Last night’s Boynton Beach CRA Community Meeting held at the Carolyn Sims Center was well attended in spite of impending bad weather. The reason for the meeting was to give the residents of the Heart of Boynton an update on their community’s redevelopment plan, however, since there was a quorum present of the COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD Mayor Jerry Taylor who chairs the Board asked that they vote on a proposed item. They did. In Boynton Beach City Commission members serve as the CRA members.
After listening to the comments from the audience it was apparent that the CRA and the residents had conflicting views as to development in the area. The CRA was looking to develop the area much like West Palm Beach achieved with CityPlace. There seemed to be insurmountable problems…mainly getting property owners in the Heart of Boynton Beach to sell to the CRA so that a developer would come in and start. Obviously it hasn’t worked. Now the CRA was coming to the citizens of the area and seeking direction.
I heard very creative ideas about local merchants in the area setting up businesses or improving existing business to benefit residents. Their vision was that the end result would be that residents in the “Heart” of Boynton Beach would WANT to live there rather than HAVING to live there. Local businesses would hire local people and enrich their community.
After the meeting many signed up to volunteer to discuss ideas and seek ways to implement them. I did.
Boynton Beach needs to define itself. What makes Boynton stand out? We have a great marina and we should develop Ocean Ave much like Delray did with Atlantic Ave. Let’s get a vision and move forward.
This town has waited long enough. Are we just going to wait for all the other surrounding cities to develop to become the last coastal town with underdeveloped land? I am not sure I will be around that long to see it. How about some national marketing for this area.
Been thinking of your comment… Boynton Beach’s Ocean Avenue has possibilities. Just look at all the business that Hurricane Alley is doing. Right now you have to go east to the Marina for any real nightlife.
National marketing will kick in if those recently completed highrisers fill up.
It would be wonderful to see Ocean Avenue and the surrounding area developed. You can’t beat being so close to the ocean – the constant breeze, the salty air -pure beauty. This IS Florida – who wants to hang out 10 miles inland? Not me!
Unfortunatley Boynton will never compete with Delray’s Atlantic Ave. strip. Delray’s strip ends at a real live beach. Delray also did the traditional downtown look exactly as it should be. I am originally from the Boston area, when I drive down Delray’s strip I feel like I’m back in Boston, minus the coconut trees. Boynton could have a cool downtown if they had a bigger beach that you could get to without having to drive thru Oceanridge. The Beach parking lot is terribly inadequate, maybe the freebie bus should stop there…I heard a lot of talk about public access to the water but it would be nice to be able to swim in it instead of watching boats go up and down the intracoastal from The Two Georges. I wish good things for Boynton, I moved to it….
I completely see what you’re saying! Atlantic Ave in Delray is pretty awesome – I for one love it. However, after saying that I also love downtown Lake Worth and neither Lake or Lucerne dead-end at the ocean like Atlantic Ave does – and it’s still a great place. It’s not as busy or crowded and always so easy to find a parking space along one of the residential streets (and without having to valet or pay a fortune for parking). Something needs to be done with downtown Boynton Beach – there’s so much potential and there are people who don’t want or need to have it as flashy and high-end like Atlantic Ave. so it won’t actually *compete* with Delray, just draw in a different crowd.
I do like what Boynton has done so far. I was glad to see the Promenade and Las Ventannas go up. I live near Ventannas and wasn’t too impressed with the abandoned lumber yard when I moved here. I didn’t think either would be built given the economic conditions and seeing a lot of other projects fall thru. I have read the CRA’s design criteria and think Federal Hwy. will look real nice if it’s ever all built up. I like the idea of these mixed use projects. It generates pedestian traffic which developes a sense of community. I hate too say it but I don’t think we are going too see too much more developement in east Boynton until the economy turns around.
One of the highlights of tonight’s (10/12) Boynton Beach CRA Committee meeting held at the City Library on Seacrest Blvd was a presentation of the The Florida Fishing Academy’s “Hooked On Fishing-Not On Drugs” program. This very worthy program is available to young people from the age of 12 to 21.
Fishing in Boynton Beach has always been THE BEST. Getting our young people exposed to it is a no-brainer.