Construction crews are starting work on Phase II of Clematis Streetscape, a multiphase project that began in 2018 with improvements to the 300 block of Clematis Street, and now brings similar adjustments to public spaces on the 100 and 200 blocks of the iconic street.
Clematis Street, considered the main street of the city, has always been considered the hub of West Palm Beach’s business district, popular for its restaurants and lineup of events throughout the year. Improvements to the 100 and 200 blocks of Clematis will add a curbeless street design with narrower traffic lanes but wider sidewalks and more shade trees.
“The effects will be felt when strolling down the streets,” said West Palm Beach Mayor, Keith A. James during the groundbreaking ceremony. “The overall benefit is more space for people; certainly for our pedestrians and walkers, there is a health and wellness benefit to that, but we also hope this translates into economic improvement, more business for our merchants, more jobs for our residents, and a more vibrant downtown.”
Phase II of the Clematis Streetscape project follows last year’s significant revamp of the 300 block that also included expanded sidewalk space, addition of shade trees and narrow traffic lanes, among others and will make Clematis Street more modern and more in tune with its potential.
Construction is scheduled to run through December, finishing just in time for the holidays. But this time around, the construction will move smoothly with the upcoming GreenMarket season in mind. The 200 block is anticipated to be finished much sooner — around October 31– and the 100 block in December. Meanwhile, the south side of 100 block will remain open to vehicle traffic until early August and the north side will remain open to vehicle traffic until late June.
There will also be valet parking service available, better ways to find merchants, and “Pardon our dust” events that will make it easier for people to enjoy Downtown while construction happens.
One of these events was the “iCONE-ic” annual ‘Summer in Paradise’ campaign which kept locals and tourists entertained through a variety of ‘activations’, including many same-day pop-up experiences and surprises.
The Clematis Streetscape project is one of several joint projects designed with quality of life at the forefront and to ensure that the City’s downtown core evolves with the needs of residents, merchants, and visitors.
To find updated information about the project, visit wpb.org/clematisstreetscape or call (561) 822-2222.
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Update on Phase II of the Clematis Streetscape Project
