Lake Worth Beach CRA: WMODA Permits Filed, Utility Relocation Underway Downtown
Alongside planning work, the city and the CRA moved into acquisitions.A CRA summary lists downtown properties purchased since 2016 across South K Street, South L Street, South M Street, and Lake Avenue, with a combined total purchase cost listed as $4,590,000. The list includes parcels such as 25 South K Street and 704 1st Ave. South acquired in February 2019 with city funding, and multiple South L and South M Street properties acquired in 2017 and 2018 through a mix of CRA and city funding.
The CRA also notes additional CRA-owned lots used for surface parking, including 20 South L Street and 13 South M Street, both acquired in 2005.
In concept renderings and site plan materials presented as part of CRA updates, the WMODA concept is shown as part of a downtown planned development layout that includes the museum component fronting Lake Avenue and a residential component in the surrounding footprint, with an “art walk” connection shown through the site.
The materials also frame the project as a mixed-use cultural arts campus intended to support arts activity downtown and tie into public-space improvements.
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WMODA in Lake Worth Beach refers to the proposed Wiener Museum of Decorative Arts Cultural Arts Campus, a controversial mixed-use development planned for downtown, involving a museum, apartments, and parking, spearheaded by Arthur Wiener and the City/CRA as a public-private partnership, facing significant resident opposition over public land use and development scale.
While supporters see it as boosting the downtown economy with art and housing, critics argue it involves unfair land giveaways, lacks sufficient public input, and threatens the city's character, with construction expected around 2028.
Does the City Commission ever listen to the residents?
8 comments:
Now that we are getting rid of all the illegal immigrant renters, there is a massive increase in available housing---so it is likely WMODA housing would be BAD for the "people" of Lake Worth, as many Landlords would be unable to rent their properties with WMODA sucking them in --- and without WMODA, these landlords would do well with their Rental investments and enjoy NOT having to compete with the City ( which is basically subsidizing a Wealthy Developer OVER the welfare of its own citizens).
Who wanted this project? Anyone?
Interesting point, Dan...hadn't thought about that.
Thanks Lynn. And I'd hope if you get to chat with Betty or Mimi or Anthony, that you bring up WMODA with the perspective of...."What if the town was doing WMODA only for the museum, and there would be no Rental/no housing because the town did not want to injure its own citizen landlords by subsidizing a competitor. Without the housing--would all the cost be worth it for a museum that most of us feel would not see more than a handful of visitors in any given day?
The housing that’s available by illegals isn’t what a new modern building has to offer we don’t need people who are renting on south H street they aren’t eating or entertaining on Lake ave.
To anon@10:55p.... So this is an interesting path for this discussion. If the WMODA housing is actually about bringing people to Lake Worth to live --- this would be heavy users of our great downtown amenities--that is actually something that could make me a fan of this WMODA project--if in fact we had marketing research indicating we could find these people and if our advertising to them could look very desirable to them. They would be in a demographic range we need research to determine--for now let's say the 35 to 54 demo, they would need spending habits consistent with what we want out of them---so let's say they need to earn more than $180,000 per couple for a secondary demo, and primary of over $250,000. Education levels would be harder to nail down--the museum flair of this would lean this toward College Educated, but the income level and desire to eat in the downtown regularly could also be highly paid trades people like Electricians, Plumbers, and some others ( with no college debt to pay off) --this puts some twists and turns into how our creative would need to show a comfortable and desirable place to live. I would really like this path to get developed. It would be almost worth it for one of us to subscribe to Statista for a minimum period, just to do the basic minimum of marketing research I don't think has been even thought about.
What is all this infrastructure going to cost the City? All the set of facilities and systems that will serve this project?
Did a free run on Statista....this is what I get back : " The WMODA project in Lake Worth Beach aims to attract residents who will enhance the economic vitality of the downtown area and make strong use of local arts and amenities. With expected rents likely in the range of $2,000 to $3,000 or more per unit4, the typical guideline of spending up to 30% of income on housing suggests that the appropriate target income range would be about $80,000 to $120,000 or higher annually.
This strategy focuses on upper-middle income individuals and households, such as young professionals, established couples, entrepreneurs, and affluent retirees who are drawn to culture, arts, and vibrant city living. While the project may reserve a few units for moderate-income artists, the bulk of tenants will need to come from these higher earning groups to ensure compatibility with rental pricing and the desired cultural and urban lifestyle emphasis.
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