Miami artist Gary Moore created street banners comemmorating the area's historic neighborhoods, and terrazzo mosaics to dress up the sidewalk mosaics.

 

Al Johnson outside Donnie's Place, a restaurant getting ready to open on NW 5th.

Vannessa Grant, owner of Amazing Creations, a florist shop on SW 5th joined the day's festivities.

Residents gather to hear remarks from dignitaries and listen to entertainment.

The Florida Real Estate Investors Association on Southwest 5th help celebrate the moment. From left, Anna Preobrazhenskaya, Kathy Sadler, Juan Restrepo (kneeling),Nikki Krucheck, Alfrida Hunt, Sharon Restrepo and Richard Housey.

By Palm Beach Business.com Staff

DELRAY BEACH — The city celebrated a piece of its history recently with a ceremony officially reopening the historically black NW-SW Fifth Avenue business district.

Delray Beach, the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency and Palm Beach County through the office of Commissioner Addie Greene spent $2.3 million to improve utilities, resurface the street and beautify the area with new lighting, street banners and terrazzo sidewalk mosaics.

The banners hang from lamp posts not only mark the district but recall the area’s historic neighborhoods — Frog Alley, The Sands, West Settlers’. Planning the project took years, plus the input of local residents.

“We really wanted to make it different, something with its own unique character,” said Diane Colonna, executive director of the CRA.

Frank Wheat, chairman of the CRA, said the street, which is bisected by Atlantic Avenue was the heart of Delray’s black community for most of the city’s history. As the city declined in 1970s and ‘80s, so did Fifth Avenue.

The last couple of decades have been a time of prosperity for Delray, and it became a priority for the city to vitalize Fifth Avenue.

“It’s integral to the redevelopment of West Atlantic Avenue,” Wheat said.

Mayor Jeff Pearlman called it special day for Delray Beach. “It is exciting to see it come back to life,” Pearlman said.

Said Angeleta Gray, a member of the CRA and a local business owner: “Thank you to the CRA, the city and the county for allowing our voices to be heard.”