space. Both said they hope the city finds a project to allow more people to use the space and keeps it open to the public.
"A green area like this to be wasted on a building or a facility to build a club or a bar, how does that make any sense?" Freddy Naranjo said.
The public space along the waterfront also allows people like Telly Jones to host events like a proposal. He said he wanted to bring together family and friends when he asked the question, but it was difficult to find an affordable space.
"I've been planning a proposal for like five, six months," Jones said. "And everywhere I went, it was very expensive — $1,800 for four hours, $800 for two hours."
Jones said the public waterfront worked perfectly because it was public and the first location he told his fiancee he loved her.