Town to seek proposals to lease 2 properties in West Palm Beach | www.palmbeachdailynews.com

This is about the Town of Palm Beach getting ready to do something different with properties that it owns in the City of West Palm Beach. They are going out for proposals on a possible long-term lease. Click title for link to the Shiny Sheet article.

The City of Lake Worth has it own list of property consisting of miscellaneous lots. According to Hoyle, and the city's code of ordinances, the Planning and Zoning Board should review the list annually and make recommendations to the City Commission as to whether or not a property on that list should be declared surplus. Then the City Commission takes that recommendation and comes up with what properties should be officially placed on a surplus property list. The City can then prepare a request for proposal on the sale of any or all of those properties.

This process has not been done for the past few years. It is my understanding that the City Commission has reviewed this list in a work session, and the Planning and Zoning Board hasn't made an official recommendation on the list yet.

This is an actual picture of the City of Lake Worth's real  property list. It is made up of odd lots that have been picked up through the foreclosure process, code enforcement liens, etc. There are two that have structures on them. Some of them have title problems that make their sale complicated. But there happens to be one property with a historic building on it on the list.

That property is listed as #14 on the list. Here is what it looks like today. It is at the southwest corner of 5th Avenue North and L Street.

It dates from 1925 and is the work of noted local architect G. Sherman Childs. Here is a little bit about Mr. Childs.

You can do a search using the search engine to this blog in the upper left hand corner to review the many posts on 431 North L Street. Back in the mid 2000s, this was a notorious flophouse that had around 12 different living units on the property. There were ramshackle garage and out buildings that have since been torn down by the city and had little historic significance, but provided an attractive nuisance for the neighborhood. My first encounter with the building was when it appeared on the Nuisance Abatement Board agenda. It was through that action that the city was able to take the property.

These pictures will give you an idea of what it looked like back then.

For a long time, it sat unsecured and subject to the elements. Only after persistent prodding did the city finally board and secure the building - and tear down the accessory structures.

This property could really be a historic asset for the neighborhood and the city at large. The City Commission needs to declare this property surplus, put together a request for proposals and get this property into the hands of another entity. The original building plans, which are still in the city's file on the property, indicate that the building had four walk-up units. It has been chopped up into more units, but could be returned to the original configuration with some effort.

Prior to my presentation before the City Commission, the HRPB asked that I convey the board's wishes that this property be declared surplus. Even though it is outside the Parrot Cove neighborhood, I am including it in my talk tonight to garner support of the concept. Please communicate with our elected officials about the importance of the city getting this property in different hands.

And, from what I read, this property would be outside the limitation in the city charter about a referendum required for the sale of city owned property.