Mayor touts Vanderbilt, Cleveland Clinic, Cox expansion and philanthropic investments

Mayor Keith James described several major institutional partnerships and philanthropic projects he said will expand education, research and health-care capacity in West Palm Beach.

James urged support for a proposal to donate city land to Vanderbilt University for an innovation hub focused on artificial intelligence, data science and business. He said the hub would help build next-generation workforce skills and create local research and entrepreneurship opportunities.

Health-care expansion: The mayor said Cleveland Clinic will establish the first nonprofit research hospital and the first new hospital in downtown West Palm Beach in more than a century, adding an outpatient clinic and a range of specialties. He said philanthropists are raising $1,000,000 specifically to invest in services for children tied to that effort.

Museums and youth services: James highlighted a $115 million expansion of the Cox Science Center and Aquarium, noting nearly $100 million already raised from private donors and a projected increase in annual student engagement from about 150,000 to 350,000. He also described a $13 million Boys & Girls Club planned for Dreyer Park that he said will serve about 800 children ages 6 to 18, and said 100% of that $13 million was raised through charitable donations. The mayor also referenced the Related Together initiative, which he said launched with an $8.2 million commitment guaranteeing tuition-free postsecondary degrees for qualifying high-school graduates in targeted communities.

Why it matters: James framed these investments as creating workforce pipelines, supporting STEM education and attracting private-sector investment that can yield long-term economic benefits for residents. He urged collaboration between city, county and private partners but did not ask the commission for immediate formal action during the address.