2022-2023 Annual Report

Annual Report 2022 - 2023

Introduction.

On behalf of the board and staff of the West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority, we are pleased to bring you our annual report for fiscal year 2022-2023. While we do our best to share the details of our projects and programs throughout the year, putting it all together in one place each year allows us to inform you, our stakeholders, of outcomes and progress over the past year.

This past year brought significant growth and change to Downtown West Palm Beach, with buildings rising, the residential population increasing, and new businesses opening. The DDA has continued to expand our programs to ensure that we keep pace with growth and our impact is felt district wide. As you will see in this report, the DDA expanded our public realm maintenance programs, increased our investment in mobility programs, and made some great improvements to public spaces with projects like the Fern Street Chess Park.

We also improved the way we support the business community, with increased business development grants and marketing outreach to drive customers to the unique local restaurants and shops that make the Downtown community one of a kind.

I am proud to say that we did all these things while also reducing our milage rate.

As a small, community-focused public agency, our connection to and collaboration with downtown residents and businesspeople is the foundation of our work. With your input and feedback, we will continue to refine and improve the projects and programs the DDA provides to the community.

Sincerely,

Raphael Clemente

About the Downtown Development Authority

The West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority (DDA) is an independent taxing district created in 1967 by a special act of the Florida Legislature. Working in close coordination with the City of West Palm Beach and West Palm Beach Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) to deliver the most impactful and value-based outcomes possible to our stakeholders.

Mission: To promote and enhance a vibrant Downtown West Palm Beach.

In the following pages, you will learn how the DDA supports four strategic goals:

Public Realm Maintenance

Neighborhood Services

Business Development

Marketing and Public Relations

.75 Square Miles

10,000+/- Residential Population

30,000+/- Employment Population

$77,000 Media Household Income

Race/ Ethnicity

67% White

20% Hispanic or Latino

10% Black

2% Asian and Pacific Islander

1% Other

Public Realm Maintenance

The maintenance of the public realm is directly connected to quality of life, economic development, and community pride. The DDA proudly contracts with dedicated partners to make Downtown West Palm Beach cleaner, safer, and more welcoming for residents, merchants, and visitors. Our Downtown Clean Team conducts cleaning and litter removal throughout the district seven days a week. Debris removal and maintenance of plant beds and baskets throughout the district is maintained by our landscaping team five days a week; with the addition of parking garages and outer beds serviced twice a week. And as our population grew, we increased the frequency of cleaning to accommodate foot traffic.

Total Bags of Trash Collected

4,345 Pounds of Trash Removed

190K

177

220

322

784

8,719,772

Neighborhood Services

The DDA’s strategic plan focuses heavily on improving the quality of life for residents, workers, and visitors. This can be seen in the increasing amount of funds invested in this area of the DDA’s budget.

The safety and comfort of our stakeholders is a top priority. Our dedicated Downtown Ambassador team works closely with West Palm Beach Police Department to improve safety and provide assistance to businesses, residents and visitors with information seven days a week throughout the district.

Creating reliable mobility in our district is also essential. In partnership with the City of West Palm Beach and the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), a complimentary trolley service was provided until May 30, 2023. Additionally, with our partnership with Brightline, Circuit, the on-demand electric shuttle, offers free rides throughout downtown and the Town of Palm Beach; creating a reduction of more than 60 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions and the creation of 37 jobs for local residents.

And to help evaluate our projects and programs, the DDA co-developed the first ever Public Life Data Dashboard with the Gehl Group; which electronically measures pedestrian and bike counts, as well as analyze how spaces are used by residents and visitors with the assistance of dedicated volunteers. Data can be found at DowntownWPB.com/PublicRealm.

Downtown Ambassador Program

A full-time private safety unit contracted with Professional Security Consultants. Ambassadors work closely with West Palm Beach Police Department to improve safety throughout the Downtown District. The dedicated team provides assistance to businesses, residents and visitors with information seven days a week.

571

3,435

1,594

846 Business/Public Assist Residential & Business Check-In Patrols of the Area Homeless Interactions

Transportation

75,863 Passengers Trolley

Note: Service ended May 30, 2023.

156,993 Circuit Passengers

Business Development

Downtown West Palm Beach continues to be a fast-growing area that is the economic engine of the city.

The DDA assists businesses before and after coming downtown. Support includes incentives, permitting guidance, grand opening announcements, resource assistance, exposure, and more.

Business Assistance

$273,974.75

Awarded in Event Sponsorship and Grants

Welcome To DowntownWPB

Adrienne’s Pizza Bar

AKA Hotel

Charlie Melon’s Dog Grooming Spa & Supply

Garden District Taproom

Harry’s Bar & Restaurant

Business Incentives

$141,571.75

$21,700 Façade Grants

Awarded to 3 Recipients

Awarded to 3 Recipients

Grand Openings

$2,000 Awarded to 2 Recipients

Sushi By Bou

Tanuki Go WPB

The Watermark

Business Partnerships

West Palm Beach Development & Investment Forum

Partnered with Urban Land Institute (ULI) Southeast Florida/Caribbean to host an impressive lineup of development leaders to discuss the City’s real estate investment trends, opportunities and what’s in the development pipeline.

Meet and Greet at Palm Beach Dramaworks

To better acclimate our community with the local theatre.

DNA Community Outreach Programs

Downtown Neighborhood Association hosted several Programs to engage the residential community about projects affecting the downtown community.

League of Cities

The City of West Palm Beach hosted the League of Cities in September 2023. The League is a non-partisan, non-profit membership organization that represents all thirty-nine municipalities of Palm Beach County and over 100 Associate government, non-profits & business organizations.

Marketing and Public Relations

We strive to strengthen Downtown’s appeal as a tourism and entertainment destination.

Social Media

Stats of all channels from

October 1, 2022 - September 30, 2023

Marketing Statistics

298,075 Website Pageviews

185,730 Website Users

109,736

Followers

Followers

Instagram

Advertising

Stats of all channels from October 1, 2022 - September 30, 2023

Placemaking Programs and Community Events 79

Trojan Rocking Horses WPB (March 10, 2023)

From an international search for the Next Big Thing in Placemaking, a community-wide project called Trojan Rocking Horses was chosen and consisted of eight life-sized rocking horses custom designed by local children and then fabricated locally, under the guidance of world-renowned Finnish artist and architect Marco Casagrande. The horses journeyed through West Palm Beach collecting messages from West Palm Beach citizens. Approx. 210 children were engaged in the process of designing the TRH through collage artworks and dreams. 1,300+ dreams were collected.

Fern Street Chess Park (All Year Round)

By adding chess tables and chairs in collaboration with the community group WPB Street Chess, this space’s attractiveness was enhanced; allowing opportunities for sociability by creating a welcoming, neighborly and friendly environment for all. Our introduction to the community and first in the County garnered national recognition by the American Chess Magazine for “Creating and Supporting a Dedicated Public Park that Unites a Diverse Community Through the Game of Chess.”

Nature in the City - Art Utility Boxes (July 2023)

Traffic utility boxes are often an overlooked part of urban infrastructure. Through an RFP launched in 2021, artwork with the theme “Nature in the City” was sought to update designs installed since 2013. Twelve local artists were selected, and their vibrant new artworks were digitally printed to add to downtown’s art.

Rolling Art Tour (July 22, 2023)

In an effort to showcase the latest downtown art installations on 12 utility boxes, the community was invited on a leisure two-hour guided bike trip throughout the district. During the exploration, attendees learned about the designs and met the artists behind each artwork.

Placemaking is the process of creating and improving public spaces in a way that reflects the needs and desires of the people that use them. It involves a wide range of activities and elements, from physical improvements to community engagement initiatives.

Recurring Programming

Motivational Mondays

Programming in collaboration with local fitness instructors to provide a better quality of life for residents and visitors alike while promoting health and wellness. This outdoor pop-up program is held in outdoor spaces once a month and at various locations.

Sunset Silent Disco

Dancing outdoors promotes self-care, belonging, and mental well-being. In collaboration with Be You Disco, the community was brought together in a monthly guided silent disco experience where they can dance in nature while the sun is setting in Downtown West Palm Beach.

Let’s Vibe

Connecting with residents in community engagement programming twice a month throughout the district not only helps them meet their neighbors but also informs them of who we are and how we can make our community better. Attendees also became familiar with local participating eateries and unleashed their creativity with Tiny Door and collage masterpieces.

Que Bacano

Activating the City Hall Courtyard with a cultural program based on Salsa dance classes and a domino tournament. In Colombia, “Qué Bacano!” means “How Cool!” The five-month Domino Tournament is slated for one team to win a grand prize.

S.P.E.A.K.

(Storytelling Portrayed through Expression, Adventures, and Knowledge) To create new connections in the community through storytelling and increase programming that focuses on diversity and inclusion; a call for the community to participate in a monthly open mic activation took place. Programming provided a space to celebrate multicultural experiences through storytelling, songs, poems, or a story that is told by word of mouth.

Bike Valet

In collaboration with Freddy Hennevelt “The Dutch Bike Guy”, this program encourages residents and visitors to go greener and live healthier by supporting bicycle trips during visits to the West Palm Beach GreenMarket and the Antique and Flea Market each Saturday.

Soul of the City

Celebrating the history and culture of jazz, in partnership with the City of West Palm Beach, the community was invited to enjoy live jazz performances on the Downtown Waterfront by some of the world’s most prominent performers including Nicole Henry, Yvette Norwood-Tiger, and CeCe TeNeal.

Awards

Florida Festivals & Events SUNsational Awards

1st Place

TikTok - Downtown West Palm Beach

Twitter - Downtown West Palm Beach

2nd Place

Website - Black Art Matters

Installations / Wraps - Circuit Shuttle

Twitter - West Palm Beach Arts & Entertainment District

Event Recap / Annual Report – Downtown Development Authority

Television Program Ad or PSA – Downtown West Palm Beach

3rd Place

Community Outreach Program - Que Bacano

International Festival & Events Association

Gold

Best Community Outreach Program - Trojan Rocking Horse

Best Organization Website - Downtown West Palm Beach

Silver

Best Facebook Site - Downtown West Palm Beach

Best TV Promotion - Downtown West Palm Beach

Best Community Outreach Program - Tell Your Story Challenge

Best Event / Organization E-Newsletter - Downtown West Palm Beach

Bronze

Best Single Digital/Social Ad - Downtown West Palm Beach

Best Facebook Site - Downtown West Palm Beach

Best Instagram Site - Downtown West Palm Beach

Best Printed Materials (Single Page) - Let’s Vibe

Best Printed Materials (Multiple Page) – Downtown Development

Authority Annual Report

Financial Overview

The DDA receives its funding from multiple sources as reflected in the chart below. As property values have grown, so has the DDA’s revenue.

Revenues

FY 2018-2023

The DDA’s 2023 budget is allocated to the following targeted areas:

• The DDA’s tax base is comprised of 568 commercial/industrial and 2,998 residential properties.

• From fiscal year 2022 -2023, the taxable value of property in the DDA increased by 15%.

• The DDA represents 17% of the City’s taxable value.

• The value per acre within the DDA is $795,383,394. The DDA’s taxable value is 1.25% of the County’s.

Future Plans/Looking Ahead

The Stable “Dream Machine” Urban Living Room

As a continuation of the Trojan Rocking Horses WPB project, the Stable “Dream Machine” will be a mobile community center that will showcase the past dreams collected and will continue engaging the public with interactive activities based on the dreams collected.

Placemaking Mini Grant

Seeking proposals to activate locations throughout downtown through placemaking - creating public spaces that contribute to the community’s health, happiness and wellbeing. Winning submissions will be granted up to $5,000 to bring the idea to life within the district. This grant is made possible with the contribution from the West Palm Beach DDA and the Palm Beach Community Foundation as supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

Parklet Grant Program

Seeking merchants that need financial support in creating a parklet through the newly adopted parklet ordinance and guidebook. This grant is made possible with the contribution from the West Palm Beach DDA and the Palm Beach Community Foundation as supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

Augmented Experience

Creating augmented reality experiences which allows visitors, residents, and merchants to immerse and explore throughout the district. Experiences to include pop-up information, 3D imagery, and more curated from the local artistic and business community.

DowntownWPB Rocks

Drummers, guitarists, bass players, keyboardists, and singers will gather for a flashmob experience to perform in unison to a selection of rock classics.

Art Outside WPB

A city-wide project which places nineteen reproduced artworks from the Collection of the Norton Museum of Art into the Downtown West Palm Beach district.

DDA Board:

Future Plans/Looking Ahead

Rick Reikenis, DDA Chairman

Bill Jacobson, DDA Vice-Chairman

Samantha Bratter

Varissa Lall Dass

The DDA’s strategic plan focuses heavily on improving the quality of life for residents, workers, and visitors. This can be seen in the expansion of funds invested in this area of the DDA’s budget due to the increase of people moving into downtown. The quality of programming improves the experience of living in the heart of the city.

Tim Harris (July 2023)

Daryl Houston

The Next Big Thing

Cynthia Nalley (June 2023)

Robert Sanders

DDA Staff:

A community-wide project called Trojan Rocking Horses was chosen from a search that generated more than 20 international submissions aimed at engaging the West Palm Beach community, downtown residents, and visitors. The eight life-sized rocking horses will be custom-designed by local children then fabricated locally, under the guidance of world-renowned Finnish artist and architect Marco Casagrande. They will journey through various communities in West Palm Beach collecting messages from West Palm Beach citizens on ideas and visions for the future of Downtown West Palm Beach.

Raphael Clemente, Executive Director

Let’s Vibe DowntownWPB

Teneka James-Feaman, Associate Executive Director

Vivian Ryland, Director of Administration

Samantha Moore, Office Manager (April 2023)

Jaqueline Smith, Office Manager (March 2023)

Catherine Ast, District Services Manager

Connecting with residents in community engagement programming that not only helps them meet their neighbors but also informs them of who we are, what we do, and how we can make our community better. Participation includes creating a TinyDoorWPB to be placed around DowntownWPB, a sidewalk audit, and “Cafecito” on wheels. Our vision is to foster more local connections between residents, merchants, and the DDA.

Sherryl Muriente, Public Realm Director

S.P.E.A.K.

Tiffany Faublas, Marketing Director

Sabrina Lolo, Marketing Coordinator

Facilitating an open call for the community to participate in an open mic activation. The recurring placemaking program strives to provide a space to celebrate multicultural experiences through a song, poem, or just a story that is told by word of mouth.

Krystal Campi, Placemaking Coordinator (April 2023)

Que Bacano

Downtown Development Authority Contract Partners:

Activating the City Hall Courtyard at the corner of Clematis and Dixie with a cultural program based on Salsa dance classes and a domino tournament. In Colombia, “Qué Bacano!” means “How Cool!” The five-month Domino Tournament is slated for one team to win a grand prize.

Public Relations and Media

Security Ambassador Program

Fern Street Chess Park

Downtown Trolley System Operator

Landscape Maintenance

Pressure Washing

Enhancing Fern Street Park by adding chess tables. This will create a fun, active, and special use. It will also add opportunities for sociability by creating a welcoming, neighborly, and friendly environment for all. Chess parks promote safe and clean spaces that are attractive and help connect neighbors to one another.

Janitorial and Public Space Maintenance

Gehl App and Residential Volunteer Program

Holiday Lighting and Decorations

Legal Services

Annual Independent Audit

West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority

Partnering with Gehl Group for a data collection project to help evaluate our projects and programs. With the assistance of volunteers Downtown West Palm Beach's public spaces will be measured electronically by counting pedestrians and bikes, as well as analyze how spaces are used by residents and visitors. Participating volunteers will receive community hours for their service.

107 South Olive Ave., Suite 200, West Palm Beach, FL 33401 (561) 833-8873 | DowntownWPB.com