FRANCESCA COVIELLO
FRANCESCA COVIELLO
Thierry Beaud (right) saw the potential of Clematis Street and opened Pistache in 2008.
PAST TO PRESENT Twenty years ago, Clematis Street was largely unwalkable and consisted of three driving lanes, all eastbound. Many residents avoided the area because of crime and an unappealing nightlife riddled with clubs. On the east end, the family-friendly waterfront didn’t exist and a library blocked views of the Intracoastal. “There was a lot going on on Clematis but not the kind of stuff we wanted,” recalls Mayor Jeri Muoio, who moved to the area in 2002 and became mayor in 2011. “There were bars and a few restaurants, but it wasn’t nearly as active as it certainly is now.” In 2006, the City turned Jeri Muoio its attention to the street, rebranding it as West Palm Beach’s historical center. City leaders and the Downtown Development Authority created marketing plans, recruited businesses, and invested in streetscape projects. A key component, as recommended by the Urban 70 PALM BEACH ILLUSTRATED
Land Institute, was demolishing the library, moving it to the 400 block of Clematis Street, and creating a waterfront park in its place. The waterfront has since become the site of popular attractions, and the downtown area is now home to 10,000 residents, including a burgeoning millennial population. The private sector responded to these changes. New businesses joined mainstays like Pioneer Linens and Big Time Restaurant Group, and restaurateur/nightlife impresario Rodney Mayo remained dedicated to the street. Muoio also estimates that crime has gone down 36 percent since 2007. And while she acknowledges there is still work to be done, she points to a renewed energy as a sign for hope. “I love the fact there are so many young people here cheering us on and thinking about new and innovative things to do,” Muoio says.
TAKING A BITE In the late ’90s, Clematis Street’s dining scene consisted mostly of bars and lacked high-end restaurants, recalls Thierry Beaud. Yet a decade later, when the Palm Beach
restaurateur and his partners were looking to open a French restaurant, they took another glance at Clematis. “We heard the area was scheduled for renovation, and the waterfront [would be] developed,” Beaud says. “We believed it could have really great potential.” In 2008, Beaud opened Pistache French Bistro, an upscale Parisian restaurant at 101 North Clematis Street. At first, he found the clientele to be mostly locals who came to support him, as many visitors considered the restaurant to be in an unsafe area. But that’s not the case anymore, he says. “It came from a shady area of town to become a prestigious area,” Beaud says. “Clematis is converting into a dining destination more than a club destination. It’s a smart move.” Sam Sanchez agrees. At the end of May, Sanchez, who owns eight restaurants in Chicago and one in California, opened Banko Cantina, a Mexican eatery housed in a landmark building at 114 South Olive Avenue, one block south of Clematis Street. He always wanted to open a restaurant in Florida and decided upon West Palm Beach when he noticed cranes around the city—a sign of pending growth. “I could see Clematis had turned around,” Sanchez says. “I wanted to be part of a new momentum that’s growing.” Sanchez praises city officials for helping facilitate the project. Since becoming mayor, Muoio has instituted more incentives for businesses to open, including tax breaks and grants for façade improvements. Now, according to