As West Palm Beach presses ahead with its $35 million renovation of Currie Park, the city is making plans for a private organization to operate the waterfront park when it reopens next year.
Unlike most city parks, the 13-acre park north of downtown would be run by a management company and overseen by a nonprofit organization, a city administrator told commissioners May 18.
The city would continue to own the park and would appoint the 11-member board of directors that oversees it, which would include residents, business leaders and nearby property owners, said Chris Roog, executive director of the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency.
The city is expected to invest heavily in staffing for the renovated park, including 24-hour security. Putting it under private management could allow it to operate without the staffing and budget limitations that have made it difficult for the city to maintain other public facilities.
A city spokesperson emphasized that the move “is not a privatization of Currie Park” and that the city will maintain control and ownership.
“What is being proposed is a nonprofit management model with a dedicated funding source to support the long-term success of the park,” she said.
The city used a similar model in 2023 when it opened The Park West Palm, the city-owned golf course that was renovated into a high-end golfing destination. It is now operated by an organization tied to PGA of America.
To cover the higher expenses of a more active Currie Park, the city is looking to create a dedicated funding source by establishing a special taxing district, one that could levy an extra property tax on properties in surrounding neighborhoods.
The once-sleepy stretch of North Flagler Drive across from the park has become the site of intense luxury residential development interest. Among the projects being planned nearby: two 30-story condominium towers by Palm Beach billionaire Jeff Greene and the 28-story Shorecrest condo tower by development firm Related Ross.
City leaders estimate the park’s initial annual budget will be $1.9 million.
City hopes park will draw casts of thousands
Discussion of the private-management plan came as city leaders reported to commissioners that Currie’s large-scale renovation is on track to be complete next year, with an official opening tentatively slated for March and a second phase of construction completed in September.
The city is hoping the renovation will transform the formerly underutilized park into a bustling, attention-grabbing waterfront gem. It will feature an amphitheater, docks, a playground, pickleball and tennis courts, a kayak launch and a waterfront restaurant.
The city is also moving to make the park easier to access by extending Northwood Road, the main avenue of the Northwood Village commercial district, toward the park.
But some planned elements of the park will not be built initially, including a boardwalk and a splash pad. City administrators say they lack the money to move forward with those but are looking for funds via grants and donations..
“We’re not going to let up on finding dedicated funding for those amenities we promised the community,” Roog said.
The aim is to have hundreds of people in the park at any given time, increasing interest by hosting a combination of free and paid activities such as yoga and art classes, fishing programs, live music and toddler story times.
“We’d like to see, even at off hours, close to 1,000 people there,” said Dan Biederman, a city consultant working on the park’s renovation and the head of a company that operates New York City’s Bryant Park.
For decades Currie Park has been a magnet for the city’s homeless, and many residents have worried that a renovated park would simply become another draw for a large unhoused population, some of who may suffer from mental illnesses.
Mayor Keith James acknowledged those concerns, asking Roog, “what is the approach to addressing homelessness in Currie Park, which has historically been a problem?”
Roog said that concern has been “a recurring theme from the community from Day One” and that park would have its own dedicated security team monitoring the park 24 hours a day.
But he said the best way to maintain a safe atmosphere was to ensure the park is heavily used throughout the day.
“Having folks utilizing the park is really the best source to ensure that it doesn’t feel like it’s overrun with any kind of homelessness issue,” he said.
It’s not clear what company might operate Currie Park but one acknowledged possibility was Biederman’s company, Biederman Redevelopment Ventures. In addition to Bryant Park, the company operates Salesforce Park in downtown San Francisco.
Responding to a commissioner’s question, Biederman said he could help the city find another management company but that it was a field with relatively few operators.
“A lot of people consult but there aren’t a lot of park-management companies that compete with us,” he said.
Andrew Marra is a reporter at The Palm Beach Post. Reach him at amarra@pbpost.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: West Palm’s Currie Park could be run by a nonprofit after renovations
Reporting by Andrew Marra, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
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