Tent Site
November 5, 2021
Cast of characters. Developer Charles Cohen, representing Cohen, Brian Seymour, Chief architect Kristin Hawkins of world-renowned Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, CRA Board who is made up of the 5 sitting City Commissioners, Planning Board, City Place South Tower Association, 1 & 2 City Plaza, Downtown Neighborhood Association, and lets not forget Mayor James in the mix.
The Tent Site is a piece of city owned property that has been dormant and a terrible eye sore for 24 years, until the Cohen Brothers has a vision to build “West Palm Point”
4/21/2020 Cohen Bros. signed a Ground Lease: “A ground lease is an agreement that permits a tenant (Cohen) to develop a piece of property during the period of the lease. After the lease period, the land and all improvements the tenant makes return to the property owner.(City) Ground leases may also be referred to as land leases since the landlord is leasing out only the land.”
Once the building is up and a Certificate of Occupancy is issued Mr. Cohen will pay the City $1,280,000/year. Due to the length of time it is taking the City to decide this project is worthy residents will lose out on millions of dollars in revenue.
Cohen and chief architect Kristin Hawkins presented the board with their concept for the project. It will include an elliptical tower with 23 floors of offices, rising beside a 10-story garage.
8/17/2020 City commissioners, acting as the Community Redevelopment Agency board, voted unanimously for the West Palm Point project to rise on the 2.4 acre property at the corner of Okeechobee Boulevard and South Dixie Highway.
8/17/2021 Planning Board recommended approval.
Commissioner Kelly Shoaf has a problem with the project’s garage. She constantly states “Make it not look like a parking garage.” and unfortunately the other 4 bobble heads jumped on her wagon.
Cohen, along with his architect has been back and forth with the City trying to appease Shoaf and came up with ” living green wall.”
The garage stands alone, is 10 stories tall and as readers can see in the picture the seven bottom floors have living trees surrounding the garage so not a car can been seen, and is adorned with art and topped with a sky terrace with a reflective pool and landscaped seating areas. The architect will place Cysteine’s in order to water the trees. Click to enlarge.
Commissioner Peduzzi questions hurricane season. This building will attract big business who will pay top dollar for renting space and can you imagine the building and garage not being kept in pristine condition. If a tree is lost it will be replaced before the City wakes up. Going forward
11/1/2021 CRA Meeting scheduled for 4:00 PM followed by the City Commission Meeting at 
5:00 PM. Tent site was on the agenda for both meetings. For unknown reasons the CRA meeting was changed to 3:00 PM and many residents mentioned above from the immediate neighborhood planned to attend and speak for the project. Residents I spoke to were upset about the time change and felt their opinion didn’t count, especially the people from the Downtown Neighborhood Association who are pictured here, and loved everything about the project, and Mr. Seymour stated he was surprised when he received a standing ovation. You can watch the CRA meeting below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvyByYP7Fog
The entire CRA meeting lasted for 1:47:26. I hope readers will take the time to view the meeting and listen to 2 speakers who did manage to make the time change. If you choose to watch the Tent Site presentation starts at 21:04, and Mr.Seymour begins at 25:28. Sherry Elias 1:19:31 tells the Commissioners what happens on the property weekends. Christopher Arlata starts at 1:23:16 and calls out the Commissioners for referring to the property as theirs. He doesn’t mince words.
Listen to the conversation between Commission Peduzzi and Mr. Seymour when the word litigation is used. Mr. Cohen, without a brick being laid has spent well in access of a million dollars to date. What was accomplished-nothing. Come back and “Make it not look like a parking garage.”
Buy the time the next CRA meeting rolls around (Dec. 21) Cohen’s Ground Lease will expire and he will have to request an extension. Is this what the City is waiting for, the lease to expire?
It’s the end of the meeting and Commissioner Peduzzi asks the City Clerk if there are any comments emailed to the City. Well, yes there are. In fact there are 77 comments to be read. Due to the amount the Clerk is advised to just read the names and addresses, and if they are in favor or opposed to the project. I listened and wrote every name and address down.
All 77 comments were opposed to the project, and if that’s not surprising to readers this should be. The vast majority who opposed live in my area, District 2, called the Villages and live many miles from the Tent Site.
The beginning of the City Commission meeting 5:00 PM Peduzzi asked Faye Johnson, City Administrator, if there were any changes to the agenda, and she stated no, no changes.
The Tent Site was the last item on the agenda, and due to no action being taken at the CRA, there was no discussion. People waited until 9:30 PM to discover their night was wasted.
The City can’t pass the smell test, and should hang their heads in disgrace the way they treat residents. All act like little demigod.