Normally Mayor Lois Frankel is looking towards the future and wanting to build higher buildings; the next day she is looking back to the future when life was simple and not clouded with all these high story condo buildings. Well, a girl has the right to change her mind.
Mayor of West Palm Beach, Lois Frankel said, "We are going back to the future, recreating old West Palm Beach and what was so beautiful and natural about our waterfront. That is a legacy that we will give to our future generations and I also believe that there is good opportunity for economic investment. The worst thing that can happen is we have a lovely park on the Helen Wilkes site. So be it."
With a $12 million shortfall in its budget, Frankel pushed through her desire to purchase the Helen Wilkes Hotel property on a 3 to 2 vote. The City of West Palm Beach will loan the money to its CRA. We here in Lake Worth are familiar with the 3 to 2. It is rare that we ever get a consensus on any big project. Kimberly Mitchell and Ike Robinson voted against it taking a more pragmatic view during these hard financial times. “To encumber the city with debt when the future is so uncertain is bad policy no matter how green that grass will be," Mitchell said.
I have to admit that I like Mayor Frankel's vision here but unlike the Mayor, I think it is the BEST thing for West Palm Beach's future. Let's protect this property from any future development.
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