Stet NewsHello, hello! Enjoy the pre-summer, post-Easter lull. For you today, a new boss and a grand vision for the science museum, Palm Beach Gardens fills a retail void, a show-stopper at Palm Beach State College, a youth summit returns and downtown West Palm through a new lens.
🧬 Huge expansion at Cox Science Center
The Cox Science Center and Aquarium in West Palm Beach is welcoming a new director amid a $150 million expansion to transform itself into a world-class attraction.
- The expansion will triple its size and nearly double its footprint in Dreher Park.
- More than $134 million of the $150 million has been raised.
- The doors will remain open during construction.
- Museum officials hope visitors will see the new space by Christmas 2027.
Why it matters: This is the science center’s biggest growth spurt since its founding in 1959.
What they’re saying: “It’s really becoming so much more than the little community museum that it started out as,” said Kurt Allen, the new CEO.
Context: The science museum started in 1959 as the Junior Museum of Palm Beach County, founded by the Junior League of the Palm Beaches to focus on the natural sciences.
The museum grew in fits and starts and was in danger of closing in the 1980s.
The success of a dinosaur exhibit in the late 1990s ushered in multimillion-dollar gifts and more expansion.
Zoom in: During construction, the museum will still offer events like a huge Lego exhibit coming in May and summer camp.
Zoom out: Added space for traveling exhibits will attract the biggest and best exhibits, such as the Titanic in 2013.
Named after: Palm Beach residents Wendy and Howard Ellis Cox Jr., who made a $20 million gift in 2021.
Other supporters past and present: Ken Griffin; Jack Nicklaus; Jim Fazio; astronauts Edgar Mitchell, Buzz Aldrin, Scott Carpenter and Bob Crippen; John Paulson and Alina de Almeida; Brian and Julie Simmons; Kathryn and Leo Vecellio; the Frisbies; Judy and Leonard Lauder.
Read more about the museum’s plans at StetNews.org.
— Janis Fontaine
🛍️ New life for old Office Depot
World Market is hoping it can do what Office Depot couldn’t and make a go of it in a Palm Beach Gardens strip center.
The retailer that promises an “ever-changing marketplace of products from around the world. … inspiring design, emerging trends, time-honored handicrafts and global flavors” is moving into the old Office Depot space in Prosperity Centre at PGA Boulevard and Prosperity Farms Road.
Why it matters: As more and more category-killer stores, such as Bed Bath & Beyond, close, strip centers are seeking hands-on retailers that can still draw crowds in the online shopping era.
Many, such as Plum Market, which opened in March in a neighboring space, or Dick’s Sporting Goods, which is planning an athletic field within its proposed store at The Gardens Mall, have obvious advantages for the in-person shopper. Others must go above and beyond to make people leave their keyboards behind.
What they’re saying: World Market is “offering some unique and distinct items that people can only buy at a certain place,” said Dinesh Gauri, a marketing professor at the University of Buffalo.
- Shoppers may also prefer to visit the store rather than buy similar products online because they can gauge an item’s quality firsthand.
Of note: World Market has 14 Florida locations. The brand left the South Florida market in 2010 when its store closed in the Shoppes at Isla Verde on State Road 7 in Wellington.
Read more about World Market and its return to South Florida at StetNews.org.
— Sephora Charles
🎭 No show theater
The show won’t go on at the Eissey Campus Theatre at Palm Beach State College in Palm Beach Gardens.
A broken fire-suppression sprinkler line flooded the stage on April 7, forcing the theater’s indefinite closure.
- Flooding damage included the stage and adjacent areas, with impacts to nearby rooms, electrical equipment and theater props, the college’s director of communications, Kerry Capell, wrote in an email to Stet News.
Why it matters: The theater, built in 1994, is a mainstay of the north county performance scene. Seven shows were moved, including “Welcome Back, Copeland Davis!,” a performance of the Copeland Davis Trio with the Symphonic Band of the Palm Beaches planned for May 16. It will be held on May 10 at the Duncan Theatre on the college’s Lake Worth campus.
Zoom in: The line break occurred when an unidentified performance company setting up for a production struck an overhead sprinkler line, Capell said. It’s too early to put a price tag on damage.
- Repairs are required to the sprinkler system, along with restoration of electrical and fire alarm systems, and remediation of water damage, Capell wrote.
What they’re saying: Ticket holders have been notified. “We truly appreciate the patience, flexibility and support of our community as we make the necessary repairs that ensure the successful reopening of the theatre,” Capell wrote.
— Joel Engelhardt
🤎 A mission to keep kids out of prison
West Palm Beach couple Donte and Yolanda Bates have found a way to work with the community and families to keep kids out of prison.
Love, Hope & Healing Inc., their nonprofit founded in 2020, has grown to encompass 80 families.
They are hosting the 2nd annual “Stop Throwing Rocks at the Chain Gang” youth summit on May 2 at Gaines Park in West Palm Beach.
Why it matters: Love, Hope & Healing works to increase confidence and responsibility for kids who without intervention could head down a bad road.
- It provides day-to-day support with a focus on teaching parents and kids to communicate.
- Summer camp features skilled trades and career exploration as well as financial literacy, nutrition, public speaking and proper table etiquette.
- Kids, parents and community members get together at an annual summit.
What they’re saying: “Donte’s not only changing lives. but he’s trying to change systems. What Donte is doing is feeding the fish while trying to make sure that the pond isn’t as toxic,” said the Rev. Rae Whitely, Bates’ mentor and a community leader.
- During the last legislative session, Whitely and Bates traveled to Tallahassee to discuss with lawmakers legislation supporting residents returning to the community from prison.
How it works: Twice-monthly mentoring sessions are safe spaces for parents and kids to talk about difficult subjects, such as writing down “What keeps me up at night.”
Among the answers: “Thinking about what I’m going to eat tomorrow,” “Wondering if I’m going to be molested tonight” and “Remembering standing in my friend’s blood after he committed suicide.”
At last year’s summit, kids and community leaders met under good circumstances.
- Kids ages 13-22 met two police chiefs, a judge and a prosecutor.
- They also took part in games, music and food.
About this year’s summit:
When: 10 am to 4 pm Saturday, May 2.
Where: Gaines Park Community Center, 1501 N. Australian Ave., West Palm Beach.
More information on Love, Hope & Healing’s Instagramhere.
Read more about the work the Bateses are doing at StetNews.org.
— Janis Fontaine
🍊 The Juice
🔎 Stephen Ross entertained Palm Beach County Mayor Sara Baxter in his private box at the collegiate national football championship in Miami at a time when the billionaire downtown West Palm Beach developer’s company is seeking approval for a $310 million convention center hotel deal with the county. (The Palm Beach Post $$$)
🔥 The urgency behind Riviera Beach Council Member Bruce Guyton’s March 18 move to fire City Manager Jonathan Evans could stem from Guyton’s support for Assistant Fire Chief Keith Golden, who Evans reprimanded after the death of a man in a canal, as the city prepares to replace retiring Fire Chief John Curd. On April 15, Evans’ supporter Shirley Lanier, the council chair, delayed the vote to end Evans’ four-year contract through a parliamentary maneuver. (WPBF Channel 25)
💉 The vaccination rate for Florida kindergartners hovers around 88% for the second school year in a row, after having been well above 90% in the decade before the pandemic, Florida Department of Health data show. In 2016, the rate had been as high as 94%. Immunization levels for seventh-graders in Florida dropped from 92.1% last school year to 91.9% in the 2025-26 school year, the lowest level in more than a decade. (Sun Sentinel $$$)
🦖 Responding to growing complaints, Lake Worth Beach city commissioners said they plan to consider code changes and review allegations of overzealous code enforcement. (Lake Worth Beach Independent)
🤖 “What happens when a data center comes to town,” a look at Google’s effort to build a data center in Franklin Furnace, a rural town of about 1,500 in Ohio. (The Free Press)
🇮🇱 Palm Beach County commissioners got lambasted last week for supporting investments in Israel bonds. So many speakers derided the decision during public comment April 14 that Clerk and Comptroller Mike Caruso came down from his office to defend the policy. (The Palm Beach Post $$$)
🏅 Benjamin Ferencz was honored with a Congressional Gold Medal last week for his work as a prosecutor of Nazi war crimes after World War II. Ferencz, of Delray Beach, died in 2023 at age 103 knowing the medal was in the works, but the minting of the medallion, engraved with a likeness of the prosecutor in his youth, took years. (Sun Sentinel $$$)
🕯️ Palm Beach County theater pioneer Lou Tyrrell, an innovative producer involved in starting Theatre Lab, Arts Garage and Florida Stage, died April 10 at age 75. (Sun Sentinel $$$)
🥩 Legacy Place in Palm Beach Gardens will be home to a new, large steak and seafood restaurant starting April 26 when Eddie V’s Prime Seafood is scheduled to open. (The Palm Beach Post $$$)
🚗 Waymo has begun offering rides in its driverless robotaxis through its app on highways in Miami. (South Florida Business Journal $$$)
🎧 “Top of Mind Florida,” the podcast by Michael Williams and Brian Crowley, explores “American democracy at a Crossroads” with Dianna Wynn, president of the League of Women Voters. Wynn explains why her 106-year-old organization has declared a constitutional crisis for the first time in its history — and what she says is at stake for Florida voters in 2026. (Listen now ; watch after 4 pm today)
561NSIDER: 🤳🏾 Point your phone and watch downtown West Palm Beach come alive
There are sea turtles swimming in Centennial Fountain on Clematis Street and gigantic petals cascading down from the fuchsia orchids on the Anya Apartments on Banyan.
What’s happening: It’s DowntownWPB Unlocked, augmented reality features developed by the Downtown Development Authority to animate the cityscape. Through its partnership with AR company Hoverlay, the city turned more than 30 downtown sites into interactive destinations.
Why it matters: The feature, unveiled last week, puts West Palm among the first Florida cities to bring augmented reality to the streets. The goal is to connect visitors to the city.
What they’re saying: “Downtown has always been full of stories,” Teneka James-Feaman said. “Through our partnership with Hoverlay, we’re making those stories visible, interactive and accessible to everyone.”
Zoom in: Featured animations include “Einstein’s Theory of Love” at 509 Clematis St. by Eduardo Kobra and “I Lost My Shoe When I Saw You” on the eastern wall of the Clematis Parking Garage by Lonac.
Artist Sam Weinberger’s giant mural “Big Optimism,” at 335 Clematis St., portrays an urban warrior and her faithful canine companion. The familiar piece comes to life as the dog turns his head to play with a bird that takes flight.
Zoom out: The DDA paid $20,000 to create the interactive features and will pay $4,000 each year to maintain them.
How it works: Download the free Hoverlay app on a mobile device and choose Downtown West Palm Beach. (Available for iOS and Android.) Now, your phone can access turtles swimming in the sky, artists speaking about their work and historians discussing landmarks.
What’s next: Organizers hope spontaneous conversations happen when app users see the work, that viewers’ reactions will draw in more people.
Keep reading to see two of the downtown murals come alive at StetNews.org.
— Janis Fontaine
🎶 Carolyn here. I’m on my way home from New Orleans’ French Quarter Festival, where nearly 1 million people celebrated local music and culture.
The best act we saw: trumpeter James Andrews, Trombone Shorty’s older brother.
It made me think about the importance of family businesses and hometown civic organizations to our community, and it left me more committed than ever to do my part to make them stronger.
Thank you for all you do to make Stet stronger.
