Vision + Aspiration=Change

I took a tour of an apartment building in downtown West Palm Beach recently.

That may not sound too exciting, but it was.

From the top floor we had a beautiful panoramic view of the downtown. My guide was excitedly describing what was happening below. I was swept away by his enthusiasm.

To the north he noted the site of a proposed Vanderbilt University campus, a $300 million vision that includes training the next generation of tech engineers and business leaders.

To the east, he noted the presence of Palm Beach Atlantic University which has an ambitious plan to maximize the potential of its urban campus.

We saw several sites purchased by Stephen Ross, the visionary chair of Related Companies who’s leading the charge on Vanderbilt, investing in gleaming new office towers and building new residential projects on sites that are currently blighted with boarded up homes.

Ross is a real estate legend.

And at 83, he’s chosen West Palm Beach as the place to cement his legacy. He’s making a bet that West Palm will become the city in a region that’s already booming.

According to Bloomberg, Ross’ Related Cos. owns almost half the office stock in West Palm Beach’s downtown and he’s building more.

But the vision doesn’t stop at offices, hotels and residential towers. Ross has also signaled that he’s going to be a player in everything from schools to health care. He has stated that he hopes to make West Palm Beach “a model city for the country.”

It’s heady stuff.

But we’ve seen examples of this before.

On the west coast, Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik is playing a major role in the growth of Tampa. We saw the vision of Wayne Huizenga shape Fort Lauderdale and Broward County. We are also witnessing the impact of entrepreneurs like Jorge Perez and Manny Medina in Miami. Their efforts have forever changed the trajectory of “the Magic City.”

So, what does this mean for those of us who call southern Palm Beach County home?

Well, certainly a rising tide lifts all boats so there will be benefits to the maturation of West Palm Beach.

But like any “renaissance” there will be winners and losers.

As noted before in this space, building and maintaining economies and cities is a complex endeavor with lots of moving parts. It’s part art and part science. There’s also a need for serendipity, which is always welcome, but can’t be counted on or plugged into a spreadsheet.

Never underestimate the magic. It may or may not visit, but it tends to be fleeting so you need to take be ready and take advantage of it when it arrives.

Still, there are also lots of unintended consequences when cities transform—some are happy, and some are not.

When catalytic entrepreneurs with vision, guts, capital and smarts show up and decide to make a splash there’s sure to be a ripple effect.

We will most likely see job creation.

Hopefully, we will see increased philanthropy.

We will benefit in a myriad of ways from the newcomers who will be attracted to all the excitement.

For those of us already here, we may see and seize opportunities. But others will be left behind. And we need to be aware of the communities at risk.

Hopefully, these mavericks and those who follow in their wake will be creating a community in which our children will sense opportunity and want to come home after going away to college. I never felt it made any sense to spend billions on pre-K through university level education only to see our best and brightest leave because they don’t see opportunity here at home.

But there are downsides as well to transformational change.

We will need to be mindful of the environment and ensure that as we urbanize, we make sure to preserve open space. (Hey governor, leave the parks alone).

It’s good to see growth happening in the urban core of West Palm. It beats sprawl, which is bad for the environment and creates traffic.

We already struggle—mightily–with affordability. And as the county attracts investment above and beyond what Mr. Ross is doing, we are likely to see even more upward pressure on housing prices.

There will be a need to preserve neighborhoods from the threat of displacement and we must find a way to house our workforce. If your essential workers can’t afford to live here, you don’t have a community, you have a theme park for rich people. (I think I saw that phrase somewhere and  I agree with it.)

As a proud resident of Southern Palm Beach County, I applaud West Palm’s transformation. I’m rooting for that city and it’s Mayor Keith James. He’s a good guy.

But I also hope and expect that our neck of the woods will find its own path forward. We certainly have unlimited potential.

Boca Raton has a robust economic development program, a business-friendly City Council, an extraordinary Chamber of Commerce, an excellent research park, top tier office product, one of the best malls in the nation, FAU, Lynn University, Palm Beach State College, a world class resort, an airport and a Brightline station.

Boca is also pondering a new downtown government campus that could reinvigorate the area. Some council members are talking about the redevelopment of the campus as a billion dollar plus project. Then there’s the continued development of The Center for the Arts & Innovation at Mizner Park, an ambitious effort that has enormous upside potential. In addition, Boca is experiencing a residential housing boom with several multifamily projects working their way through the approval process.

As for Delray, when I think about the future my mind goes back to the city’s Cultural Plan which was done about 20 years ago.

In that plan, the consultant noted that Delray needed to find its place in the cultural landscape. It was recommended that the city not compete with West Palm’s Kravis Center or the Broward Center for the Performing Arts but rather carve its own niche by offering unique and intimate cultural opportunities. The larger point is you need to find your  positioning in the marketplace based on local sensibilities (and sensitivities, i.e. no tall buildings), what’s possible and perhaps what’s missing.

With West Palm and Palm Beach Gardens anchoring the northern part of the county and Boca off to the races, where does Delray fit in?

That’s the challenge and the opportunity. I do know that the best way to determine the path forward is to engage the community in a visioning process. It’s been a while since we’ve had one.

I also know that if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. You can’t control the market, but you can shape your own destiny.

Thoughts…

Do you ever scroll social media when you are on a boring call?

I admit that I do, sometimes anyway.

That’s what I was doing last week when I came across a post from a former teacher of mine who announced that he had just lost his wife hours earlier to Alzheimer’s.

This was not just any teacher; this was my favorite teacher. I had him in 4^th grade and incredibly we are still in touch although I haven’t seen him in person since 1973.

Back then, he was a young teacher just starting out. He left an impression on all of us. He stayed in touch with many of my classmates and a whole lot of other students he impacted during a career that saw him scale great heights as a principal and administrator.

I enjoy following his adventures on social media. Trips to great locations, ski vacations and family celebrations always with his beautiful wife alongside him.

Even though I never met her, I did feel I kind of knew her. She must have been awesome because my friend is very special.

I knew they met as teenagers. He went to her Sweet 16 and their first date was a Billy Joel show back when he was playing Long Island bars and bowling alleys. My friend’s wife went to school with Billy.

Over the years, we tried and failed to get together during my infrequent trips home to Long Island. It just never worked out. That saddens me, because I would really love to be in the same room with this special teacher and learn even more about his life. I can’t pinpoint the exact lessons he imparted when I was a kid, all I know is I learned a lot and had a good time.

It was around 4^th grade that I fell in love with writing. I’m sure my teacher encouraged me, that’s what great teachers do.

I didn’t know my friend’s wife had Alzheimer’s. What an awful disease, you end up losing people twice. My heart aches for him and all those struggling with this disease.

 

Remembering Johnny Pun

Also on social media, I saw this post from the Delray Beach Police Department honoring Officer Johnny Pun on the 19^th anniversary of his death. Johnny was a friend of mine. During my newspaper days, I rode with him many times on midnight warrant sweeps etc.

Johnny had an infectious smile, an expansive view of what a police officer can mean to a community and was a lot of fun to be around. Here’s what our PD said. It’s a beautiful tribute.

Honoring the Memory of Officer Jean “Johnny” Pun

This week, we take a moment to honor and remember a true hero, Officer Jean “Johnny” Pun, who tragically passed away on September 10, 2005, in an off-duty motor vehicle accident. Officer Pun was more than just a colleague; he was a cherished friend, a source of strength, and a leader within our community.

Officer Pun made an incredible impact in Delray Beach, especially in fostering connections between law enforcement and the city’s Haitian population and youth. His dedication to community policing and building trust with residents set him apart, creating a lasting bond that continues to inspire us today.

Officer “Johnny” Pun’s legacy is one of unity, love, and compassion—values that continue to guide us in serving this great community. We will forever carry his memory in our hearts.

9/11/

From Morning Brew: “Last week, New York officials revealed a sobering statistic: For the first time, more FDNY first responders have died from their exposure to toxins at Ground Zero (370) than were killed on the day of the attacks (343), including 28 in the past year. Union leaders are imploring Congress to extend funding for the World Trade Center Health Program, which runs out in 2028, through 2090, to ensure that every survivor can receive care.

The FDNY said urgency is needed before 9/11 fades from people’s memories: It soon plans to hire people born after Sept. 11, 2001.”

We must never forget.

And I don’t think we will.

On Sept. 11 I was at a meeting at FAU’s Schmidt College of Medicine. Before we began our meeting, one of the participants asked us to pause to think about those we lost on that fateful day. He asked whether we knew anyone personally who perished in the attack. Three of the four meeting participants said they did lose someone they knew. I guess they call that “Six Degrees of Separation”.

We lost 3,000 plus people and yet our small group had personal connections. Very powerful indeed.

Michael Boyle, NYFD, your classmates will always remember you.