Boynton Beach

Aerial view of Town Square

The New Boynton Beach

With a new town center and high tech on the way, this vibrant city 15 minutes north of Boca Raton is taking off

Boynton Beach has always been a robust and growing city in South Palm Beach County, but it achieved a new vibrance this past year with the opening of its Town Square, an exciting downtown focal point for the community. That, along with great neighborhoods, excellent medical care and a fun waterfront have Boynton Beach on the move in 2021.

Square Deal

Town Square, a 16-acre oasis in downtown Boynton Beach, has grown much closer to achieving its titular goal as a central hub for the city and its neighboring communities. The sleek new four-story city hall—complete with an Innovation Space Business Incubator designed for early-stage startups—and city library were both unveiled in the summer of 2020. The long-awaited Town Square Arts & Cultural Center, housed in a redeveloped historic (ca. 1927) high school, opened a few months later, bringing art exhibits, dance classes and workshops to the community. A city fire station and amphitheater were completed on site as well. Pending additions, including two parking garages and three residential apartment buildings, will be the next prong of this transformational multiyear project.

Tech Runway

Amid all of Boynton’s renaissance is the announcement of a new satellite of Florida Atlantic University’s (FAU) Tech Runway at downtown’s City Hall at Boynton Beach Town Square. As part of the agreement, Boynton Beach’s Department of Economic Development and Strategy will provide a onetime $50,000 grant for programming to open the 1,850-square-foot collaborative office space. The new Tech Runway is regarded as a groundbreaking “incubator” for tech-based businesses, and a “growth accelerator” for Town Square.

Walk With Pride

Boynton Beach continued its commitment as an inclusive city with a public art project that beautified downtown while signaling support for LGBTQ+ residents and visitors. In June 2021, in honor of Pride Month, the city completed a vividly painted, 11-color rainbow crosswalk at

East Ocean Avenue and Southeast First Street. Rand Hoch, president of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, helped jump-start the project in conjunction with a similar crosswalk in neighboring Delray Beach, which the cities approved without hesitation. Hoch called the walkable mural a “simple piece of art that can help someone feel like they belong.”

Go West

Two development projects in western Boynton Beach promise to contribute highly to the largely residential region’s quality of life. Mainstreet at Boynton, at 6405 W. Boynton Beach Blvd., is expected to catalyze West Boynton, anchored by a 26,000-square-foot Sprouts supermarket. Wawa, the popular gas station/café chain with an expanding Florida footprint, will occupy an outparcel, and the complex also will include a 158-bed congregate living facility. Meanwhile, the Stiles Corporation is building the Stables, featuring 125,000 square feet of leasable space at the intersection of Military Trail and Woolbright Road. Publix and 7-11 have already signed on.

Where the Wild Things Are

Spanning the western boundary along State Road 7 between Atlantic Avenue and Woolbright is one of the northernmost remnanats of the Florida Everglades, the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, covering 221 miles of marsh prairies, hardwood hammocks, canoe trails and levees. This wild natural refuge provides habitat for millions of birds, more than 70 endangered species and thousands of native plants and animals. Guests can interact with exhibits in the Visitors Center like “Everglades Attitudes,” where children and adults can hear the opinions of animated alligators and snail kites about their lives in the Everglades.

They can also observe Loxahatchee’s yearround inhabitants such as Florida alligators during a stroll on the Cypress Boardwalk or Marsh Trail. Winter visitors might enjoy bobcat sightings, early morning otter and grey fox sightings as well as hundreds of birds such as woodstorks, Great Blue Herons, limpet, hawks, snowy egrets annd more during migratory season.

The Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge is on Lee Road off U.S. 441/ State Road 7, and is open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day of the year. The visitor’s center is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. seven days a week.

Public art installations at Town Square

To Your Health

Bethesda Health Inc. is comprised of two not-for-profit hospitals in Boynton Beach: the 401-bed Bethesda Hospital East and the 80bed Bethesda Hospital West. With more than 675 medical professionals with more than 40 specialties, Bethesda Hospital strives to provide quality service to all its patients. Bethesda Health was named by U.S. News and World Report in 2020-2021 as a high-performing hospital in heart failure, hip replacement and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Bethesda Health was acquired by Baptist Health in 2015 but officially merged in 2017. Now 10 hospitals ranging from Miami-Dade County to Palm Beach County operate under the Baptist Health umbrella. Among its various specialties, Bethesda Hospital East houses the Bethesda Heart Hospital, a 39-bed all-private facility that provides cardiovascular services. Patients can also find the Bethesda Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Bethesda Center for Women and Children on the East campus.

MEDIAN AGE 42.5

MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME $65,182

EDUCATION LEVELS

POPULATION 80,139

SQUARE MILES, 4 MILES OF INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY

TEMPERATURES RANGE FROM AN AVERAGE LOW OF 56° IN JANUARY TO AN AVERAGE HIGH OF 91° IN JULY/AUGUST

of population age 25 years and older are high school graduates or higher, 30% of population age 25 years and older have a bachelor’s degree or higher

INCORPORATED IN

Council-Manager form of government led by five elected City Commissioners from 4 districts in the City with a Mayor elected at-large.

MEDIAN HOME VALUE $241,300

AMENITIES 250+

acres of beach, natural conservation land and parks; 5 parks on the Intracoastal Waterway; 12-acre beach on the Atlantic Ocean

Sources: U.S. Census, worldpopulationreview.com, livestories.com, city-data.com

Spotlight Faces of Boynton Beach

This emerging city has strong leadership in every sector written by CHRISTIANA LILLY

Boynton Beach Mayor Steven Grant

Serving his second term as the mayor of Boynton Beach (term-limited in March 2022), Grant was elected to the commission in March 2016. Grant is an attorney with TheFloridaLawOffice. com, based in Boynton Beach, and he is also licensed to practice in Maryland, West Virginia, Washington, D.C. and the U.S. District Court for Southern Florida. He previously worked for CarMax and Morgan Stanley, and was the state attorney for the Fourth Judicial Circuit of Florida in Jacksonville. Before serving as the city’s mayor, he was the chairman of Boynton Beach’s Financial Advisory Committee from 2012 to 2014. The mayor earned his law degree from the Florida Coastal School of Law in 2010 and, during his undergraduate studies, earned a degree in finance from the University of Maryland.

Nelson Lazo, CEO of Bethesda Hospital East, Bethesda Hospital West

Before he came to Bethesda, Lazo was the CEO of Doctors Hospital in Coral Gables and Miami Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Institute, both part of Baptist Health South Florida, the largest not-for-profit, faith-based health care organization in the region.

Miami Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Institute is the official sports medicine provider for the Miami Heat, Miami Dolphins, Florida Panthers, FIU, Miami Open tennis tournament, the Orange Bowl and the Miami Marathon. Nelson also spent three years as CEO of Mariners Hospital and served in executive roles for a variety of health care organizations, including HealthSouth Corporation, Parkway Regional Medical Center and Mercy Hospital. Today, Bethesda is in the top 5 percent of hospitals in safety, and its orthopedic and cardiac programs are nationally recognized, all while being an affordable institution for health care.

Jean Phillippe Gaudree, owner of Benvenuto

If there’s a wedding in Boynton Beach, chances are it’s at the Italianinspired Benvenuto. At the helm is Jean Philippe Gaudree, the son-in-law of the original owner, who has taken the space to new heights. Gaudree started behind the kitchen in Paris, where he went to culinary school and worked at Michelin three-star restaurants before opening his own place. He moved to the United States in his early 20s, working in Boca Raton, San Francisco, Tampa and Deerfield Beach before taking over Benvenuto from his father-in-law in 1997. He expanded the space and turned it into an events venue, where it hosts about five weddings a week, and 800 events a year. “We try to be an anchor in Boynton Beach, and it’s been in the same hands since my father-in-law bought it in 1973,” Gaudree said of the restaurant’s legacy.

Boynton Beach City Manager Lori LaVerriere

Lori LaVerriere never imagined she would go into public service, but as the city manager of Boynton Beach, she’s helped transform the bedroom community into a burgeoning destination. Her foray into the public sector was working for the Town of Lantana for 12 years, then as the town manager of Manalapan and Gulf Stream before moving to Boynton Beach. After serving as interim city manager, she was appointed in December 2012. One of her biggest accomplishments has been the redevelopment of Town Square, a project that had been discussed for almost 20 years. “We believe this is our renaissance here in our downtown area, which is going to change the face of Boynton and connect to our marina area,” she says. “We’ve got some real beautiful redevelopment.”

Whatever Floats Your Boat

The scenic Boynton Harbor Marina is a vital conduit to the Florida salt life in Boynton Beach. Visitors are only two miles from the Boynton Inlet, so the aroma of saltwater and fresh fish floats through the air. Patrons can enjoy the historic Two Georges, where live music on the weekends and Maryland crab cakes are its specialties. If you’re coming from the sea, dock your vehicle at Banana Boat and enjoy the Intracostal view and fresh seafood dishes.

Lining Boynton Harbor Marina’s walkways are commercial fishing boats visitors can contract for a day out on the water. Those looking for a familyowned business can also go drift fishing with the iconic Sea Mist III. Since 1953, it has provided fourhour excursions out into the Atlantic Ocean, where travelers can catch snapper, mahi or barracuda.

Commercial marine businesses can also dock their boats for a fee, fill up their gas tanks at a discounted price, and buy live bait from the Boynton Harbor Marina. Contact the marina for availability and pricing at 561/735-7955.

A Shopping and Dining “Renaissance”

From tourists and families to business professionals, there is something for everyone at the Renaissance Commons mixed-use development in one of Boynton’s busiest commercial hubs, Congress Avenue. Customers can enjoy delicious restaurants on the ground floor, like Lemongrass Asian Bistro, Bonefish Grill or BurgerFi. Night owls can return for happy hour specials at Buffalo Wild Wings or sporting events at Bru’s Room. Shoppers can treat themselves to a day at Venetian Nail Spa or Pyure Hair Salon. Floors two through five are office spaces.

The Greater Boynton Beach Chamber of Commerce is also in the Renaissance Commons. The Commons is in a centralized location, only a mile away from major big-box retailers like Target and Best Buy. It’s also surrounded by smaller retail centers, where shoppers can easily hop from one to the next after spending an afternoon at the Commons.

Horse Play

Horses and equestrians alike can find a peaceful experience at the Palm Meadows Thoroughbred Training Center in west Boynton Beach. Opened in 2002, it is surrounded by single-family homes and adjacent to the Turnpike, but remains a quiet retreat for those looking to house racehorses.

On a sprawling 304 acres, Palm Meadows has three tracks on its property that are similar to those at its affiliate, Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach. Trainers from across the country come to Palm Meadows to train racehorses who will later compete at Gulfstream Park. It also houses 40 barns that each hold 36 stalls and an office, private restrooms and other amenities for trainers and horse owners. Employees who come with trainers can also take advantage of the 52-bedroom, three-story dorm building.

Palm Meadows’ riders can enjoy a beautiful Florida sunrise during their 6:15 to 10:45 a.m. training hours. With a glistening lake on their property, this picturesque retreat remains a favorite for horse trainers across the United States. Interested parties must fill out a stall application on Gulfstream Park’s website, gulfstreampark.com.

The Boynton Harbor Marina and the popular Banana Boat restaurant

On the Future Front Lines

Boynton teens interested in careers in health care can pursue their goals in Boynton Beach High School’s Medical Sciences / Pre-Medicine Academy Program. This program offers an intensive curriculum and integrated learning to equip students for health care education in university or to enter the medical field directly.

Students will leave the program with certifications including First Aid CPR, emergency medical responder, EKG technician and certified medical administrative assistant. Boynton High partners with local health care facilities such as Action Physical Therapy and Pacifica Nursing Home to further their learning.

Students interested in the program need a 3.0 GPA, enrollment in Algebra I, and must have stellar attendance and conduct to apply.

This program has already impacted the community, as two Boynton Beach students have saved lives using CPR. One student saved a man who went into cardiac arrest, and another saved a woman who was overdosing.

You’ve Got Ale

Craft breweries are popping up in urban locales like mushrooms after a rainshower, and in Palm Beach County, Boynton Beach is leading the charge, with many purveyors of hops ‘n’ suds clustered within the city limits. With offerings such as Citrafied Session IPA Key Lime Coastline Lager, Due South Brewing Company evokes the best of Florida’s endless-summer mythos, with a flavor to match every balmy breeze. From its home base in Boynton, Due South supplies beers to more than 1,000 stores, bars and restaurants from Tampa Bay to Key West. Stop by the sizable tasting room and enjoy your selection in the indoor beer garden with its game library, or show up for its special and recurring events, including business happy hour mixers, trivia nights and pop-up markets.