Muoio: West Palm Beach To Bring Businesses, Jobs

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. ?? WPBF.com

Mayor Jeri Muoio told a crowd of hundreds at her State of the City address Wednesday that West Palm Beach is ready for a stellar year.

"Well, the state of the city is terrific," Muoio told WPBF 25 News after her speech.

She has a goal of bringing businesses and jobs to downtown. Already, there are plans to build a new high-rise building on a vacant lot to house the employees of Digital Domain, which is partnering with Florida State University's film school.

"We think our downtown is vibrant," Muoio said. "It's a place where businesses want to be, especially businesses that employ young people."

But just a few miles from the busy downtown are the underdeveloped and impoverished parts of West Palm Beach, most notably along Tamarind Avenue, where crime has been rising.

The mayor hopes to stop that this year.

"They need to know that that area is going to be safer because we're bringing in private security," Muoio said. "They need to know that it's going to be more beautiful. We're going to be developing Seventh Street Square."

Also on the agenda for 2012 is increasing tourism and developing the waterfront.

But one of the city's premiere spring events, the Palm Beach International Boat Show, could be halted this year.

The city is threatening to cancel it because city officials claim organizers did thousands of dollars in damage to the waterfront last year. It's still unclear whether the major tourist event planned for March is a go.

"We'll see," Muoio said. "We'll see."

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Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46042057/ns/local_news-west_palm_beach_fl/

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