Ana Maria Aponte, Development Services Director, City of West Palm Beach 

The Honorable Bradley Harper, Circuit Court Judge, Fifteenth Judicial Circuit of Florida 

Bruce Lewis, President and CEO, L.B. Limited & Associates, Inc. 

Christopher Roog, Executive Director, West Palm Beach Community Redevelopment Agency 

Gopal Rajegowda, Former Executive Vice President, Related Ross 

Harvey Oyer III, Attorney, Author, and Local Historian 

Mayor Keith A. James, City of West Palm Beach 

Kim Do, Downtown West Palm Beach Resident 

U.S. Representative Lois Frankel, Florida’s 22nd Congressional District

Malcolm Cunningham, Jr., Attorney,The CunninghamLaw Firm, P.A. 

Pam Rauch, Vice President, External Affairs and Economic Development, Florida Power & Light Company 

Penny Murphy, President, Pioneer Linens 

Raphael Clemente, Former Executive Director, West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority 

Rick Reikenis, Board Member and Former Chairman, West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority 

Robert Sanders, Esq., Board Member and Vice Chairman, West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority 

Tim Harris, Chairman, West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority Board of Directors 

Vince Burkhardt, President and Founder, Burkhardt Construction, Inc. 

On November 5, 1894, West Palm Beach was officially incorporated, marking the beginning of a city shaped by bold ideas, diverse communities, and rapid change. From its earliest years, Black residents, Seminole people, early settlers, laborers, entrepreneurs, and civic leaders all contributed to the city’s identity. Henry Flagler’s railroad helped put West Palm Beach on the map, but it was the people who gave the city its character. 

The 1920s brought a building boom and a wave of newcomers drawn to Florida’s promise. During this era, West Palm Beach’s civic leadership also reflected the city’s growing and changing community, including Joseph Mendel, recognized as the city’s first Jewish mayor. Then came the devastating 1928 hurricane, one of the deadliest storms in U.S. history, followed closely by the Great Depression. Yet West Palm Beach endured. Local institutions such as Pioneer Linens relocated and took root, and by 1936, Morrison Field, named for aviation pioneer Grace K. Morrison, was established, setting the stage for what would later become Palm Beach International Airport. 

During World War II, Morrison Field became an important military airfield, bringing thousands of service members through West Palm Beach. After the war, local leaders helped advocate for the former military base property to become a public aviation asset, laying the groundwork for Palm Beach International Airport and its role as a regional engine of growth. 

Post-war America reshaped West Palm Beach. President Eisenhower’s federal highway system connected the city to the nation. The introduction to air conditioning made Florida livable year-round, unlocking a new era of growth as business activity became more practical. And as the Civil Rights Movement gained national attention, questions of equity, access, and opportunity that would continue to shape communities across the country, including West Palm Beach. 

Three milestones in a single year told the story of a city on the rise: the historic courthouse expansion reflected civic ambition; the Palm Beach Mall opened, ushering in the age of retail; and the Downtown Development Authority was founded support the continued vitality of the city’s downtown core. This was the beginning of more than 55 years of focused investment in the heart of the city.  

In the 1970s, Downtown West Palm Beach remained an important center for business, civic life, and local decision-making. Groups such as the Tuscawilla Club, which met in the Guaranty Building, reflected downtown’s role as a place where community and business leaders gathered. At the same time, downtown began to experience the pressures facing many traditional urban centers, including changing retail patterns, suburban growth, and shifting investment. These challenges would help set the stage for the revitalization efforts and renewed focus on downtown that followed in the decades ahead. 

The 1980s were a transformative time. SunFest launched in 1983, giving the waterfront a signature cultural event. Mayor Rick Reikenis, who served from 1985 to 1989, championed neighborhood associations and helped give residents a stronger voice in the city’s future. Local efforts also helped save the former Palm Beach High School from demolition, paving the way for its transformation into an arts-focused school; Dreyfoos School of the Arts.  As major civic and cultural investments advanced, including the future Kravis Center, downtown gained new tools and momentum for redevelopment, including tax increment financing. 

The 1990s brought renewed vision and investment to downtown. Nancy Graham became the city’s first strong mayor, helping advance major redevelopment efforts. The historic train station was renovated in 1991, and the Kravis Center opened in 1992, strengthening downtown’s role as a cultural destination. Philanthropist Alexander W. Dreyfoos made a lasting impact on the city’s arts and education landscape, including through support connected to the Kravis Center and what became Dreyfoos School of the Arts. 

CityPlace opened in 2000, bringing new energy, retail, dining, entertainment, and residential activity to Downtown West Palm Beach. Its arrival helped reshape how people experienced the city, while also creating new competition for Clematis Street and other downtown businesses. As downtown adjusted, the waterfront continued to serve as a major gathering place through events, cultural programming, and community activity. The decade marked a turning point, one that expanded downtown’s reach while challenging its historic core to evolve. 

The 2010s brought another wave of change. The former Palm Beach Mall site was redeveloped into Palm Beach Outlets, which opened in 2014 and added new retail competition west of downtown. At the same time, downtown and the waterfront continued to attract new residential interest, including ultra-luxury projects such as The Bristol, completed in 2019. These shifts reflected a broader change in West Palm Beach, as the city grew beyond a traditional downtown retail district into a place increasingly defined by residential demand, cultural assets, hospitality, and investment. 

Downtown West Palm Beach entered a period of disruption and acceleration. The COVID-19 pandemic brought serious challenges for businesses, workers, residents, and public spaces, but it also intensified shifts already underway. New residents, companies, financial firms, and investors looked to South Florida, bringing increased attention to West Palm Beach as a place to live, work, and do business. Major projects such as 360 Rosemary and One Flagler reflected the city’s growing role as a business destination and helped reshape the downtown skyline. Through public and private investment, downtown continued to evolve with a renewed focus on economic development, public space, mobility, and quality of life. 

Downtown West Palm Beach continues to evolve. New development, public space improvements, cultural investment, mobility planning, and educational opportunities are shaping the next chapter of the city. As downtown grows, the focus remains on building a place that is welcoming, connected, economically strong, and rooted in the people and stories that brought it here.