Stet NewsFor you, a local developer reels in a generational deal; how Ted Turner’s influence helped shape Palm Beach County; big TV mo in Palm Beach Gardens; our Community Voices high school news team with its last report of the school year; how Sweet Fish it is; and blood, sweat and 350 pounds of raw steel.
🎰 Riviera Beach bets on Forest Development
Riviera Beach leaders chose a partner last week to transform one of its most valuable assets, the city marina waterfront, into a $566 million residential and tourist destination.
Driving the news: Forest Development founder Peter Baytarian’s winning proposal calls for tearing down the city’s 10-year-old event center and replacing it with a 73,000-square-foot convention center.
Also on the drawing board for 12 acres at the Marina Village just north of the Port of Palm Beach is a 270-room Marriott Autograph hotel, 164 condominiums, three waterfront restaurants, a rooftop lounge, a culinary school and a 240-slip dry-boat storage center.
Why it matters: It’s yet another massive investment in a city that has been undergoing extraordinary change in recent years. Riviera Beach has been trying to redo the waterfront since 2005 and initiated this effort in 2018.
By the numbers:
- With a 99-year lease of the city land, Baytarian said Forest would pay annual rent of $2.9 million.
- Forest Development pledged to create a resident-led community benefit fund and contribute $100,000 a year to it.
- The project is projected to create 1,000 construction jobs and 1,500 part-time and full-time permanent jobs.
Council Chair Bruce Guyton told all three proposers, including Los Angeles-based Sonnenblick and Miami-based Related Urban, that he didn’t want the project to lock out city residents by focusing solely on luxury restaurants and condos.
For public access, the plan includes an expansion of Bicentennial Park, an amphitheater, a food truck area, a dog park and a splash pad.
What’s next: CRA staff members will arrange weekly meetings with Forest Development to pursue a final contract.
Keep reading for our full report on Thursday’s vote and Forest’s timeline to get the project done at StetNews.org.
– Carolyn DiPaolo
🏟️ Ted Turner: Palm Beach County game-changer
Media mogul Ted Turner, who died May 6 at 87, played an unlikely role in the development of Jupiter’s Abacoa, paving the way for Palm Beach County to be the only county in Florida with two dual-team Major League Baseball spring training complexes.
Why it matters: Abacoa is now a thriving community with 6,000 homes, a baseball stadium, a college campus and a Main Street downtown. The county hosts four spring training teams, generating nearly $78 million in economic impact in 2025.
It all started with a friendship born on the high seas. Turner, whose Atlanta Braves trained in West Palm Beach, and developer George de Guardiola spent six weeks sailing off England during the Admiral’s Cup yacht race in 1983. On the water, they batted around the idea of a Palm Beach County spring training stadium anchoring a development of homes and businesses.
- De Guardiola brought the concept home, eventually pitching it to the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, which owned 2,000 acres at Donald Ross Road and Military Trail, land that would become Abacoa.
- The promise of the Braves as a tenant and the unfulfilled prospect of a TBS employment center bringing hundreds of jobs played a pivotal role in persuading growth-averse public officials to get behind the new community and the ballpark.
Then the Braves bolted: In February 1996, after a phone call between Turner and Disney CEO Michael Eisner, word came down of the team’s move to Disney World, blindsiding local officials mid-negotiation.
But the stadium got built anyway — and the project found new life almost immediately.
- St. Louis Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt walked into de Guardiola’s office shortly after the Braves announced their exit, eager to claim the Jupiter spot.
- Roger Dean Stadium opened in 1998 with the Cardinals and Montreal Expos. The Florida Marlins replaced the Expos in 2003.
- The stadium’s success led the county to open a second complex in West Palm Beach in 2017 for the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals.
What they’re saying: “I think they (Turner and de Guardiola) both were visionary individuals who could see a bigger picture on a blank canvas,” said Dennis Grady, the retired CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches. “And to our benefit, this is a premier spring training destination.”
There’s more to the story of Ted Turner’s up-and-down relationship with Palm Beach County at StetNews.org.
— Joe Capozzi
🦚 Channel 5’s new digs
North county is about to become the undisputed king of local TV airwaves.
WPTV Channel 5 has chosen to rent office space in Palm Beach Gardens, as Stet News reported exclusively Wednesday.
Why it matters: Channel 5 won’t be alone. It will be setting up shop in mid-2027 next door to WPBF Channel 25, which has been at the Northcorp Corporate Park since 1989. The other local news station, WPEC Channel 12, also is in north county, with offices off Australian Avenue in Mangonia Park.
- Northcorp opened in 1961 as one of the first employment centers in the brand-new city of Palm Beach Gardens. It was built to be the home to the Radio Corporation of America, which owned the NBC network.
What they’re saying: The move is a strong reflection of north county’s momentum and growth, said Noel Martinez, president and CEO of the Palm Beach North Chamber of Commerce.
- “As more businesses, families and industries continue to invest in Palm Beach North, the demand for meaningful local storytelling and community coverage continues to grow alongside it,” Martinez said. “We’re grateful to have both WPTV and WPBF side by side telling the stories of the people, businesses and innovation shaping our community every day.”
Catch up quick: WPTV, the E.W. Scripps-owned NBC affiliate, announced last May that it had sold its downtown West Palm Beach home for $40 million to a partnership led by developer Related Ross. The deal gave the station less than three years to move.
Flashback: WPTV started broadcasting in 1954 from a former greenhouse in Palm Beach. It moved to the West Palm Beach waterfront in 1971 before selling that location to a condo developer and moving in 2001 to Banyan Boulevard and Australian Avenue on Clear Lake.
Working next door to a rival station doesn’t bother WPTV, General Manager Bill Siegel told Stet News.
“It’s not like the old days where a reporter is running to a phone booth” to call in the latest story and beat out their rivals, he said. “We have a lot of respect for WPBF.”
Read more about the new home of the oldest local TV news station at StetNews.org.
— Joel Engelhardt
🚓 Police station inches forward
By Community Voices
The Riviera Beach Planning and Zoning Board voted May 14 to reapprove the site plan for its $35 million police headquarters that a lawsuit had temporarily halted at the Barracuda Bay Aquatic Center.
Catch up quick: Tradrick McCoy, a former City Council member, sued to block the initial decision, citing public notices with incorrect addresses and parcel numbers and arguing that it deprived residents of their voice.
Why it matters: A judge dismissed the lawsuit, but the Planning and Zoning Board reheard the full presentation with the corrected address and asked further questions about the plans for the new headquarters.
What they’re saying: Vice Chair Frank Fernandez questioned whether the three spherical barriers at the Avenue S main entrance provided sufficient security.
“Our brothers and sisters in blue are going to be in that building. Those little three things you have there, that ain’t gonna protect anything going through there. … In today’s day and age, this has to be overprotected.”
The other side: Senior planner Juan Suarez, Joby Balint of PGAL Architects and police Maj. Steven Thomas told Fernandez that the plan assures adequate protection. Balint added that the building is fully bulletproof and will have Category 5 hurricane protection.
The bottom line: The site plan passed 4-1. Board member Rafer Williams dissented with no explanation. On May 20, the City Council unanimously passed the site plan on first reading.
Who wrote this story: This story was reported by Community Voices writer Kelvin Verhovlyak.
What is CV: Community Voices is a partnership between Stet News and Inlet Grove High School. Stet News is underwriting the pilot to train and pay students to cover Riviera Beach.
Inlet Grove journalism teacher C.B. Hanif and Stet’s Liz Capozzi contributed to this story.
🐟 Sweet Fish: An unexpected eatery
Restaurateur Michael Moir opened not one but two food destinations this month in Jupiter.
- Little Moir’s Sweet Fish opened May 18 in Chasewood Plaza southeast of Central Boulevard and Indiantown Road.
- Hibiscus Streatery, a fish market and commissary 2½ miles east of Sweet Fish near the railroad tracks on Hibiscus Street, opened two weeks ago after changing from a small market and 13-seat cafe.
Why it matters: Starting with Little Moir’s Food Shack in 2001, Moir’s creative menus with Caribbean and Asian influences have helped define Jupiter cuisine.
Major regroup: Moir brought Sweet Fish to life after parking problems at Hibiscus Streatery kept him from opening the cafe there. He created Sweet Fish at the old RJ Gators location to accommodate the staff he’d hired for Hibiscus.
The new restaurant is an American tavern, aiming to attract Jupiter Farms patrons to the “country side” of Moir’s menus.
What they’re saying: “I hadn’t planned it,” Moir said.
Many morsels of goodness: Moir has lots of American staples for his clientele.
- Seafood offerings that will change with availability include lobster empanadas, sweet potato-crusted fish and Southern-style fish and grits dished up with black-eyed peas and crispy okra. A shrimp and smoked pork ramen bowl has a garnish of chicharron.
- Baked meatloaf with sticky maple brussels sprouts, jalapeno cheddar cornbread and slaw.
- Chef Juan’s BBQ fish sandwich with fried plantains, a barbecue sauce and brie.
Read more about Sweet Fish’s tasty menu at StetNews.org.
— Jan Norris
🍊 The Juice
🆗 Tri-Rail and Henderson Behavioral Health announced a campaign last week to curb suicides on train tracks. Called “Are You OK?” the idea is to enlist the help of frontline employees who work for Tri-Rail and its contractors to act as a “bridge” between people who are suffering and mental health sources now available in South Florida. (Sun-Sentinel $$$)
🎁 Baptist Health South Florida received the largest single donation in its history last week when Manalapan-based billionaire philanthropist and congressional candidate Dr. Herbert “Herbie” Wertheim pledged $100 million to expand cancer research, treatment and prevention efforts. (Miami Herald $$$)
🛝 Palm Beach County voters will decide in November whether to approve a $280 million bond issue to pay for new parks and upgrades to existing parks. Staff plans to provide county commissioners with a list of projects on June 9.
- Also benefiting from the referendum’s approval would be two tourism-related projects that Stet News wrote about in March: an indoor sports complex and a sports and entertainment arena. (The Palm Beach Post $$$)
🚤 Fort Lauderdale-based West Marine, which operates about 200 stores nationwide including stores in Tequesta, North Palm Beach, Lantana and Delray Beach, filed May 17 for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company intends to continue operating while renegotiating leases and potentially shedding stores. (South Florida Business Journal $$$)
📻 Tom Hudson, WLRN’s senior economics editor and longtime host of “The Sunshine Economy,” has been named interim CEO of WLRN Public Media. He replaces John LaBonia, who left amid a dispute with WLRN’s license-holder, the Miami-Dade County Public Schools, over expansion into Palm Beach County. (WLRN)
🎸 To create a welcoming space where veterans can explore creativity, build connections and find stress relief through the arts, Common Ground Community Development, a Lake Worth Beach nonprofit, offers free guitar lessons. (Lake Worth Beach Independent)
✍🏼 A bill strengthening laws against domestic violence, and sponsored by a lawmaker from Lake Worth Beach who survived it, was signed Thursday by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Democratic Rep. Debra Tendrich’s measure makes repeat violations a felony. (South Florida Sun-Sentinel, $$$)
🦉 Florida Atlantic University is suing four former Owl football players over alleged violations tied to NIL agreements, including one player who is now on Florida State’s roster. (Sports Illustrated)
Jack Furnari, co-founder of BizPac Review, CEO of Florida Jolt and a conservative political strategist, died last week after a sudden illness. (BizPac Review)
🎙️ “Top of Mind Florida,” the podcast by Michael Williams and Brian Crowley, surveys the lively Florida governor’s race and potential surprises as the candidate qualifying deadline approaches on June 12. (Listen now; watch after 4 pm today)
561NSIDER: 🦅 Meet PBSC’s patriotic eagle
A team of Palm Beach State College welding students has crafted 325 pounds of raw steel into a larger-than-life piece of patriotic art.
Why it matters: The sculpture depicting a bald eagle about to take flight is part of a statewide competition celebrating America’s 250th anniversary.
It took 11 students more than 350 hours over three weeks to complete.
The silver bird of prey is about 3 feet tall, perched on a steel beam. The majestic creature’s wingspan stretches 6 feet, and its tripod base is adorned with vines and roses.
What they’re saying: Instructor Todd Rowley taught the students the cutting and welding techniques they used to create the piece, but they did 100% of the fabricating work, Rowley said. “I wasn’t allowed to help them at all. I could guide them, but I couldn’t touch anything.”
One student reports being captivated by the process.
“This is the first time I’ve really looked forward to getting up in the morning to go to work,” welder-in-training Connor Sabatello said.
What’s next: The sculpture will be installed in the new roundabout in the campus’ northwest corner off of the Lake Worth Road entrance.
- Contest winners will be announced before the Fourth of July.
The bottom line: Rowley hopes the sculpture will inspire people.
When he spoke at the unveiling in April, he said: “This is not a resting bird. It is in the act of claiming the sky. The eagle doesn’t look back; it faces forward, as this nation has always faced forward – through war, through hardship, through two and a half centuries of becoming.”
– Janis Fontaine
🔎 Extra: From CIA spy to Palm Beach Shores mayor
And, finally, a few words about a man who courted danger, operated at the highest levels of U.S. government and won many admirers here at home.
Flags are flying at half-staff in Palm Beach Shores to honor former Mayor Alan Fiers, who died last week at 87.
Before he served the town for 20 years, including as town commissioner, Fiers’ testimony played a pivotal role in exposing Iran-Contra, the Reagan administration’s secret, illegal diversion of money from Iranian arms sales to Nicaraguan rebels.
Fiers, sentenced to a year’s probation after pleading guilty in 1991 to two misdemeanors of withholding information from Congress, was pardoned by President George H.W. Bush in 1992.
Fiers was born in Ohio, played football for legendary Ohio State coach Woody Hayes and earned a Purple Heart in the Marines. After he left the CIA, he worked for W.R. Grace, a global chemical company, then retired in Palm Beach Shores.
In a 2020 profile by Joe Capozzi for The Palm Beach Post, Fiers said he ran for mayor that year for the same reason he took a top job at the CIA.
“All my life I’ve done jobs that I didn’t want to do,” he recalled telling a Palm Beach Shores opponent. “And I said, ‘For instance, when I ran the Central American Task Force, I didn’t want to do that. But (then-CIA Director) Bill Casey asked me and said, ‘Al, we need you to do that job,’ and I said I would.’”
After three terms as mayor, Fiers did not seek reelection in March, and Vice Mayor Tracy Larcher ran unopposed to replace him.
Leah Fiers Moore paid tribute to her father last week as the town installed a plaque dedicated to him.
“My father loved this community,” she said, “its people, its history and especially the unique spirit in the best little town in Florida.”
– Carolyn DiPaolo
