city of west palm beach Government
Boasting an active city government and an unmatched quality of life, the City of West Palm Beach, which is the county seat, features a thriving downtown that is defined by its signature dining, shopping and entertainment destinations. The dedication of the elected and appointed officials, city employees and caring residents is evident in the city’s booming economy, easily accessible resources and beautiful neighborhoods. Far from the city that Palm Beach developer Henry Morrison Flagler founded in 1894 as a home for his resort workers, West Palm Beach is now home to an estimated population of 110,000 and is recognized as one of America’s best midsize cities. In recent years, West Palm Beach scored the No. 4 ranking in the Milken Institute’s Best Performing Cities index, which measures the wage and salary growth, job growth and high-tech output growth of over 290 metro areas in the country. Additionally, Inc. magazine, the nation’s premier publication for small and medium sized businesses, recently placed West Palm Beach in the No. 5 slot for the Top 25 Cities to do Business in America. Downtown West Palm Beach boasts an active cultural community with the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, Florida Stage, Norton Museum of Art, Armory Art Center, Palm Beach Opera, the Cuillo Center for the Arts and Palm Beach Dramaworks. Plus, a key historic building—the 1916 county courthouse—was renovated to house the first county-wide history museum, the Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum, which opened in March 2008. The downtown area is anchored by two distinct districts: the Clematis District, a vibrant and entertainment district of the city that serves as the county’s government center and has been the city’s historic core for more than a century; and 52
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CityPlace, an Italian-inspired, mixed-use project that’s home to more than 60 shops, 25 restaurants, a Muvico cinema and a performing arts venue as well as residential units. City Center is a prominent civic landmark along the 400 block of Clematis Street, housing a state—of—art library and a new City Hall. The Civic Complex is intended to be a gathering place and is destined to become an icon of the city skyline. The new 150,000—square—foot City Hall was built with efficiency and customer service in mind, and the West Palm Beach Public Library’s relocation from Centennial Square will reconnect Clematis Street to the beautiful waterfront. City Center is also home to the Palm Beach Photographic Centre. A renovation of the waterfront called City Commons is now complete, and is the long-awaited answer to bring the spectacular Flagler Drive area to life. In addition to creating beautiful new public spaces, City Commons will re-connect the Intracoastal to Clematis, offering expansive views throughout the district and breathing new life into the downtown core. The City of West Palm Beach’s Community Events Division produces numerous highly popular and awardwining events throughout the year, including Clematis by Night, West Palm Beach GreenMarket, Palm Beach Post Sunday at the Meyer, 4th on Flagler and Kaleidoscope, a multicultural special event. Of course, West Palm Beach offers top-notch education through prestigious private schools and the A-rated Palm Beach County School District. Add the abundance of parks and recreation activities to the mix, and you will see that the City of West Palm Beach is an ideal location for families, young professionals and retirees alike. Top photo: Robert Stevens