Puppetry Center gets lease for Old School Square garage
Vote early and often, at least in this election. Delray Beach commissioners donned t-shirts urging residents to vote the city as the U.S. Tennis Association's top tennis destination in the country. The USTA has designated Delray as one of 10 finalists in the competition. Pictured above, commissioners Adam Frankel and Angeleta Gray.
By David Sedore, Palm Beach Business.com
DELRAY BEACH — Finally, Delray Beach has a tenant for the retail space in the Old School Square Parking Garage.
Delray Beach city commissioners Tuesday evening gave their approve to a lease of 5,000 square feet of garage space to the Puppetry Center of the Palm Beaches, a 16-year-old nonprofit that operates a puppet museum and a performance company called the Dreammaker Puppeteers.
Delray has been searching for a tenant to fill the space for nearly three years. The garage borders the Pineapple Grove Arts District within the downtown, and the space is seen as a key to attracting more people to visit the neighborhood. The arts have been the focus of the search since mid-2009.
The city’s Community Redevelopment Agency is handling the leasing of the garage space. Francisco Perez-Azua, the city’s economic development director, said an agreement to lease another 5,000 square feet is being worked out with Artists of Palm Beach County.
The Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce eventually is to move its offices to the remaining space in the garage.
The Puppetry Center of the Palm Beaches will be one of two tenants in theOld School Square Parking Garage retail space.
Also Tuesday, commissioners agreed to waive about $5,300 in fees for the use of city facilities during the upcoming Roots Cultural Festival. The waiver covers the youth basketball tournament to be held this weekend at Pompey Park and the community center, and the prayer breakfast and health fair to be held at Pompey Park on August 14.
Commissioners denied the request a week ago because of budget concerns. The city has been a sponsor of the series of events that make up the festival since Roots began in 1977.
Despite the reversal commissioners were adamant that the city no longer can afford to waive fees for use of city facilities because of the ever-tightening budgets. Delray traditionally has given breaks to nonprofit organizations looking to use city facilities for events.
“Nonprofits have to realize that times are different,” Commissioner Gary Eliopoulos said. “I’m telling you things are getting very difficult for us up here. We need to work together or we’re not going to be able to survive.”
Said Commissioner Fred Fetzer: “We’ve got to take this seriously. It’s going to be tougher every time we look at this.”
Commissioner Angeleta Gray thanked members for reversing the vote but said it’s important for the city to support Roots and other events that are aimed at youth. Commissioners, Gray said, “have to be careful of what we’re cutting.”
Commissioners rejected a proposal to allow CVS to operate its store at 700 NE 6th Avenue 24 hours, citing security concerns.
“To have a 24-hour operation close to a residential neighborhood I think is a burden on the police department,” Fetzer said.
Said Commissioner Adam Frankel: “I love the CVS. Personally I love the idea of having a 24-hour place open in case of emergencies. Unfortunately, I can’t make my decision solely on what I want.”
Frankel presided over the meeting in the absence of Mayor Woodie McDuffie.
In other action, commissioners:
— Postponed a vote on final reading of an ordinance that would stiffen regulations banning so-called pill mills in the city because of questions regarding the wording of the proposed law. The ordinance would ban pharmacies that take in more than 10 percent of their total revenue from the sale of narcotics. The ordinance also would require a drug store to have a Florida-licensed pharmacist on staff.
— Clarified city zoning regulations to allow medical offices, clinics and labs in a variety of commercial zones. Commissioners last fall inadvertently omitted medical offices from these zones when it redefined “professional offices” in an ordinance last October.
— Approved the storm water utility budget for the coming year, and set rates for the system. The rates remain unchanged from the current year.
— Agreed to fund an independent study of the police department. The study will look at workload, staffing and use of officers. City Manager David Harden said there hasn’t been an outside review of the department in at least 25 years. The police department takes up $29 million out of the city’s $96 million budget.
“Considering the financial pressure we’re under, I think it’s very appropriate to have this done,” Harden said.
— Scheduled the next budget workshop for next Monday at 6 p.m. The city has until the end of September to complete its budget for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1, although typically commissioners finish their work well before then. Commissioners need to cut about $7 million in expenses to balance the budget without hiking taxes. Personnel costs are likely to be the focus of any cuts.
