West Palm Beach is experiencing a period of economic expansion, and Mayor Keith James made the following proclamation while the city was in the midst of this period of prosperity: "the state of our city today is strong, our economy is sound, and our state of mind is sturdy."
James told a crowd that was packed into a ballroom at the Palm Beach County Convention Center on Friday that West Palm Beach is "witnessing the dawn of an age of growth and prosperity not seen, perhaps, since Henry Flagler first pulled his rail cars into our city more than 125 years ago."
The mayor noted what he described as a drop in crime and announced that – for the second year in a row – he is increasing his goal for the construction of affordable housing units because the previous goal of building 500 units in three years had been met. He also bragged about the new office buildings that are sprouting up in the city, talked up partnerships with the University of Florida and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, and noted what he described as a drop in crime.