Article Courtesy of CBS 12 News
By Melissa Howell
Published December 8 , 2016
WEST PALM BEACH -- Resident in a historic neighborhood
off of South Dixie Highway near downtown West Palm Beach are not happy with
plans for a multi-million dollar condo project.
Peter Meyaart has lived just off Dixie Highway for more
than a decade. It’s an area he says has always been peaceful.
“Lot of kids lot of
dogs, lot of families we have a beautiful park right here,
for me it's the best block in West Palm Beach,” says Meyaart.
But a new development, he says, could change that.
Monday night, city leaders gave the initial approval for a
major project which includes five 14-story condo buildings
to replace Prospect Place.
The residential and retail space would be blocks from
Meyaart’s home.
“It's going to set a bad precedent in terms of height,
scale, density that I don't think anyone that lives on South
Dixie quarter is going to want to see,” says Meyaart. |
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The project is a $225 million project that supporters say
will bring jobs to the area.
While city leaders say the impact on traffic needs to be studied further,
supporters say it won’t be an issue. But Meyaart says the negative impacts
outweigh the benefits. He was just one of many residents at the meeting
Monday night who are asking the city commission to go back to the drawing
board.
“We do want to see jobs. We do we want to see a bigger tax base but you
shouldn't allow a building, five buildings, in fact, to be here when it just
doesn't fit.”
While there are some city leaders and residents in the area who strongly
support the project, the final decision will not be made until later this
month.
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