West Palm Beach City Commission approves disparity-study contract, Curry Park construction and multiple grants

The West Palm Beach City Commission approved a package of resolutions and contracts during its meeting on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025, including a contract for an updated disparity study and funding and a construction contract for the Curry Park redevelopment project.

The approvals matter because they commit city funds and contracts for capital projects, public-safety equipment and development approvals that affect parks, right-of-way maintenance and future commercial development in the city. The meeting recording referenced Jan. 6, 2025 at the start of the summary and later referenced Jan. 26, 2025; the date inconsistency appears in the transcript and is noted here for transparency.

The commission approved two companion resolutions to retain Griffin and Strong for an updated disparity study and to appropriate $60,198 from general-fund contingency to pay for the study. Commissioners also approved a resolution to correct a scrivener’s error in Resolution No. 26024. The commission approved a right-of-way improvement and maintenance agreement with KJWPB1, LLC covering landscape improvements adjacent to the Tortoise 1 development and a modification to the North Railroad Avenue streetscape design (amending Resolution No. 29-22) to allow wayfinding, parking and other Nora District signage in the public right of way.

After a public hearing, the commission approved a major plan development amendment to the Prime Corner CPD to amend design guidelines and to permit construction of a 2,415-square-foot Chipotle restaurant and a 5,399-square-foot Chick-fil-A with drive-through and surface parking. The commission also approved an appropriation/transfer of $22,289,686 in FY 2024–25 to reestablish various capital grant fund budgets.

Three companion resolutions advancing the Curry Park redevelopment were approved: a contribution agreement with the West Palm Beach Community Redevelopment Agency, a budget amendment to provide additional appropriations in the capital acquisition fund, and a construction contract with West Construction for Curry Park.

The commission accepted several grants and appropriations for public-safety and other city programs: a Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation grant of $18,014 to buy 16 MSA gas detectors (with a companion appropriation resolution); a Florida Department of Financial Services 2024–25 Firefighter Cancer Decontamination Equipment Grant award of $14,896 for gloves (with companion appropriation); a $50,000 grant agreement with Scuba Club WPB LLC for improvements to Osprey Park at 5026 N. Flagler Drive; supplemental funding from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement under a drone replacement program (increasing total funding not to exceed $200,000) and a companion appropriation to offset replacement cost for eight drones; a miscellaneous trust-fund appropriation of $10,960 from state law-enforcement forfeiture receipts for upgrades to the dispatch radio channel recording system; and a Florida Department of Transportation litter-prevention education grant of $15,000 that was accepted and appropriated for the Keep West Palm Beach Beautiful program.

“The following items were approved during the meeting,” said Jerry Marcello, the City Center podcast host who read the commission’s list of approvals in the meeting summary recording.

Votes at a glance: all items listed in the city summary recording were described as approved; the meeting recording did not provide roll-call vote tallies or mover/second information in the sections transcribed. - Disparity-study agreement with Griffin & Strong; appropriation of $60,198 from general-fund contingency — approved (resolution numbers not specified in transcript). - Correction of Resolution No. 26024 for a scrivener’s error — approved. - Right-of-way improvement and maintenance agreement with KJWPB1, LLC (landscape improvements adjacent to Tortoise 1 development) — approved. - Amendment to North Railroad Avenue streetscape design (amendment to Resolution No. 29-22) to include Nora District signage in right of way — approved. - Major plan development amendment to Prime Corner CPD to allow 2,415-sq.-ft. Chipotle and 5,399-sq.-ft. Chick-fil-A with drive-through — approved after public hearing. - Appropriation/transfer of $22,289,686 in FY 2024–25 to reestablish capital grant fund budgets — approved. - Three Curry Park companion resolutions: CRA contribution agreement; capital acquisition budget amendment for Curry Park; construction contract with West Construction — all approved. - Acceptance and appropriation of an $18,014 Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation grant to purchase 16 MSA gas detectors — approved. - Acceptance and appropriation of a $14,896 Florida DFS firefighter decontamination equipment grant for gloves — approved. - Grant agreement with Scuba Club WPB LLC for $50,000 for Osprey Park improvements at 5026 N. Flagler Drive — approved. - Supplemental FDLE funding for drone replacement program (up to $200,000) and appropriation for eight drones — approved. - Miscellaneous trust fund appropriation of $10,960 from state forfeiture receipts for dispatch radio-channel recording upgrade — approved. - FDOT litter-prevention education grant of $15,000 for Keep West Palm Beach Beautiful; acceptance and appropriation — approved.

The summary recording directed listeners to the city’s website for a complete list of approvals; the recording gave the web address verbally as “wpbdot org.” The correct city website is wpb.org, where meeting agendas and official minutes and full resolution texts typically are published.

The meeting transcript provided a one-person summary read by the city’s podcast narrator and did not include roll-call vote tallies or named movers and seconders for the listed motions; where the transcript omitted those details, this article reports the approvals as stated and marks missing procedural details as not specified.