ISSUE 4 · SUNDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2026 · LIFE BY DESIGN, NOT DEFAULT
THE HERALD ✦ WEST PALM BEACH This Week |
Photo: FHolmstock / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Tuesday is the big day for Broadway. At 10 a.m. a special meeting of the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) hears presentations from the three developers still in the running to build on CRA-owned land along the Broadway corridor. At 6 p.m. the Planning Board takes up the rewrite of the Downtown Master Plan rules. And first reading of the matching comprehensive-plan change is on the City Commission’s draft agenda for Monday, October 26.
THE HERALD ✦ WEST PALM BEACH Liberty Watch |
Photo: Michael Rivera / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Tue 10/20 Special CRA 10 a.m. Planning Board 6 | 3 of 7 developers advanced on Broadway | $5.11M Parker Ave grant: Clerk marks approved | Mar 9 2027 city election on draft agenda |
A clarification: last week we said the $5.11 million Parker Avenue grant was "on the consent calendar — passed in one motion." We meant that consent items are approved together in a single vote at the meeting, not that the grant had already been approved when we went to press.
Result, as the City Clerk posted it. The Clerk’s posted Pass/Fail Agenda for the October 13 City Commission meeting marks the consent calendar “ALL ITEMS WERE APPROVED.” That list included the $5,110,000 Parker Avenue appropriation (item 8.5) and the new SEIU contract (8.8). It marks the resolutions item — the lease-purchase of three fire trucks, up to $6,381,628 (9.1) — “APPROVED.” Adjournment is listed at 5:32 p.m. The Clerk’s page shows no vote counts. The same day’s CRA Pass/Fail Agenda marks its consent calendar “APPROVED”: one item, the appointment of Brandon Rinker to the CRA Advisory Board.
Tuesday, October 20, 10 a.m. — Special CRA meeting, Commission Chambers, 401 Clematis St. Seven proposals came in for the CRA’s Broadway corridor call; a review committee advanced three developers: BFC West Palm, LLC; BGI Financial, LLC; and Meridia West Palm Beach, LLC with Capodagli Property Company. The board, sitting as the selection committee, hears each presentation, then ranks them and considers choosing one or more to negotiate with. The land is CRA-owned property in the Northwood/Pleasant City district; the agenda lists seven properties, among them 5701, 5706, 5800 and 5811 Broadway. The agenda says a term sheet or sale agreement would come back to the board for final approval.
Tuesday, 6 p.m. — Planning Board, Commission Chambers. Public hearing items include a 113,071-square-foot, two-story self-storage and private recreation building at 2500 N. Florida Mango Rd.; a dock waiver at 2565 S. Flagler Dr.; a citywide zoning-text change on how building height is defined; and the city’s three-part request to update the Downtown Master Plan regulations (Code Revision 26-04) with rezonings at 901 and 807 N. Flagler Dr. and on Evernia Street and S. Sapodilla Ave. Also this week: the city lists a collective bargaining session with the FOP, the police union, Monday at 9 a.m.; and the CRA Advisory Board for Northwood/Pleasant City meets Friday at 8:30 a.m. at the Pleasant City Community Center.
Next Monday, October 26, 5 p.m. — City Commission (draft agenda, posted Friday). It includes first reading of Ordinance 5185-26, the Downtown Master Plan amendment, which also adds three parcels at 420 Okeechobee Blvd. and 915 S. Dixie Hwy. to the plan area; Resolution 246-26 calling the March 9, 2027 city election for Mayor and two Commission seats (Districts 2 and 4), with a March 23 runoff if needed; and a $150,000 agreement with the Downtown Development Authority for homeless outreach. Drafts can change.
| Your move: the Planning Board hearing is open — its agenda invites interested parties to appear and be heard. Want to speak at a Commission meeting? Fill out a comment card for each item before it comes up; without one, the chair won’t call you. Comments are limited to three minutes. |
Sources: Clerk’s Oct 13 Commission Pass/Fail Agenda · Clerk’s Oct 13 CRA Pass/Fail Agenda · Oct 20 Special CRA agenda · Oct 20 Planning Board agenda · Oct 26 draft Commission agenda · City meetings list
THE HERALD ✦ WEST PALM BEACH Mapping Our Community: Who Pays for Parker Avenue |
Source: City Commission agenda, Oct 13, item 8.5
Last week’s grant is only part of the bill. The Parker Avenue rebuild, about 1.3 miles from Forest Hill Boulevard to Nottingham Boulevard, is now estimated at $9.06 million to construct. The state (FDOT) grant covers $5.11 million of it — 56%. The city has to come up with the other $3.95 million, 44%, and the agenda says that match is already set aside in the one-cent sales tax fund.
What the money buys: two multi-use paths, a rebuilt roadway, new lighting, drainage and signal improvements on a street the city calls a safe route to school, linking Forest Hill Community High School, Dreher Park and Palmetto Elementary. The city plans to put the job out to bid by November 2026 and expects construction to finish on or before December 31, 2028.
The lens worth keeping: a grant is not free money. It is a different taxpayer’s money with strings attached — here, a local match, and a promise that the city will maintain the road and signals afterward.
| GO DEEPER The West Palm Beach record is being built. The Council on Local Relations publishes sourced city records — see how it works at councilonlocalrelations.org. Start here — the Primers: 01 The Long Flat Line (how the family changed) · 02 The Documents We Live Under (the written rules that limit power) · 03 The Household (what a household buys, priced in years of work) · all primers → From the Council: This week: Confusion Is a Form of Abandonment (The Artisan); Fewer Things, More Times (The Strategist); The Standard Is Not Completion. The Standard Is Transfer. (The Headmaster); Count What's Actually in the Pantry (The Steward); Every Dollar Is Working For You or Against You (The Treasurer). Get them by email → |
Sources: Clerk’s Oct 13 Pass/Fail Agenda, item 8.5
THE HERALD ✦ WEST PALM BEACH From the Council This Week |
 | MONDAY, OCT 19 · THE BUILDER On Time. In Budget. No Bullshit. |
 | TUESDAY, OCT 20 · THE MAESTRO Culture Moves Faster Than Argument |
 | WEDNESDAY, OCT 21 · THE SENTINEL Empty Rooms Are Not Consent |
 | THURSDAY, OCT 22 · THE ADVOCATE If It's Not Written, It Doesn't Exist |
 | FRIDAY, OCT 23 · THE SHEPHERD Formation Comes Before Function |
Every piece, every figure linked to its source: councilonlocalrelations.org
THE HERALD ✦ WEST PALM BEACH Around the Block |
Photo: Farragutful / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
| America’s Amazon: The Story of the St. Lucie River — 6:30–7:30 p.m., Mandel Library Auditorium, 3rd floor. A film screening and talk with the filmmaker; light refreshments. | ||
| Intro to AI in Small Business — 10 a.m.–1 p.m., Mandel Library, Clematis Room. Registration required; lunch provided. | ||
| Leyendo Juntos, grades K–5 — 4–5 p.m., Mandel Library KidSpace. Bilingual Spanish-English stories and games with student volunteers; sign-up starts at 3:30. | ||
| GreenMarket — Saturday on the waterfront, 100 N. Clematis St. Check the city’s GreenMarket page for hours; storms are likely. | ||
| Fall Festival at Gaines Park — a city Parks and Recreation event. The free native tree and rain barrel giveaway runs 4–6 p.m.; see Service Opportunities to register. | ||
| Clematis by Fright — next week, 6–9 p.m., Centennial Square & the Great Lawn. Free: hayrides, trick-or-treating and live music. |
Your move: library programs fill up — get there for sign-up. Run a West Palm event? Send it by Thursday.
Sources: Library: America’s Amazon · Library: Intro to AI in Small Business · Library: Leyendo Juntos · GreenMarket · Fall Festival giveaway · Clematis by Fright
THE HERALD ✦ WEST PALM BEACH Prosperity Spotlight |
Napoleon Bakery
Napoleon Bakery has been a West Palm Beach staple since 1986. Its own site tells the story: a young farm girl and a professional jai alai player from the Basque Country wanted to bring a little of that tradition to the States in the 1970s. Arantza, the family’s matriarch, began by making chorizo and bread in her small home kitchen with a manual meat grinder. When neighbors wanted more, the family moved to West Palm Beach and opened the bakery in 1986.
The menu is traditional, homestyle Basque food, and the bakery caters — cakes, desserts, croquetas and paellas, ordered at least 24 hours ahead. Right now it takes phone-in orders with curbside pickup only, so call before you go.
| Napoleon Bakery · 6619 S. Dixie Hwy., West Palm Beach · 561-588-6295 Wed–Sun 10 a.m.–6 p.m. per its website; call-ahead orders, curbside pickup · napoleon-bakery.com |
Sources: Napoleon Bakery
THE HERALD ✦ WEST PALM BEACH Food Scene |
Howley’s Restaurant
Howley’s has been a diner on South Dixie Highway since April 1950, according to Florida Rambler, which also says it was restored to its original look in 2004. Its motto is “Cooked in sight, must be right,” and its website says there is no microwave on the premises.
Breakfast is served all day: hot cakes, classic French toast, a Belgian waffle, biscuits and gravy. The lunch and dinner menu runs from burgers and pasta to sandwiches, soups and a kids’ menu.
| Howley’s Restaurant · 4700 S. Dixie Hwy., West Palm Beach · 561-833-5691 Sun–Thu 7 a.m.–10 p.m. · Fri & Sat 7 a.m.–midnight · sub-culture.org/howleys |
Sources: Howley’s (SubCulture Group) · Florida Rambler
✦ Trivia Question |
The Commission’s Oct 13 consent calendar approved a $5,110,000 state grant for Parker Avenue, a project the city estimates at about $9.1 million. Under the plan, by what date is the construction to be finished? (Answer at the bottom.)
✦ Quote of the Day |
“Whenever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their own government.” — Thomas Jefferson, letter to Richard Price, 1789
✦ Secret Little Hack |
Don’t wait for minutes to learn what a commission decided. After each meeting the City Clerk posts a Pass/Fail Agenda — the agenda with each item marked approved or not. October 13’s went up the next day. Minutes run months behind: that night’s consent calendar approved minutes from June 8 and June 22 (Clerk’s Oct 13 Pass/Fail Agenda).
THE HERALD ✦ WEST PALM BEACH Real Estate Pulse |
Source: PBP Real Estate (BeachesMLS), Oct 18
$625,000 median house price, September sales | +15.7% vs. Sept 2025 ($540,000) | $210,000 median condo price, September sales | -5.4% vs. Sept 2025 ($222,000) |
House prices up, condos down. West Palm houses that sold in September had a median price of $625,000, up 15.7% from September 2025, on 103 sales (123 a year earlier). Condos and townhouses sold at a median $210,000, down 5.4%, on 145 sales (155). As of today there are 517 houses and 1,124 condos and townhouses on the market. About 37% of houses and 40% of condos for sale have cut their price below the original ask. Houses that sold in September took a median 61 days to go under contract; condos, 45. Figures are PBP Real Estate’s analysis of BeachesMLS listing data, published by a local brokerage.
Sources: PBP Real Estate — West Palm Beach statistics (BeachesMLS), Oct 18 edition
THE HERALD ✦ WEST PALM BEACH Service Opportunities |
Photo: JLClibrarian / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Free native trees and a rain barrel. The city’s Office of Sustainability is giving away up to four native trees (sweetbay magnolia, redbay, marlberry, wild tamarind and simpson stopper) and one 55-gallon rain barrel at the Fall Festival, Saturday, October 24, 4–6 p.m., Gaines Park, 1501 N. Australian Ave. You must register by Friday, October 23, at 8 a.m. (or earlier if capacity is reached). Trees are for city residents and businesses; barrels are for active city water customers (city event page). Know someone struggling with groceries? Every Tuesday, 10 a.m.–3 p.m., the Palm Beach County Food Bank helps with SNAP, Medicaid and cash-assistance applications at the Mandel Library, 4th floor — walk-in, in English and Haitian Creole (library listing). Or adopt: the county shelter on Belvedere Road has dogs and cats waiting.
THE HERALD ✦ WEST PALM BEACH Adopt a Friend |
 | Meet Omar 1 year, 8 months · Male (neutered) · Mixed breed, medium Brown, about 43 pounds. The shelter lists Omar as a “Healing Hearts” dog: he has heartworms, which it calls treatable, and his adoption fee covers his treatment through the Healing Hearts Sponsorship Program. He’s listed as ready to go home. See Omar’s listing → |
| Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control · 7100 Belvedere Road, West Palm Beach · 561-233-1200 Mon–Fri 11 a.m.–6 p.m., Sat 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Sun 11 a.m.–4 p.m. · adoption page |
THE HERALD ✦ WEST PALM BEACH Growth & Learning |
Illustration
Who pays for a road? Parker Avenue costs about $9.06 million, and a state grant pays $5.11 million of it. Have your kids try it with a made-up $100 project: if a grant pays 56%, how much is the local match? ($44 — and the match is real money, too.) More at unrivaledacademy.com.
THE HERALD ✦ WEST PALM BEACH Local Theory & Remnant Radio |
 | Now playing: Sovereign Ground — the latest Local Theory album (April 3, 2026 · 15 tracks). Listen · vote on the mixes. Remnant Radio streams the whole catalog 24/7 at radio.thinkandactlocally.com · Spotify. Fourteen releases. Sovereignty through sound. |
THE HERALD ✦ WEST PALM BEACH Weather Forecast |
Sun  Slight chance storms 81° 78° | Mon  Mostly sunny 81° 76° | Tue  Sunny 81° 75° | Wed  Mostly sunny 81° 75° | Thu  Slight chance showers 80° 74° | Fri  Chance showers 79° 74° | Sat  Storms likely 80° 74° |
A windy start: northeast winds of 23 to 29 mph Monday and 18 to 26 mph Tuesday, highs near 81. Tuesday is the driest day (7%). Showers creep back — 40% Friday and 70% Saturday, when showers and thunderstorms are likely. Saturday’s Fall Festival and GreenMarket, bring a rain plan.
Sources: National Weather Service (MFL), retrieved Oct 18, 4:50 p.m. CT
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✦ Unrivaled Travels |
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✦ Unrivaled Candles |
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✦ Unrivaled Marketing Solutions |
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✦ Sponsor Spot |
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✦ They Told Him He Was Crazy |
David sold his metals. Not trimmed — sold. He kept the receipts, every decision sourced, so you can decide for yourself: conviction, or crazy? Read the filing →
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THE HERALD ✦ WEST PALM BEACH Community Voices |
Do you walk, bike or drive Parker Avenue? Hit reply with a sentence or two about what you’d want from the rebuild — we’ll run the best next Sunday.
✦ Take Action |
- Watch or attend the Special CRA meeting Tuesday at 10 a.m., Commission Chambers, as three developers present for Broadway.
- Speak at the Planning Board Tuesday, 6 p.m., Commission Chambers, where the Downtown Master Plan rules are on the agenda.
- Register for a free native tree or rain barrel by Friday, 8 a.m. — pickup is Saturday, 4–6 p.m., at Gaines Park.
✦ Submit Your Content |
Events, business features, volunteer calls, letters from West Palm Beach: david@thinkandactlocally.com. Deadline: Thursday 5 PM for Sunday.
✦ Answer to Trivia |
On or before December 31, 2028. That is the completion date in the Parker Avenue item on the Commission’s Oct 13 agenda, with bidding set for November 2026 (Clerk’s Oct 13 Pass/Fail Agenda).
THE HERALD ✦ WEST PALM BEACH Keep the Herald Free |
No advertiser sets our coverage — readers keep it alive. The best thing you can do costs nothing: forward this to one neighbor who’d want to know what the Commission takes up on October 26.
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The Herald is published by Think and Act Locally. Its facts come from the public record kept by the Council on Local Relations, which shares a founder with Think and Act Locally. Portions drafted with AI assistance and reviewed before publication. Reply anytime: david@thinkandactlocally.com.
