WEST PALM BEACH — Score one for the people.
After days of outrage, viral posts, and a full-court press from residents and business owners, Mayor Keith James hit the brakes on a controversial plan to reshape the downtown waterfront — a stunning reversal that locals are calling a major win.
At the center of the firestorm: beloved waterfront staple E.R. Bradley’s, whose owners claimed they were being pushed aside to make room for a shiny new park. The allegation lit up social media and packed City Hall Monday night.
The mayor insisted it wasn’t a land grab, describing talks that included a $35 million relocation offer to move the restaurant 150 yards south — with full ownership and exclusivity intact. He even suggested the owners didn’t reject the idea outright, later joking it sounded more like “show me the money” when a $100 million figure entered the conversation.
But Bradley’s owners fired back hard, calling the mayor’s version “untrue and misleading” and demanding transparency after what they say were behind-the-scenes pressure tactics — including talk of eminent domain, which the city denies.
The backlash only grew louder.
Former Congressman Mark Foley blasted the process, accusing city leaders of trying to cut deals “in the dark of night” and ignoring public input.
By the end of the night, the pressure proved too much.
“I’m going to pause this waterfront project,” James announced, pivoting to promise public “listening sessions” instead of pushing forward.
Translation: the public spoke — and City Hall listened.
For now, the bulldozers are on hold, Flagler Drive stays put, and Bradley’s isn’t going anywhere.
And if there’s a lesson here, it’s this: in West Palm Beach, when the community pushes back, even City Hall has to blink.
