A sweeping vision for West Palm Beach’s waterfront is stirring debate — not over ambition, but over how far the city should go to make it happen.
According to reporting by The Palm Beach Post, Mayor Keith James has been working with developer Stephen Ross and Related Ross on a plan to shift Flagler Drive inland and create a large, park-like green space along the waterfront — a concept Ross has offered to fund.
At the center of the controversy is E.R. Bradley’s, the longtime Clematis Street institution owned by the Coniglio family.
The family says they’ve faced months of pressure to sell key properties tied to the proposal, including the E.R. Bradley’s site, as discussions around the park concept evolved. Offers reportedly included relocating and rebuilding the restaurant elsewhere on the waterfront.
Tensions escalated when the possibility of eminent domain entered the conversation. Mayor James, in comments to The Palm Beach Post, acknowledged the concept had been considered in the context of what he described as a rare opportunity for the city, while also recognizing there could be “hurt feelings.” The city later clarified it is not currently pursuing eminent domain.
For the Coniglio family, the situation raises deeper concerns about property rights and the future of a business that has been part of the waterfront fabric for decades.
While Ross’s vision focuses on expanding public space and enhancing the city’s waterfront, the path to getting there remains unsettled. The proposal has yet to be formally presented in detail, and discussions between stakeholders are ongoing — leaving the future of one of West Palm Beach’s most recognizable landmarks uncertain.
