ROYAL PALM BEACH, Fla. — The village of Royal Palm Beach has a vision for its future. An idea on paper has gained traction and could pave the way for a more robust economy.
It’s called the State Road 7 Community Corridor study.
“This whole area, I can remember when it was two lanes out here on 441, a canal on each side and it’s grown up since then,” Brian House said.
Village leaders recently accepted a report that would transform a stretch of State Road 7 from Southern Boulevard to Okeechobee into a multi-use site with light rail, shops, housing, restaurants, and retail.
“It’s called the walkable, bikeable kind of environment, where you don't have to get in your car to go from point A to point B within the city,” Mayor Fred Pinto said. "The long-term concept is if we really create a robust transportation capability, people will make the decision to say I'm not taking my car, I can take this approach."
The vision in the eyes of village leaders is to simply keep up with South Florida's fast-growing economy but keep the quality of it. Much of what is on paper in the report paints a bigger picture of what State Road 7 could look like, making it a destination, a more enjoyable place for people to come.
A spot that could keep residents and visitors for a longer time in places like the village's popular movie theater, which would alter drastically into a larger attractive hub of green space and more.
A clear vision of the future for one corridor that represents a much larger picture of South Florida’s landscape.
“It could be good for the community, but then at the same time it will change the Royal Palm Beach from the Royal Palm Beach that it is,” House said.
Village leaders will discuss the report at a strategic planning session next week and determine the next step. Property owners and investors would have to agree on it as well for it to become reality.