Sunset Lounge
July 20, 2022
Updated 7/23/2022
Mayor James and the 5 City Commissioners oversee the CRA, and it’s similar to the City Commission with Administration (James & Johnson) directing staff to sell a particular project to insure the Commissioners make the right decision, many times not being told the entire story, or what could possibly go wrong.
Where administration run into trouble is when companies make a presentation in order to be selected for a project for example the Sunset Lounge.
Channel’s 5 (WPTV) and 25 (WPBF) have both reported on this very important issue. Much of what you are about to read are excerpts from media stories, and the story links can be found below.
Let’s begin with a little history.
“The Sunset Lounge was one of the premier African American entertainment venues in the South during the 1940s and 1950s and featured such notable artists as Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Ike and Tina Turner, Nat King Cole, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles and James Brown to mention a few African American entertainers who appeared.”
“Often dubbed as the “Cotton Club of the South,” the Sunset Lounge is a historic music and entertainment venue located in the Historic Northwest District in the city of West Palm Beach, FL.”
“I have been in West Palm Beach since 1962, and that was the only place that persons of my ethnicity were allowed,” recalls Ike Robinson, former city commissioner of West Palm Beach. “We couldn’t go to the Breakers. We couldn’t go to Bradley’s. We couldn’t go to the Everglades Club. A lot of people think the Sunset was the entertainment mecca, and it was,” Robinson adds. “But I think the Sunset was the cultural equator. The Sunset provided for the community to come together, intermingle, socialize and learn. I’m talking about the bougies, the potentates, the workingman, the people who serve the people in Palm Beach.” Mr. Robinson’s quote can be found below in the bocamag and I encourage readers to read the entire piece. Readers now have an idea of how important the Sunset Lounge was, and still is to the African American Community.
City (Procurement) issues RFP (Request for Proposals) F/ Sunset Lounge
Two companies responded, Mad Room Hospitality and Vita LLC, made their presentation at the CRA meeting on 6/27/2022, and the City did not allow enough time for both presentations, questions and answers. The regular City Commission meeting on 6/27/2022 started at 5:00PM and Commissioner Lambert asked for the CRA meeting to continue immediately following the City Commission meeting. Both CRA meeting are included with the story, and I ask readers to view:
CRA Meeting 6/27/2022 Discussion on Sunset Lounge Part 1
Commission Chambers where the majority of residents were African Americans. After the meeting progressed and the camera panned out many more African Americans can be seen in the back of the room. If you want to see/hear James condescending and demeaning remarks please listen from time frame 6:15 to 12:26. 6 min & 11 sec. of trash talk and don’t let his facial expressions go unnoticed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBkN7lEwlUk
The City Commission Meeting ran for 2:50:27 and when Commissioners returned to the CRA meeting much of the audience had left.
CRA Meeting 6/27/2022 Discussion on Sunset Lounge Part 2
Part 2 contains questions and answers and the vote on which company would receive the contract. Commissioners Fox, Lambert, Ward and Warren voted for Vita LLC.
Mayor James and Commissioner Peduzzi voted for Mad Room Hospitality.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ecu0PkVn_BA
Who are these two companies?
Mad Room Hospitality operates in the heart of Miami’s most vibrant and cultural neighborhood, Little Havana, and appears to have filed a $27.9 million dollar lawsuit against the City of Miami in 2021
https://dockets.justia.com/docket/florida/flsdce/1:2021cv23485/600932
Vita Lounge LLC Is a locally owned and operated minority company, and I searched the web for lawsuits and any disparaging news and found none.
Congratulations to Vita LLC and the 4 Commissioners who voted to award them the contract.
Not the end!
Channel 25 Terri Parker reports:
West Palm Beach cancels agreement with local company to run historic Sunset Lounge
“Just two weeks after Vita Lounge LLC won the bid to operate the historic Sunset Lounge in West Palm Beach’s largely Black northwest neighborhood, their agreement has been abruptly canceled.”
In a statement to WPBF 25 News, the city writes:
”Vita Lounge LLC blatantly violated the anti-lobbying provisions of the RFP (request for proposal)”
“According to a city procurement investigator, before the vote, Vita supporters posted an appeal on Facebook and sent emails to residents, asking them to email the city recommending they choose the locally based Black-run company rather than the competing company from Miami.”
“Send emails asap to [email protected]. Let’s get them across the finish line and keep the sunset in our community where it belongs.”
“Not everyone was convinced – Commissioner Joe Peduzzi and Mayor Keith James voted for the other company.”
“The last thing I want is to be here two, three years from now with somebody saying we just can’t do it,” James said. Is James saying a local black company isn’t capable of successfully fulfilling their contract? Is he dooming them without giving them a chance? What’s wrong with residents emailing their Commissioners?
Recently Posted on the city website:
“Bids List Important: Contact by a Bidder (or anyone representing a Bidder) regarding any active or pending solicitation with the Mayor, any City Commissioner, officer, or City employee other than an employee of the West Palm Beach Procurement Division is grounds for disqualification.”
I wondered how James would get around to eliminating Vita from competition, and here you have it.
This reminds me of a story I wrote for WPB Watch in Nov. 2021 Let’s review.
Tent Site:
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”
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.
In my opinion Administration did not want Developer Charles Cohen anywhere near this property and did everything possible to discourage them.
City Commission Meeting held to discuss Tent site:
Commission President Peduzzi heads the meeting due to James absence. 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 Cohen 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.
Someone please explain to us why it was OK for 77 residents to email the city and oppose the Cohen Brothers project, but emailing the city to ask for their support for a black owned company Vita LLC disqualified them.
City Commissioners:
In my opinion you listened to residents and made the right vote to approve Vita.
What do you do now? I know of 3 commissioners who opposed James and all 3 decided not to seek re-election. That speaks volumes to me.
https://www.wpbf.com/article/florida-west-palm-beach-sunset-lounge-vision-historic/40459091 channel 25
https://www.bocamag.com/into-the-sunset-the-story-of-the-sunset-lounge-in-west-palm-beach/ Ike Robinson’s quote
https://wpbwatch.com/2021/11/tent-site/
My money’s on the belief James action in cancelling the Vita contract will bring another lawsuit to the City. Keith’s not worried, it’s only taxpayer’s money. Readers judge for yourself the leadership of WPB and decide if you want to continue with the status quo and give James another term as Mayor of WPB
The end!