rs after the preceding one. If Congress can return to its historic pattern of passing water bills every two years, the delay for this Everglades project will not be terrible. That’s another reason to wish for a less dysfunctional Congress.
If you build it…?
A decade ago, during the real estate boom, then-West Palm Beach mayor Lois Frankel—now U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel—touted all the condo towers rising in the city’s downtown. Just imagine, Frankel and other city leaders said, all the economic benefits from those new residents.
But a lot of those condos were bought to flip, not live in. Then the real estate market went bust. Now private investors are buying up many of those condos. All of which makes it hard to tell whether West Palm Beach will get all those new downtown residents merchants were hoping for.
Which brings us to Boca Raton, and its own approval of residential projects to create a busier downtown. Approval of those projects—notably Archstone, on East Palmetto Park Road—supposedly persuaded Trader Joe’s last summer to commit to the company’s store that will anchor the East City Center complex rising on South Federal Highway at Eighth Avenue.
How, though, can Boca Raton avoid becoming like West Palm, where there are many new towers but not enough new, actual residents?
Mayor Susan Haynie says things will be different in Boca because the type of housing is different. Of the three big downtown projects—Camden, Tower One Fifty Five and Archstone—only Tower One Fifty Five is condos. Camden and Archstone are luxury rentals. You don’t flip a rental.
For sure, rental projects have driven much of the post-bust residential building because that’s where the financing has been. It’s why Atlantic Crossing in Delray has so many housing units. One hopes Haynie is right. Boca Raton has bet a lot on the idea that if you build it, they will come.
The Scott Wilson case
One of the saddest—that’s just one possible description—cases ever in Palm Beach County staggers on, as of Wednesday.
The 4th District Court of Appeal ruled that the cremated ashes of Scott Wilson cannot be divided between his parents, Lili Wilson and William Wilson. Each has a Boca Raton attorney—Amy Beller for Lili Wilson, Joy Bartman for William Wilson.
The Wilsons’ son, Scott Wilson, was killed four years ago at age 23 when Wellington polo club owner John Goodman’s Bentley rammed his car. Goodman’s second trial on charges of DUI manslaughter and failing to render aid starts Oct. 6. Goodman was convicted in 2012 and sentenced to 16 years, but the judge ordered a new trial because of juror misconduct.
Lili and William Wilson divorced before their son’s death. They sued Goodman, and got $46 million, which they split. As the probate judge and now the appeals court have ruled, however, cremated remains cannot be divided so easily. Lili Wilson wants to bury the ashes here. William Wilson wants to bury them in Georgia, and asked the courts to rule that he get his. . .share.
The appellate court’s ruling should settle the legal question. Why this issue got into the courts in the first place is the real question.
You can email Randy Schultz at firstname.lastname@example.org
About the Author
Randy Schultz was born in Hartford, Conn., and graduated from the University of Tennessee in 1974. He has lived in South Florida since then, and in Boca Raton since 1985. Schultz spent nearly 40 years in daily journalism at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, most recently as editorial page editor at the Post. His wife, Shelley, is director of The Learning Network at Pine Crest School. His son, an attorney, and daughter-in-law and three grandchildren also live in Boca Raton. His daughter is a veterinarian who lives in Baltimore.