WHO: The City of West Palm Beach
and the West Palm Beach Community Redevelopment Agency
WHEN: Thursday, November 1, 2018
Street Party
5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Ribbon Cutting (at S. Dixie Highway and Clematis Street intersection)
5:20 p.m.
WHERE: 300 block of Clematis Street, West Palm Beach, FL 33401
WHAT: Mayor Jeri Muoio, the City of West Palm Beach and the West Palm Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (WPB CRA) will officially unveil the much-anticipated new look of Clematis Street on Thursday, November 1 with a ribbon cutting and street party celebration in the 300 block beginning at 5:00 PM. The celebration will continue at the city’s Clematis by Night event from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. The unveiling marks the completion of the first phase of the Clematis Streetscape project that took place over the summer months throughout the 300 block of Clematis Street between S. Dixie Highway and S. Olive Ave. The project is transforming the city’s most iconic downtown street with a variety of modern infrastructure and vibrant design elements that renew and enhance the street with a pedestrian focus for residents and visitors.
Project highlights include:
- A curbless street that prioritizes the pedestrian
- Narrower traffic lanes to slow travel speed for cars
- High-visibility crosswalks and mid-block crossings
- More regularly spaced shade trees
- Wider sidewalks for more walkway space, dining space and furnished seating space
- Reduced parking spaces to make room for “people space”
The public is invited to attend the ribbon cutting and street party and be among the first to experience the brand-new look of the first redesigned block. Guests can enjoy a family-friendly celebration with live music, giveaways, and more. Downtown business on the block will also offer special discounts, giveaways, tastings and other activities for guests during the street party. Then, the party moves down the street to Clematis by Night, the city’s weekly waterfront concert at the east end of Clematis Street, with lots of food, drinks, live music and fun.
The 300 block of Clematis Street will officially open to traffic on Friday, November 2.
PROJECT INFO:
The Clematis Streetscape project is making design improvements to Clematis Street that will elevate the experience and overall quality of life for Clematis merchants, residents and visitors. After several public input meetings with Clematis Street merchants, other area merchants, stakeholders, residents and visitors, the City Commission voted to implement recommendations from the award-winning design team, Dover, Kohl & Partners.
One of the City’s primary goals for the project is to shorten the construction schedule and minimize disruption to valued merchants with a multi-phased approach for the street improvements. Phase two of the project is expected to begin in the summer of 2019 and will redesign additional blocks on Clematis Street.
The Clematis Streetscape project is one of several WPB CRA projects aimed at ensuring that the city’s downtown core evolves with the needs of residents, merchants, and visitors. The infrastructure and beautification improvements will invigorate the iconic street and advance efforts to attract new long-standing businesses and keep visitors returning downtown. The project is part of Mayor Jeri Muoio’s overall vision of a city built and designed with quality of life at the forefront, including an increase in safety, walkability, economic development, public health, sustainability and more.
In addition to the Clematis Streetscape project, the WPB CRA is working on a number of projects that will contribute to growing and revitalizing the downtown area:- Former City Hall Site Development – a $145 million mixed-use urban development project on the former city hall site that includes a waterfront Marriott hotel, apartment units, retail space, public park, and a destination restaurant.
- Downtown Alleyways – a plan to improve the back alleys between Clematis Street and Datura Street. The plan will begin in the 300 block alleyways in the fall and will link leisure and retail environments for pedestrians.
- 12 for 12 / Thouroughfare – this project divides the 14,000 square foot space at 314 Clematis into 12 smaller spaces to incubate new or local shops to bring more retail downtown in a sustainable economic model.
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