Check back later on today for more details: “Project title, RFQ 17-305”.

Observation from this meeting,
“A fresh set of eyes.”

CPZ Architects, Inc. from Plantation, FL chosen to move forward with project at Lake Worth Beach Complex over Kimley-Horn from Delray Beach.

Check back to this blog later on
for more details (including video)
from this meeting today at
Lake Worth City Hall.

Assistant City Manager Juan Ruiz did an excellent
job laying down the rules at the beginning
of this meeting.

Ms. Christy Goddeau, the City Attorney, was in attendance as well (to left of asst. city manager).

 
The Lake Worth Beach, Casino, and pool: Happier days.

Remember when the pool had water in it?

Once again, check back later on for notes, observations, and videos as well. Following is background on this latest development
(pardon the pun).

City staff’s Evaluation Committee met for the first time on August 30th. Meeting scheduled for September 9th was cancelled due to Hurricane Irma:

“Lake Worth Beach Complex Conceptual Plans Design, Cost Estimates, Construction Design and Construction Phase Services”.

First, it may be confusing for the public to learn an RFQ (“Request For Qualifications”) — encouraging developers to come forth with ideas how to fix all the problems at the Lake Worth Beach — when the City just recently reached a ‘settlement’ with Morganti and REG Architects on August 1st (just 2 months ago), to try and fix water leaking from the 2nd floor of the Casino structure, a problem discovered well over 4 years ago.

Let’s just say for now, it’s rather complicated. For example, use this link for an article in The Coastal Star,

“At issue is whether building should continue east of Coastal Construction Line”.

But one can understand why there may be confusion and some “head scratching” going on (by the way, the construction company Morganti, is not one of the respondents to “RFQ 17-305”):

Is the money for future construction, maybe even
a new pool, coming from proceeds of the
County’s ¢1 sales tax increase?

To even suggest that is absurd.

The City Commission seems in no mood to spend all the ¢1 sales tax at once but would rather fund multiple community projects like annual bill for FEC track grade crossings, license plate readers, and public safety improvements (e.g., demolition of condemned pier at Spillway Park).

There is also the City’s Neighborhood Road Program to consider. It would look downright irresponsible for the City to consider shifting money from the County ¢1 tax proceeds to the Beach only to discover more of our streets have since fallen in the Pavement Condition Index and are in need of repair.

And. . . why would anyone try and speculate (as
some already have) how to pay for a project
when there is no project?

The meeting last August 30th was only to see if the companies responding to the RFQ were QUALIFIED to be part of a future project. The next meeting on October 12th (see press release below) will be a broad view going forward with few specifics, mostly about ideas, concepts, and possible designs. And. . .

THERE IS NO ONE TRYING TO
“STEAL OUR BEACH!”

These meetings are open to the public, the City of Lake Worth will have an attorney present, and the rules will be followed to protect the public interest. What’s the timeline? Time will tell. In other words there are many known unknowns and many unknown unknowns as well. This is simply a process that needs to play out. It may go somewhere. It may go nowhere at all.

If anything does comes of this RFQ, one thing is for certain: this will be a City project and not a public-private partnership of any sort.