[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6362055,"mediaKeyId","2168899-b7df908d007278d6f730e4600cfd165d","parentId",2168899,"title","Mayor cites university, hospital and philanthropic partnerships as economic growth anchors","audioSeconds",81,"startMs",2154520,"endMs",2236470,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2168899-b7df908d007278d6f730e4600cfd165d&start=2154&end=2236","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2168899-b7df908d007278d6f730e4600cfd165d/thumbnail_2154520.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6362055/Florida/Mayor-cites-university-hospital-and-philanthropic-partnerships-as-economic-growth-anchors","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6362055-62a7a620be542f7e5b20fcedadf6d970/orig.mp4?Expires=1774658581&Signature=d9sQYqCl04xhiO7ObYk9qzFrRSEg9EkIkZTrAuzmtEaB7VZrocacOKtGXY5aQHzsKGkg6wEUJnzLO7ESEX2RP8Lh42AsaphQcEMJVbn8EcY~kBFMXvJieXoa8DiSckUmEEU1osJvc175HS55J20YGM0A4zRuUlyyCCNGUbBGf2NHGJr5zF4DMx16Uyvr8U3gbl4LLKNNKtaptJWYsOLrjIfOe8gKeArIi9NVXGhqdZYqMS4CAtIJEFhrnhkr7jFGEfIGdw0wlRLiAdToQaxrUklLbFiM~fkvmEyMKjRrKk-GdVbxzIP6-hXiJVLYqb2civx~YtmDs~J8yGM9W2JYhg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of West Palm Beach, FL","date","2025-01-30T17:38:08Z","article","Mayor Keith James highlighted partnerships with universities, health systems and private philanthropy that the administration says will expand workforce training, research and youth services in West Palm Beach.

Key partnerships and projects
- Mayor James described a proposed Vanderbilt University Innovation Hub focused on artificial intelligence, data science and business that the city and county supported by donating land. He said the hub would help build a future workforce and research ecosystem.
- The mayor said Cleveland Clinic will establish a nonprofit research hospital and outpatient clinic in downtown West Palm Beach, the first new hospital in the area in more than a century.
- The Cox Science Center and Aquarium broke ground on an expansion the mayor said has a $115 million budget with nearly $100 million raised through private donations; the expansion will increase student engagement from 50,000 to 350,000 (the mayor’s figures).
- A Boys & Girls Club to be built in Dreher Park will be located on city‑designated land; the mayor said the $13 million project—fully funded by charitable donations—will serve about 800 children ages 6 to 18 and provide academic support, mental‑health and hunger‑relief programs.
- The Related Together initiative was described as a partnership guaranteeing tuition‑free postsecondary degrees for eligible high‑school graduates, supported by an $820,000 commitment.

Why it matters
- The mayor framed these investments as building an inclusive talent pipeline and expanding research and health‑care capacity in the city. He emphasized philanthropic and private support as the primary fundraising sources for several projects.

Ending note
- The mayor thanked donors and partners and said these investments will expand educational and economic opportunities for West Palm Beach residents.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2025 State Of The City Address from Mayor Keith A. James AUDIO ONLY","oneSentenceSummary","Keith James highlighted partnerships with Vanderbilt, Cleveland Clinic and several philanthropic efforts including a major expansion at the Cox Science Center and a new Boys & Girls Club as steps to grow workforce, research and youth programming.","taxTitle","Events, West Palm Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida","taxId",80519,"location","Florida","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6362060,"West Palm Beach expands ride pilot, proposes permanent transit and new bike infrastructure to boost mobility",71,1993685,2064860,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2168899-b7df908d007278d6f730e4600cfd165d&start=1993&end=2064","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2168899-b7df908d007278d6f730e4600cfd165d/thumbnail_1993685.jpg","/articles/6362060/Florida/West-Palm-Beach-expands-ride-pilot-proposes-permanent-transit-and-new-bike-infrastructure-to-boost-mobility","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6362060-6b1c6a7ce2b8023a8bbe4c4a6c8cff56/orig.mp4?Expires=1774658581&Signature=l9NYh3~fHmRR1GUUpdAuYh6L8c36kqliiVuHcgTvhk6~fNTCPq2IXibfPAuYS3-U6hFq5uHyTZikll00~3MS9A-B~psfGt1Jfuq3TBqieBFbv1t0fSynWC-KDK-T5lSEZeb72nCYTKdHzEdEhfMLs3llsEXc~kf~FMIxOhXrbpvdjDqdWimqGH3KAsUrUGKMG07oS7udGeKI~9hMjqEq3BHeLNuZOzzZ2ys8gSNnWwTW8Y4hUgyXY9L5WChP9a3s6F1fgWdZqY9EtgZatyMDM7eVBMffYiVYXCImAOaEP3Kh1dXsy0IEBwvAhy3eT4PRRvgS9IUAxo9D1YPoQ~RQvA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mayor Keith James said West Palm Beach is moving toward a permanent transportation system after a successful mobility pilot and emphasized bike infrastructure as an equity and connectivity priority.

Pilot and proposed system
- The mayor described the ride WPB mobility pilot as having moved “thousands of people” and said the city will advertise a proposed permanent transportation system intended to expand access to mobility for over 95,000 people across the city.

Bicycle infrastructure and equity
- James said completion of bike‑infrastructure projects and an update to the bicycle mobility plan are intended to shift travel away from single‑occupant vehicles and expand options for residents without cars. “Bicycles are an equity issue,” he said, noting that some residents rely on bikes to travel to work and services.

Why it matters
- Improved mobility aims to reduce transportation barriers for seniors and residents without vehicles, connect neighborhoods to downtown and support economic participation.

Ending note
- The mayor framed transportation investments as part of a larger accessibility and equity agenda tied to housing and workforce goals.","Mayor Keith James said the city’s ride WPB pilot has moved thousands and a proposed permanent transport system would expand mobility to roughly 95,000 people; the city is also updating bicycle mobility plans.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6362065,"West Palm Beach expands homeless outreach team; mayor reports hundreds housed or connected to services",184,1654345,1839060,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2168899-b7df908d007278d6f730e4600cfd165d&start=1654&end=1839","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2168899-b7df908d007278d6f730e4600cfd165d/thumbnail_1654345.jpg","/articles/6362065/Florida/West-Palm-Beach-expands-homeless-outreach-team-mayor-reports-hundreds-housed-or-connected-to-services","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6362065-b37edb215463053ada4795d0cdc894f8/orig.mp4?Expires=1774658581&Signature=fOiRmd9OwD~1rCHY0P6M5dOILv6yTzLVA-CVOs2rql3xhOxO8W1IvMudFpNF0Y8gzVij-vAuHj1HzQXNjW8B30GcaBJ1G44NcaveHdHE3RsqrLBMFPtIegMp6HTPdmNCZlo-d7dwPMjMVfbuCnb4sQW5oMtH9UoRO3WPKGmO4Ol8RClHWwYd8xlcMLYKoJEpBDnhq9eLedDWxOhFdMTRnc-lBpD1U7y9eeZKJWnPeihhNqetVWFMIBKJ4apRAxH2TyJdmaCR2WytPWm1LGBabVzpEahAnTfjlEAyAnjm7SNCPbPE~fqFcNHpcZsOo5O2jhTpdseVqJjqgiF37lj8JQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mayor Keith James said his administration expanded the city’s homeless outreach capacity and detailed outcomes from the outreach team’s work.

What the mayor reported
- The outreach team grew from one to 10 full‑time employees during his first term to interact daily with people experiencing homelessness.
- The mayor said the team successfully housed or sheltered 302 chronically homeless individuals, reconnected 75 people through a Home‑bound program, and provided mental health and substance‑abuse services to 156 individuals. He also said the team conducted 2,743 engagements in parks, neighborhoods and other locations.

Examples from outreach
- The mayor recounted a case he called MJ: after a medical emergency in West Palm Beach and contacts between the hospital, police and the outreach team, MJ was connected with a Gainesville shelter and safely returned home. The mayor used the story to illustrate cross‑agency coordination and individualized solutions.

Why it matters
- The mayor framed outreach as necessary because homelessness has diverse causes — substance use, mental health, and economic dislocation — and requires on‑the‑ground engagement to link people to services. He described the approach as both empathetic and programmatic: “We have 10 full time employees whose job it is to go out and interact with all of us,” he said.

Ending note
- The mayor said progress is directional rather than fast and celebrated outreach results while encouraging continued collaboration with county and nonprofit partners.","Mayor Keith James described an expanded outreach team and reported the city sheltered or housed 302 chronically homeless individuals and conducted thousands of engagements through neighborhood outreach.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6362069,"Mayor highlights crime drops, pay increases and departmental changes as part of public‑safety push",99,1174184,1273565,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2168899-b7df908d007278d6f730e4600cfd165d&start=1174&end=1273","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2168899-b7df908d007278d6f730e4600cfd165d/thumbnail_1174184.jpg","/articles/6362069/Florida/Mayor-highlights-crime-drops-pay-increases-and-departmental-changes-as-part-of-publicsafety-push","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6362069-3f66439f30b8cde609e48a4cee88dc3a/orig.mp4?Expires=1774658581&Signature=RJ0qI378B6Kt2uz9wsoOS4d5YIVdtgicS4DkXPQGdFaK3MO-fkE57Gf5j3XVPV~51K3zBVZnitiBPYDD4iKOt3D4Is5lTguEmLTWslCEkrLmsEl65iPDCRTiDQTa72P~W99KwMYj5n7UJhovU2FnoWkOMqnr6vRtOAUcOYcGKIoU9bXAP8Fj-ZX2PdApQv-QQolvygS1kLFTj7xbkAUwAgCj0BxTN-0O1ZrVAoX7J~k4j1j-eM4FBCNZMT5ylbxhd7JQcRxtYxB3iiLaU~Cfa~43WW88Q-zddZRW~1zoE6l4MeP3t2DMBjGywW8-wCFpXPm~19NXrrjmlHcJ0dXK2w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mayor Keith James told attendees the city’s public‑safety investments produced measurable crime declines and described personnel and contract decisions to strengthen the police department.

The mayor said the city recorded a 12% decrease in overall crime in the most recent year and reported violent crime reductions of 8.2% in 2023 and 14% in 2024. “These trends are the direct result of the investment we are making in our public safety professionals,” he said.

Context and departmental actions
- The mayor said the city approved a new contract with the Fraternal Order of Police that included 22% pay increases for officers, sergeants and lieutenants, along with increased pension contributions and additional benefits.
- He announced he had replaced the police chief after learning of alleged financial improprieties involving members of the department’s top command staff and a separate officer incident in Boynton Beach; the mayor said the personnel change was taken “to restore trust.”

Enforcement and community policing
- To address quality‑of‑life crime, the mayor reported the police department conducted 14 prostitution operations in 2024 resulting in 111 arrests. He also described a neighborhood operation that resulted in the arrest of six teenagers with “significant criminal history” for dealing drugs in parks.

Why it matters
- The mayor framed public safety as foundational to economic and community stability: “If people live in fear and dwell on fear nothing else we do matters,” he said. The contract and personnel choices reflect a dual emphasis on investing in officers and restoring public trust after leadership lapses.

Ending note
- The mayor credited community engagement and a juvenile and community engagement unit for strengthening public trust and outreach, and he pledged continued support for public‑safety investments.","Keith James said West Palm Beach saw declines in overall and violent crime, approved a Fraternal Order of Police contract with pay increases, and replaced a police chief after alleged improprieties.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6362074,"West Palm Beach pursuing thousands of affordable and workforce housing units through public‑private partnerships",183,872715,1055990,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2168899-b7df908d007278d6f730e4600cfd165d&start=872&end=1055","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2168899-b7df908d007278d6f730e4600cfd165d/thumbnail_872715.jpg","/articles/6362074/Florida/West-Palm-Beach-pursuing-thousands-of-affordable-and-workforce-housing-units-through-publicprivate-partnerships","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6362074-ff81ffbed395b2f4e5ea75b79e3f62ca/orig.mp4?Expires=1774658581&Signature=o-hOOshMKMevyMBFNyM4h-X3dWRZ9itpXow5BtgztV~-Ujm3D0PjIWxLTUSXD8Dji5IyJAHzCxn5YLZR8g9XX-hkMUaLppbwJo-0VTrMrhBWYQM8ArkvHODkc0iUA0ZYvFEcWm5s~5ADE13X8qyLhXpPZEy5sIUllOLJmWMpm-cYGoRmY-xvYNC2XBWruqUXeaU3Sub~nYUx2x214lnXNx7ycBSjgdZtHRw~jYWLhlb0peyP5rwS-xXeLjgWezHYqHeboevYCUK8RDzqCUtzbADYgodKpd1VkxnvrEHAgQ89vd82h3a5fSTcxsVCJPjyur96aIAQwwd49AO-ayf2Kg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mayor Keith James said West Palm Beach is on track to exceed an expanded goal for affordable and workforce housing and credited public‑private partnerships and philanthropic funding for recent gains.

The mayor told a sold‑out State of the City breakfast on Jan. 30 that when he took office he set a goal of 300 affordable and workforce units to be completed or under development within three years and later raised that goal to 1,400 units by the end of his term in 2027. “I’m proud to announce that we’re on track to exceed that goal as well,” Mayor James said.

Why it matters: Housing affordability was a central point of the mayor’s speech because stable housing underpins residents’ ability to work, attend school and access services. The city’s approach relies on incentives and financing tools that attract private investment while aiming to secure units for lower‑income households.

Key facts and recent projects
- Since 2019 the mayor said 815 housing units have been completed or are under development; in 2024 he said 263 units entered construction and 269 entered predevelopment stages (figures reported by Mayor Keith James).
- The Spruce (Northwood Village) is described as the neighborhood’s single largest private investment; the project will add 117 affordable and workforce units.
- A project at 8111 South Dixie will deliver 90 affordable and workforce units on a site that had been vacant for over a decade.
- The mayor listed city tools used to attract investment: density bonuses, grant funding, tax increment financing and other strategic incentives.

How it’s being funded and supported
- Mayor James credited philanthropic partners and foundations, naming the Unum Foundation and the Related Philanthropic Foundation as contributors to programs supporting small businesses and workforce development that complement housing efforts. He said philanthropic funding has been used in an “innovative” model for some projects but did not specify the complete funding breakdown for each project in the remarks.

What the mayor said next
- The mayor framed housing as part of a broader inclusive growth strategy: “Each of those 815 units created since 2019 represents a family holding on to the basic desires that we all have,” he said.

Ending note
- The mayor asked partners in the private sector to continue investing in projects that expand affordability and workforce access, saying the city’s incentives create “a framework that attracts private sector investment while advancing our shared commitment to progress.”","Mayor Keith James said West Palm Beach is on track to exceed a multi‑year housing goal and highlighted projects using density bonuses, tax increment financing and philanthropy to deliver affordable and workforce units.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Mayor cites university, hospital and philanthropic partnerships as economic growth anchors

West Palm Beach expands ride pilot, proposes permanent transit and new bike infrastructure to boost mobility

West Palm Beach expands homeless outreach team; mayor reports hundreds housed or connected to services

Mayor highlights crime drops, pay increases and departmental changes as part of public‑safety push

West Palm Beach pursuing thousands of affordable and workforce housing units through public‑private partnerships