Stet NewsGood morning, Stetters! For you today, get to know Dick’s House of Sport, high-rises near Riviera Beach’s marina, a showcase of baseball potential in Jupiter, a fresh perspective at the League of Cities and an invitation to walk with us.
⚾️ Gardens Mall pitches sporting goods
Plans to replace the abandoned Sears store at The Gardens Mall are moving forward.
Catch up quick: The mall’s owners have proposed a two-story, 140,000-square-foot Dick’s House of Sport plus an addition to the mall that would make room for specialty furniture retailer Arhaus.
Why it’s important: Dick’s has been trying to get into the lucrative PGA Boulevard location since 2011. Several lawsuits later, it has won the full backing of the mall’s owner, The Forbes Co., which fought Dick’s in the courts for nearly a decade.
- A September 2024 settlement of a federal lawsuit brought by Dick’s against Forbes, reached after three days of trial, is not public but it appears to have paved the way for the move.
- Attending settlement talks were the principals of Forbes, Nathan Forbes; and his partner, William Taubman, president of the Taubman Realty Group; as well as Dick’s Sporting Goods’ top executive, William Stack.
Zoom out: The result is a new, larger version of the traditional Dick’s store designed to draw people away from mail-order shopping with rock-climbing walls, batting cages and golf bays.
Zoom in: The store also will feature an 18,000-square-foot outdoor field, which could be used for equipment testing, sports clinics, community games, birthday parties, fitness classes and athlete appearances, Forbes said in its application to Palm Beach Gardens.
- The proposal would provide an extra 47,000 square feet in the mall for more stores, with specialty furniture seller Arhaus moving from its space near Bloomingdale’s.
- In all, the project would add 61,467 square feet to the 1.4 million-square-foot mall but no additional parking, instead asking the city to reduce the formula for how parking demand is calculated.
What’s next: Palm Beach Gardens planners are reviewing the application, which was submitted on June 27 and first reported in July by the South Florida Business Journal. If it meets staff’s standards, it will be presented to the city’s Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board before going to the City Council.
Read more on the proposal for Dick’s House of Sport at StetNews.org.
— Joel Engelhardt
⬆️ Riviera Beach keeps building
Developers broke ground last week on Riviera Beach’s second recent entry into the world of subsidized affordable housing.
Builders Related Urban Development Group, a part of Miami’s Related Group, were celebrated by local politicians as they kicked off construction Sept. 29 on an $80 million, 149-unit apartment building on the site of the former Spanish Courts motel on Broadway just north of the Port of Palm Beach.
Why it matters: As upper-income buyers have flooded the housing market, prices have skyrocketed and fewer low-cost homes and apartments are available. The shortage of affordable housing became so critical that voters supported a $200 million bond issue in 2022 to build more.
What they’re saying: Riviera Beach Mayor Douglas Lawson thanked Related Urban for “drowning out the noise of people saying what Riviera Beach cannot do. This is showing what Riviera Beach can do.”
Zoom out: The groundbreaking for the Residences at Marina Village marks the start of work that could bring more than 1,100 new housing units to a four-block area straddling Broadway.
- The project has similar income thresholds to Berkeley Landing, a 112-unit apartment building on Broadway; and Flagler Station, a 94-unit project in downtown West Palm Beach.
- All three are open to renters at income levels below those of workforce housing.
Zoom in: Eight of the one- and two-bedroom apartments at Marina Village will be rented for as low as $513. All but 37 units will go to people who earn less than 80% of area median income.
- The money came from a $38.6 million tax-credit loan from M&T Bank of Buffalo, N.Y., and a $15.4 million State Apartment Incentive Loan through the Florida Housing Finance Corp.
- Riviera Beach put in $1.5 million and retains ownership of the land. Palm Beach County provided a $4.7 million contribution. The developers put in about $9 million.
Zoom out: For years, the Spanish Courts, a quaint mom-and-pop motel built in 1938, thrived on the site, before falling into disrepair in the 1980s. The cottages were restored in the 1990s but didn’t last. The bulldozers came in 2016.
Read more about the groundbreaking for the Residences at Marina Village at StetNews.org.
— Joel Engelhardt
🌟 Baseball rolls out the stars in Jupiter
Jupiter will be home to some of the biggest names in baseball this weekend, names you’ve probably never heard of.
More than 2,400 top high school players, including most of baseball’s top teen prospects, will converge Thursday on Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium for the five-day World Wood Bat Association Championship.
Why it matters: Considered the premier amateur baseball showcase, the WWBA Championship will attract more than 700 Major League Baseball scouts and college coaches, armed with radar guns and notebooks, looking to stock their rosters with the best up-and-coming players in the country.
What they’re saying: “If you want to see the next generation of major league players, the future stars of MLB, this is the place to be,” said retired Atlanta Braves and San Diego Padres star Ryan Klesko, a special adviser for Perfect Game, the tournament organizer.
Zoom in: Games will be played simultaneously on 11 fields, with a two-hour time limit for each game.
Zoom out: Among top high school prospects expected: Striker Pence, a 16-year-old California high school pitcher whose fastball has been clocked at 100 mph.
- Retired big leaguers Alfonso Soriano, Jose Contreras, Gary Sheffield and Brett Myers plan to attend.
- Former slugger Mo Vaughn and former pitcher Tom “Flash” Gordon will host podcasts.
- Perfect Game TV will broadcast three games on Thursday.
Of note: Scouts and coaches will zip around the 110-acre complex in Jupiter’s Abacoa neighborhood on a fleet of some 300 golf carts.
It’s a boon for Jupiter-area hotels and restaurants, which get Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals big leaguers in February and March for spring training.
- The off-season tournaments “are a large part of Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium’s economic impact, bringing thousands of players, families, baseball fans and scouts to Palm Beach County,” said Mike Bauer, the stadium’s general manager.
Fans are welcome. Tickets are available only at the gate. Here are prices:
- Tournament Pass, good for all games over all five days: $45.
- Daily Pass, good for all games on a specific day: $15.
- Senior Citizen (65+)/Military Daily Pass: $10.
- Age 14 and younger: Free.
Read more about this week’s amateur baseball event at StetNews.org.
— Joe Capozzi
🫡 New boss at League of Cities
The Palm Beach County League of Cities has selected Amelia Jadoo, an attorney with the Torcivia, Donlon, Goddeau & Ansay law firm, as its new executive director.
- Jadoo replaces Richard Radcliffe, who served since 2011 before retiring in August.
Why it matters: The league advocates for the county’s 39 municipalities by promoting home rule, addressing shared legislative issues and fostering cooperation among local governments. It serves as a unified voice on issues including growth management, taxation and transportation, playing a big role in the recent effort to initiate a countywide transportation master plan.
What they’re saying: Wellington Mayor Michael Napoleone, who serves on the league’s executive committee, said Jadoo “came in with a fresh perspective and a lot of enthusiasm” and has a “good background in municipal governance” with her work at the Torcivia firm, which represents many cities.
Zoom in: Jadoo earned her law degree in 2006 from William Mitchell College of Law and her bachelor’s at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minn., in 2002.
What’s next: Her selection became effective Sept. 30. While her salary was not disclosed the job posting listed a salary range of $105,000 to $140,000.
Read more about the league and its new director at StetNews.org.
— Joe Capozzi
🍊The Juice
🚫 Florida was tops in the nation for book bans for the third year in a row during last school year, and PEN America, the free speech organization that tracks them, is worried that it’s more a result of pressure from public officials than parental objections. Gov. Ron DeSantis calls book ban claims a hoax. (The Palm Beach Post $$$)
A few hours after the start of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year, vulgar antisemitic graffiti was painted on the side of a drug store at a prominent Lake Worth Beach intersection. (Lake Worth Beach Independent)
✅ West Palm Beach city commissioners approved Great Gulf’s proposal Sept. 29 for a 31-story, 360-foot condominium with 97 units at 5400 N. Flagler Drive. The project had the backing of the Northwood Harbor neighborhood association. (The Palm Beach Post $$$)
Longtime Palm Beach Gardens developer Joel Channing, who built PGA Commons and homes in PGA National and BallenIsles as well as projects in Miami-Dade County, died Sept. 30 at age 84. (Legacy.com)
🗳️ Maria Zack defeated Bill Reicherter Sept. 30 in the Republican primary to face Democrat Rob Long, the Delray Beach vice mayor, in the Dec. 9 election for the state House District 90 seat vacant since the July death of Rep. Joe Casello. Zack received 53% of the 2,680 votes cast. (WPBF)
Prosecutors in Leon County are convening a grand jury related to the Hope Florida Foundation scandal. The charity, started by first lady Casey DeSantis, is accused of funneling $10 million in state money into the foundation for the governor’s political purposes, namely to defeat the recreational marijuana amendment on the ballot last year. DeSantis has denied wrongdoing. (Miami Herald $$$)
💵 Billionaire developer and CityPlace owner Stephen Ross has launched the Related Ross Foundation, a nonprofit and grantmaking arm in West Palm Beach to focus initially on the Northwest, Coleman Park and Pleasant City neighborhoods. (South Florida Business Journal $$$)
🔨 Delray Beach’s beachside pavilion, last built in 2013, is being rebuilt at a cost of $817,400 because the wrong fasteners were used to hold it together and it began falling apart. (The Coastal Star)
🍰 A visit to Ganache Bakery, which got its start at the West Palm Beach Green Market. (WLRN)
🎧 “Top of Mind Florida,” the podcast by Michael Williams and Brian Crowley, talks with Steve Abrams about the future of mass transit across Florida. Can Tri-Rail survive Florida’s latest budget cuts—or will 15,000 daily riders be left stranded? (Listen here; watch after 4 pm Wednesday)
561NSIDER: 💙 Walk with NAMI and us
At Stet News, we believe in mental health for all.
What’s happening: For the third year, we’ve formed a caring and competitive Stet News team to participate in NAMIWalks.
- Last year, you helped Team Stet raise more than $3,000 for NAMI Palm Beach County making us a Top Five team.
- We invite you to lift us up again at NAMIWalks 2025 on Nov. 1 at John Prince Park.
Why it matters: “This year, the stakes feel higher,” NAMI Palm Beach County CEO Katherine Murphy told Stet News. “We’re seeing unprecedented demand for our programs and more families in crisis reaching out for help. As people navigate increasingly complex mental health situations, we’re expanding services to meet the moment. Our goal is to ensure timely access to support. No one should be left waiting.”
By the numbers: In 2024, NAMI PBC answered nearly 2,000 calls for resource help, and Murphy reports that the trend is continuing into 2025.
- Attendance at NAMI’s drop-in center and peer-led programs is climbing; some support groups are nearing capacity; and several educational courses have waitlists, she said.
Context: The National Alliance on Mental Illness is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization. It is dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness.
- Money raised in Palm Beach County stays here.
- We’re proud to say Stet co-founder Joel Engelhardt serves on the NAMI PBC board.
Threat level: Palm Beach County is known for its generosity, but the nonprofit landscape is shifting.
- With changes in government support for nonprofits, organizations such as NAMI must adapt to meet growing needs. Grant competition is expected to intensify in 2026.
Wait, there’s more: Thanks to a generous sponsor, NAMI PBC board President Cheryl Checkers, your Stet News team will again be one of the more than 30 organizations with a table at NAMIWalks.
- Stop by, say hello and pick up a Stet News sticker!
The bottom line: Fundraising through NAMIWalks allows the organization to keep all programs free and accessible. That’s why this year’s walk — and every contribution — is so critical, Murphy said.
Details: You can join Team Stet or sponsor a Stet team member here. Or you can register, starting at 7 am at the walk, which begins at 8:30 am, Saturday, Nov. 1, at John Prince Park west of Lake Worth Beach.
- Bring your Halloween candy. And if you have trouble with the links, write to us at stet@stetnews.org.
— Carolyn DiPaolo
Finally, we’re excited to report that Stet News’ Holly Baltz will moderate a special event next week presented by the League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County and the Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida.
- The program will explore the newly released State of the Florida Girl report, which reveals trends in mental health, academic achievement, physical well-being and social support.
The free event will be at 3:30 pm Thursday, Oct. 16, at the Mandel Public Library in West Palm Beach. Seating is limited and registration is required. More information is here.
