Topics to be Discussed Include Economic and Transportation Plans
The Palm Beach County Economic Development Office will be offering a week-long charrette regarding development along the Intracoastal. The event is free to the public and will start May 9 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Palm Beach Atlantic University.
“I am pleased to share the newest action to implement the Palm Beach County Strategic Economic Plan for the Intracoastal waterway,” said Shannon LaRocque – Baas, Palm Beach County Assistant County Administrator. The vision is to create a master plan for the entire 48-mile Palm Beach County waterfront, a project funded in part by the Florida Inland Navigation District and the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). MPO is contributing $200,000 toward the project.
The concept of a modern, internationally competitive Intracoastal waterway emerged from the Economic Summit, the Overall Economic Development Planning committee (OEDP) and is included in the Strategic Economic Plan adopted by the Board of County Commissioners in March 2007.
“I urge you to participate in this exciting new look for the most important asset of Palm Beach County - our waterfront,” said Jamie Titcomb, Executive Director of the Palm Beach County League of Cities, and a member of the steering committee. “Examples you will see at the charrette include research collected from London's Thames Gateway system, the Left Bank of Paris, the Puget Sound Plan waterfront, the Toronto and Miami waterfronts, the role of canal systems and others.”
At the meetings, world-class best practices will be illustrated, water and land based transportation systems will be discussed and the economic implications of a world-class waterfront will be debated. National experts will assist the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council in crafting the plan.
The economic objective is to become a global example of waterfronts which showcase fragile marine assets. The scope of work includes preparing recommendations for:
- Water taxis, ferries and land transportation linkages
- Marine village development strategies
- Visual mapping of economic and tourism activity
- Mapping marine environmental and development strategies
- Market assessments of opportunities for office, retail, hotel, marinas
- Overall architecture and vision for the 48-mile waterfront, an emerald necklace.
Kevin Johns, Director of the Palm Beach County Economic Development, said more than 100 civic and stakeholder organizations have been invited to participate, including MPO, the Palm Beach County League of Cities, the Florida Inland Navigation District, the Palm Beach County Economic Development Office, Palm Beach County Environmental Resources Management and the Palm Beach County Business Development Board.
“The Intracoastal Waterway Charette is open to the public,” he said. “If you have traveled to cities that have exceptional waterfronts I urge you to share your thoughts and vision.”
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